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Mountain Island Lake Mountain Island Lake, connected to the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve, was built in 1924 as part of a hydroelectric project and provides drinking water to Mount Holly,...

Looking at a map of the Uwharrie region northeast of Charlotte, it’s easy to overlook Falls Reservoir. In part, that’s because of its more imposing neighhbors: Badin Lake to the...

National Whitewater Center The Catawba River, which begins its 200-mile journey in the foothills east of Asheville, flows free in spots, is dammed in others, creating a mix of paddling...

Cane Creek Lake is a great destination if you simply can’t decide what you want to do. Sure, paddling is at the top of your list, and the 315-acre lake...

Add University Lake to the many ways the University of North Carolina has enhanced the livability of Chapel Hill. Constructed by the university in 1932, the lake is Chapel Hill’s...

Robeson Creek boat access For the most part on Jordan Lake, if you want a quiet paddle you need to stick to the small fingers that explore off the main...

Swepsonville River Park to Saxapahaw This dammed 5.8-mile stretch of the Haw River is good, reliable paddling year round, but it may be best in summer. Put in at Swepsonville...

McIver Landing to Deep River Park Rare is the smaller river in the Piedmont that is nearly always runnable, but that’s the case with the Deep River. (The Deep, by...

If you love a good lake hike, you’ll like hiking at the Piedmont Environmental Center in High Point, a 376-acre preserve, a goodly portion of which is enveloped by High...

Stone Mountain Loop Trail Frankly, you won’t find the best hiking on the 16 miles of official hiking trail that prod this rugged 14,100-acre park at the base of the...

Ledge Spring/Jomokee Loop Trail Sometimes you’re so busy gawking and taking pictures you don’t have time to hike a great distance. When you’re exploring the top of Pilot Mountain State...

Moore’s Wall Loop   On any given weekend, the mile-and-a-half trail from the Visitor Center to the top of Hanging Rock resembles an anthill, with the masses dutifully making their...

Imagine going to McDonald’s and discovering they serve a killer tomato Bruschetta. Or buying Demon Deacon season tickets, then discovering Tim Duncan has somehow regained his eligibility (and youth). That’s...

Much as you’d like to, it’s not always possible to escape for a full day on the trail. Sometimes, you need a place that’s, say, 10 minutes away, where you...

Two hours to hike a mile and a half? How is that possible? It’s quite possible if you consider that this 6,942-acre holding owned by the state and managed by...

The great thing about a new and developing venue — Brunswick Nature Park was established in 2010 — is that nearly every time you pay a visit, there’s more trail....

Difficulty: easy Distance: 20 minutes from downtown Time to complete: 1-2 hours Address: 10200 US Highway 17 N City: Wilmington State: N.C. Zip: 28411 Latitude: 34.1842 Longitude: 77.4768 One of...

Hermit Trail This 2.2-mile out-and-back features stark beauty and a visit to one of the more romantic homesteads in North Carolina. Stark beauty: There are few spots in densely forested...