Meet the MULES

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...

Copperhead Island is a 14-acre retreat from hustle and speedboat bustle of Lake Wylie. With primitive camping only and separated from the mainland’s boat ramps, the island offers a nice...

Possibly the best park you haven’t heard of, Mayo Park sits on its namesake reservoir and offers a range of activities. There are about 5 miles of hiking trail and...

Parker’s Creek It’s not the biggest campground at Jordan Lake (that would be Poplar Point, with 579 campsites), it doesn’t have the greatest concentration of sites with hookups (that would...

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...

on the Haw River If you’re really looking to get away from people, try Spirit Island. For one, you need a canoe or kayak to get there. Either put in-at...

PIPER CREEK CAMPGROUND / COLE MILL ACCESS PARK It takes a little effort to get to this campground — it’s 1.2 miles on the Bobbitt Hole Trail from the Cole...

Need to pad your log book numbers? Maybe get in a faster-than-normal trail run? Or maybe up your miles? Salem Lake Trail is a 7-mile loop around its namesake lake...

Ever run with someone who gets on your case for being obsessed with distances and times? Does your GPS watch really need to chime every mile? Can’t you take a...

Tory’s Den Trail Need some hill work? Some really good hill work? Hanging Rock is where Piedmonters from the east go to get in some simulated mountain training. “Simulated” in...

Pilot Mountain is a tale of two workouts. Need some mountain training? The 7.2-mile loop created by stringing together the Mountain, Grindstone and Grassy Ridge trails offers up-and-down around the...

If Salem Lake Trail (see Salem Lake Trail entry) is your easy day, Sauratown Trail is where you go to pay your dues. It’s not so much the elevation: despite...

Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 10 minutes from downtown Winston-Salem Length: 2-8 miles Time to complete: 30 minutes to 1.5 hours Address: 100 Reynolda Village City: Winston-Salem State: N.C. Zip: 27106 Latitude:...

Sugarloaf Dune Trail How much variety can you pack into a 3-mile training run? A lot, at Carolina Beach State Park. The trailhead for the Sugarloaf Dune Trail is at...

In the beginning, the Blue Cay Trail network was the domain of mountain bikers. And it wasn’t exactly a legal domain; more of a recreational eminent domain. But thanks to...

Yes, it’s a ways to go for five miles. But the pay-off on the Bay Trail is well-worth it. Running counterclockwise, the trail begins through dense coastal forest before quickly...