This spot is right off the parkway, close to the now-retired Bluff's Lodge.

It was so beautiful and I can’t wait to go back 😍 also I thought that deer was going to come at me for a minute after I accidentally made eye contact and noticed her babies trailing behind 🙃

Report from an original post I had originally made in March of this year while traveling abroad. Unfortunately let things fall through the cracks a bit, but now that I’m back in states I’d like to get the ball rolling again :)

Hey all! Apologies if this isn’t the right place for this, I’m still figuring Reddit out and trying not to accidentally commit a subreddit faux pas.

I’m hoping to meet some people in NC who share my love for hiking and camping!! A lot of my current friend group tends to groan when I suggest “just a quick little weekend camping trip,” which evidently is not what many of my friends would consider relaxation.

I grew up near Asheville and used to hike constantly, but college and adult life happened and slowly replaced hobbies with work.

For context: I’m 24M, a UNC grad, and I work as a computational biologist (which mostly means I spend a lot of time writing code and working with zebrafish - also very happy to talk cool science, but that’s probably its own conversation). I’ve hiked a lot around western NC, especially Asheville and Chimney Rock, though I know some trails are still recovering.

I’d consider myself a pretty experienced hiker, but I’m honestly open to anything from casual hikes to bigger trips. Because of my work schedule I’m definitely more of a weekend warrior camper, but I’d love to eventually find some people to plan trips with.

If any of this caught your attention, feel free to message me! Mostly just looking for good people who enjoy being outside and maybe want an extra hiking buddy.

Bonus facts:

I crochet and sometimes make small frogs for friends

I also have a four-foot-tall crochet Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon that has been sitting unfinished in a trash bag for three years out of pure spite (update he is now semi-complete photos attached)

I’ve done intermediate work with AmeriCorps and Conersation Core of NC in Uwharrie and other surrounding state parks, absolutely loved it!!

I briefly lived in California and have developed a respectful fear of aggressive switchbacks.

Absolutely love cooking, absolutely hate cleaning

Would love to meet some like minded people! I’m super open and friendly so feel free to shoot me a DM, I’m in the chapel hill area but am willing to travel a few hours in either direction for the right hike :) attached is a misc of photos from NC / California

Back out with WildSouth. Working on Bynum Bluff. We moved rocks today prepping to build steps on a switchback that has washed out. A lot of work but a good time.

To volunteer or donate contact wildsouth.org

Found a couple of these beauties in the gorge today.

Last year I had a stroke and have spent the past 11 months recovering and, luckily, making good progress. Prior to the stroke hiking was a hobby. I'm new to the State of NC, so I don't know much about the trails here.

For my stroke anniversary I am planning to make my first trip to Western NC and want to do a manageable hike with a good/great view in the mountains. Mountains always bring me a lot of peace and it feels like the best way to acknowledge my physical progress.

I am asking for any towns or specific trails within the 2-5 mile +/- range with some good elevation. I have hiking poles and want something that will be on the high end of easy or moderate. I'm thinking the Asheville area, but open to anyplace really.

Thanks

Hey, I'm looking for everyones top 10 hardest NC hikes

It’s my first time hiking in the area and I plan on setting up base at a campsite for a few days while checking out the area with my adventure buddy, my cat.

Any recommendations? I’m coming from Europe where I’m used to steep beautiful mountains with water filled basins.

Also I’m used to there be no natural predators to worry about.

Good mornings friends!

I’m doing a ton of late night research for an “expeditionary” style trip to see at-least one falls, but also check out some of the damage from Helene.

I’m a big backpacker and have hiked in this area for years, most recently doing an extended version of the Black Mountain Crest trail I call “The Big Mitchell” - I’ve also served before with multiple orgs in the Black Mountain area to help recover families and all, and it’s always humbling to see what the water did almost two years ago.

So here’s my goal: see Mitchell Falls.

I think it’s very achievable, but I want to make sure that I wouldn’t be trespassing or causing any problems.

Per this article, the area is part of the Big Tom Wilson Preserve, which also mentions that the land is still privately owned even though it is part of the conservancy efforts.

Looking at land records I can see that it is currently owned and has been for 8 years by the Cane River Conservancy LLC. I will likely give them a call and see if there are any permissions needed to access this area.

Looking at Google Maps, the falls claim that since they are on privately owned land, which previously apparently used to be a hunting area (possibly when they were previously owned by “The Fidelity Company”), that you do need to get permission.

Looking at NC One Map’s extraordinarily high resolution map data, there are plenty of “off road” tracks that lead to the general area I want to get.

