Destinations

Kings Mountain State Park adjoins the Kings Mountain National Military Park and is connected to North Carolina’s Crowder’s Mountain State Park via the 12-mile Ridgeline Trail. A living history farm...

No boat? No problem. For $5 an hour, rent one of the park’s new sit-on-tops that, unlike most sit-on-tops, slices through the water. Explore the 150-acre lake and its coves,...

Lake Norman State Park is located in Iredell County. The lake is the largest man-made lake in the state, and hosts nearly a million visitors a year. This spot is...

On the Catawba River below the Lake Wylie dam, water levels (or “lower,” perhaps, since the river is dam controlled and thus doesn’t get that low) the rocks that dot...

Loft Mountain with roughly 200 sites is the largest campground in the Shenandoah National Park; about 20 miles to the north is Lewis Mountain, which with just 31 sites and...

A great base camp for exploring the Shenandoah National Park, Loft Mountain is located near the southern end of the Shenandoah. The Appalachian Trail runs through the campground, the adjoining...

Odds are you didn’t know that Morrow Mountain State Park had bridle trail. It does, and we will be hiking a bit of it — the Bridle Long Loop Trail...

Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 feet above sea level is the highest you can get east of the Black Hills. Of course, at this altitude (above 6,000 feet) the forest is...

Located at the foot of 5,721-foot Mount Pisgah, this is one of the highest campsites in the state and one that all but assures of a cool night’s sleep. Privacy...

Many an unknowing camper has had his or her weekend plans dashed by arriving at the popular Davidson River Campground a few ridges over only to find out that it’s...

Northwest River Park is a 763-acre park in Chesapeake, VA. From paddling, disc golf, fishing, bird-watching, geocaching, camping, hiking, biking, and even horse-back riding, Northwest River Park has something for...

The park also has six trails and is the western end of the Foothills Trail, a 77-mile trail flirting with the North Carolina/South Carolina border. A great hike is the...

We’ll be hiking the 5.5-mile Campbell Creek Loop Trail, a good hiking option for summer. For one, the trail is protected throughout by a lush canopy. At the midpoint, there’s...

Usually when something is described as a “best kept secret,” red flags pop up. Rocky Bluff, though, is a well-concealed gem, just three miles down NC 209 from Hot Springs....

Rocky Face Mountain, a former rock quarry from the early 1900's, is located in Alexander County and sits 600-feet above the surrounding countryside. It became a climbing location in the...

Shenandoah National Park extends along the Blue Ridge Mountains in the U.S. state of Virginia. The Skyline Drive runs its length, and a vast network of trails includes a section...

From the Black Balsam Access of the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 420.2), a vast trail network fans out exposing you to some of the most exposed hiking in the Southeast....

Twice, when there was no openings in the surrounding Shining Rock area, we found space at Sunburst. All 10 sites are first-come first-serve; the lack of reservations keeps this intimate...

You like the idea of getting away for a weekend escape, but you just don’t feel good about being completely detached from work. We’re not crazy about this type of...

Hikers, trail runners, bicyclists and equestrians cherish the extensive network of hiking and multi-use trails at William B. Umstead State Park. Trailheads on both sides of the park—accessible from Interstate...

The 70 miles of navigable Haw River, from north of Greensboro to Jordan Lake, is a study in contrasts: dammed sections offer flat water paddling, rocky stretches where Class III...

From the dam that continues to fuel the park’s working mill, stroll up the millpond on the South River Trail. Then, after crossing Warren Creek, pick up the Sennett Hole...