Blog

Perhaps you’ve been driving down a gravel road in one of our four fine National Forests — Croatan, Uwharrie, Pisgah, and in the case of Ammons Branch, Nantahala — and...

Located on the southern shores of Lake Joacassee, this would seem the ideal winter getaway for paddlers interested in exploring the the lake’s many fingers. And it is — for...

The Big Ivy Area — “big ivy” is what the locals call mountain laurel — is one of those areas you may have scoped out on a map — the...

Looking for a cheap mountain getaway this winter? Highlands and Panthertown Valley are not much more than 10 miles from the roadside campsites along Blue Valley Road. Primitive, yes, but...

Johnny Malloy, in his “The Best in Tent Camping: The Carolinas” (see below), writes evocatively of this primitive escape on the edge of the Ellicott Rock Wilderness: “The Chattooga runs...

Davidson River is a great winter campground for several reasons. One, the gate is open late, allowing you to spend those long, cold, dark winter nights in town. Two, there’s...

Badin Lake Campground One of three campgrounds serving the popular Badin Lake area of the Uwharrie National Forest, you’ll find a trail for just about everything here. There are miles...

Stone Mountain is noteworthy on several fronts. For one, there are its catch-and-release trout waters. Then there’s nearly 17 miles of official trail exploring this rugged 14,100-acre park along the...

Like its sister Sauratown peak Hanging Rock, Pilot Mountain is a great weekend destination for the adventurous. The park’s west-facing cliffs are a popular top-roping destination for rock climbers, 25...

There’s a lot to recommend this campground but perhaps its biggest sell is its proximity to 25 miles of mountain bike trail at the nearby Warrior Creek and Dark Mountain...

Covering 9,000 acres and with 14 miles of shoreline, Lake Waccamaw is one of the largest remaining Carolina bays. It’s unlike other bays, too, in the sense that while most...

Hike the 5-mile trail around Jones Lake, paddle the 224-acre Carolina bay, swim its dark but sparkling clean waters in summer, challenge your fishing skills in the acidic waters which...

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...

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...