Blog

Most people come to this linear state park along the Lumber River for the paddling. The Lumber is one of the few designated wild and scenic rivers in North Carolina...

Cedar Point Campground A good jumping-off point for paddling the popular White Oak River, which quickly winnows from a wide expanse near the campground to a tight, intimate creek. A...

Falls Lake State Recreation Area: Shinleaf Maybe it’s because you have to hike in a ways to the camp sites (up to a quarter of a mile). Maybe it’s because...

Fifteen short hiking trails (none more than three-quarters of a mile in length) allow you to explore this unusual 2,800-acre preserve, which represents a wide range of Coastal Plain ecology....

New Hope Overlook There are more than 1,000 campsites at the Jordan Lake State Recreation Area; the 24 at the New Hope Overlook campground are easily the most serene. From...

There’s a lot to recommend an Umstead-based tent vacation: 20 miles of hiking trail, 13 miles of bike & bridle trail (with connections for mountain bikers to about twice that...

Falls Lake State Recreation Area: Rollingview The rolling terrain at Rollingview insures a sense of solitude at each campsite. The campground’s location insures an opportunity for adventure. For one, the...

Goose Creek offers a civil way to explore a swamp. Eight miles of trail take you past estuaries and through fresh and brackish swamps that will remind you of your...

Sometimes you go camping just to kick back. Read a book. Catch up with friends. Spend time with the family. Sleep. Cliffs of the Neuse, with its cozy campground, is...

Like solitude? You’ll love Medoc Mountain State Park. Medoc Mountain is off the beaten path, meaning you’ll likely have Little Fishing Creek to yourself on a paddle, you’ll probably have...

Camping at Pettigrew State Park is like camping back in time. The campground is located on the north side of Lake Phelps, also home of one of the best old...

Cedarock Park offers a mini-weekend escape between the Triad and Triangle. Pitch your tent, then check out the several miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, paddle on Rock Creek...

Hagen Stone is perhaps best-known outside the Triad for its cross-country trails, which host various local and regional meets. But the park is also popular for its various other recreational...

West Morris Campground The Uwharrie National Forest has epic adventures that beg an overnight stay — if for no other reason than you’ll be too pooped to drive home afterward....

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...

The largest manmade lake in the state at 32,510 acres (with a main channel 34 miles long), Lake Norman attracts a goodly number of motorboats. But because of that size...

Morrow Mountain StatePark offers a full-scale escape in the heart of the ancient Uwharrie Mountain range. There’s good paddling (with boat rentals) on the various waterways bordering the park (Lake...

Want to try camping before you make a full-scale (read: financial) commitment? At McDowell Nature Preserve you can rent a tent site that comes with a tent! Once you’re settled...