Blog

There’s a lot of opportunity in Duke Forest, which isn’t one forest, but six tracts comprising 7,060 acres in Durham, Orange and Alamance counties. While the main use of the...

Cabe Lands Access to West Point on the Eno city park This run has it all: length, variety, scenery, a fast finish. Length: At 8.6 miles one way, you’ll need...

For decades, the 750-acre woodland known both as the Horace Williams Tract and Carolina North, was the unofficial playground of folks from Chapel Hill and Carrboro. About 10 years ago,...

Section 2 You’ve been paddling for a little while now, entirely on flat water. You’ve gotten to where you feel comfortable on the water. Adventuresome, even. And you wouldn’t mind...

Ebenezer Church boat ramp Of the six major public boat ramps on Jordan Lake, you might ask why put in a canoe or kayak at one of the busiest? It’s...

Goose Creek is a destination short on distance, long on wildlife viewing opportunities. From the put-in off Dinah’s Landing Road (SR 1365) there’s not much more than a mile of...

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...

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...

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...