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Uwharrie National Recreation Trail Nestled in the heart of the Piedmont is the ancient Uwharrie Mountain Range and 51,000 acres of national forest. And nestled in the heart of the...

There are precious few hiking opportunities in northern Durham and Orange Counties counties, which is unfortunate. The Piedmont hills here rise a little higher, the air temperature a wisp cooler...

There’s hiking in the Piedmont and there’s hiking along the Haw River. But wait, isn’t the Haw in the Piedmont? Technically, yes. Look at a map and there it is,...

OCCONNEECHEE MOUNTAIN LOOP TRAIL You’ll find more ecological escape packed into this 190-acre preserve on the outskirts of Hillsborough than anywhere else in the Triangle. Occoneechee Mountain has five distinct...

Difficulty: Strenuous (length) Distance: 30 minute drive from downtown Chapel Hill Time to complete: 3 to 4 hours Address: 6101 Cole Mill Road City: Durham State: N.C. Zip: 27705 Latitude:...

Johnston Mill Nature Preserve is like a “best-of” of hiking in the western Triangle. It’s got the requisite rocky creek: a 2-mile stretch of New Hope Creek penetrates this 296-acre...

Company Mill Trail (see related entry) may be Umstead State Park’s most popular trail but largely because of a lack of competition. From the park’s Harrison Avenue entrance off I-40,...

Company Mill has long been the most loved trail at Umstead State Park, and for good reason. In part, because it begins from the park’s popular main entrance off Harrison...

There’s something very preserv-y about this preserve. There’s the Stevens Nature Center that greets you, complete with educational facilities and a gift shop. There’s the tastefully cultivated gathering area near...

How quickly you’re able to hike this trail depends upon how susceptible you are to letting a tree bend your ear (and you know how those beeches can be when...

It began in 1949 when Warren Miller, then a ski instructor in Sun Valley, Idaho, bought an 8 mm film camera and decided to make a little movie about life...

Wes Hall, long-time customer and friend to the GOPC staff, has provided a helpful review for the P&H Delphin 155. Check out Wes’ insights below, and feel free to share...

Wilmington customer Mike McCartney has done his homework and offers insight into backpacking when there is air travel involved to reach your destination. Thanks, Mike – we know many folks...

Written by Sean Oakley, Footwear Expert at Charlotte GOPC Running has always been a somewhat selfish venture for me. Whether for stress relief, health reasons or just to get outdoors,...

It’s a hot day in the city, so a hike in the mountains sounds like a cool idea. You, your friend and your dog arrive at midday and start your...

We go into the great outdoors for a variety of reasons. Sometimes we are content seeking solitude and refuge, other times, we want to find a challenge, an obstacle we...

Kayak fishing is no longer a niche. Anglers everywhere have simplified their lives by relying less on gas-gulping power boats, and have turned to relatively lightweight and inexpensive fishing kayaks...

9:37 a.m. What began with a casual inquiry at a reception last October ended at 9:29am this morning when Diane Van Deren took the final steps up an 85-foot sand...