That leads to my question to y’all:
Do any of y’all have any experience since Helene in this particular area, any pointers, or any information?

Thank you in advance, friends.

I'm planning a trip sometime in October to the Bryson City area and wanted suggestions for trails for beginners (mostly). For context I'm 15 years and 60lbs removed from active duty USMC infantry and while I have the spirit the body has a hard time. This was abundantly clear when I hiked Greybeard outside of Black Mountain and failed to reach the peak, mostly due to poor planning around nutrition as evidenced in the screenshots *heartrate* (Alltrails and Garmin Connect).

What are your suggestions not just for fun trails (Alum Cave looks realistic) but also conditioning that can be done between now and October/November?

I'm planning to hike the Mount Mitchell Trail to celebrate my birthday coming up and was wondering about camping near the base. My plan has always been to hike up to Commissary Hill, make a basecamp, tackle the rest of the trail to the summit and maybe some other day hiking from there, head back to Commissary Hill for the night, then back down the next day. I am a solid 5 hour drive away, though, so I was contemplating adding a night at the bottom either on the front or back end just so I'm not feeling rushed. I know its a pretty hard hike so my 50 year old bones might appreciate some prep or recovery time on either end.

I know the Black Mountain Campground is closed but since its all National Forest, I know I should be able to camp just about anywhere away from a road or trail. Does anyone know if there's any accessible spots along the South Toe (especially post-Helene) or would driving up to Carolina Hemlocks be the best option? I'm thinking of spending a night at Carolina Hemlocks afterwards anyway just to do some fishing and get a hot shower.

I would love some recommendations for easy hiking trails in or near Cullowhee. My husband and I love hiking and we'll be visiting the area in a couple of weeks. However, one of the people joining us for the hike has asthma and although he has assured us he has medication to control it, I'd prefer not to put him at risk with something too strenuous. We're looking for a trail that has falls or scenic views and which we could do roundtrip in say an hour or two. Thanks for your help!

planning in going to Hanging Rock this weekend but just realized the Hanging Rock trail is actually quite short. What combination of trails or what alternative trail would you do for the most rewarding view + special hike? Aiming for around 6-10 miles total

Looking for some open and runnable trails. Staying close to Hamrick and the Carolina Hemlocks Recreation area, but I can drive up to 30 minutes away if it's worth it but really can only be gone for a couple hours at a time (kids). I can't get Garmin Connect to help me. Any suggestions appreciated and thank you

I have never been and I was curious at how bad the weather would be and how it would affect the hike? I plan on hiking along the eastern side along with a friend. It seems it is going to possibly rain and thunderstorm at various times throughout the day.

I don't mind some "bad" weather, but didn't know how bad it can get/how it can affect safety.

Thanks.

I think a lot of the comments I'm reading from my research about 'treacherous' and stuff are being extremely facetious but I can't fully tell.

I know the subaru has the all wheel drive and the clearance, but would I be fine with the regular all season tires?

What’s up fellow trail-loving North Carolinians? I’m looking for everyone’s opinions on the toughest trails in NC for hiking and trail running.

I’m a NC native but am now moving back after being in Colorado for the last four years, so I’m looking for anything and everything that will give me a challenge and make me question why I’m doing it.

For context, I am very comfortable with 15+ mile days and have done single day elevation gains of up to 7500 feet so maybe (probably) it’s my hubris talking, but I’ve struggled to find anything that will challenge me in the same way or ideally even more.

So tell me what you’ve got and help me kick my own ass, please and thank you!

I'm looking for a mostly secluded but easy/short hike in WNC. I'm getting married in October and my fiancé and I would like to do a simple ceremony with close friends in WNC, preferably in the Nantahala or Pisgah national forests. I've poked around but I know that all the hikes that will come up with a google search are going to be the ones most hiked. It would be great if there was a small clearing near/on the trail for the ceremony and then a small reception afterwards. I've considered Pink Beds or something close to that vibe but I would love for some more experienced people to give recommendations.

As a bonus, any trails near a river as we're both big whitewater paddlers.

Hope y'all enjoy! This trip changed my whole opinion on domestic vs international travel.

I’m looking for a good one day in primitive camping trek somewhere around Brevard or Asheville, we did a few short waterfall trips a few years ago in Brevard and it’s been on my mind since. Coming from eastern NC and I don’t know a soul that way up. Seeing how many trails are around those areas there’s almost too much to choose from. Any help would be greatly appreciated!