Shope Creek, Revisited – For Even Bigger Surprises

In a post last week, I shared some small “discoveries” my family and I made while hiking in the Shope Creek section of Pisgah National Forest near the Riceville community east of Asheville. Ever since that hike, I couldn’t stop … Continued

Shope Creek Offers Small Surprises

Saturday, I found myself on one of those hikes that has no preparation, no particular destination, nor even an expectation of what I might like to find. I took the family out to the Shope Creek section of Pisgah National … Continued

Collier Cove Nature Preserve Trip Report

posted in: Trip Reports, WNC Hiking | 1

I’d heard about some new trails on a Buncombe County property that I wanted to check out. So January 4, 2015, when I got the opportunity, I headed out there with the family. What we found was a nice little … Continued

Hickory Nut Gorge Offers New Hiking Trails

Throughout the last few years, hiking opportunities in the Hickory Nut Gorge area southeast of Asheville, NC have slowly been expanding. While locals have been hiking in the area for decades, there haven’t been a lot of publicly sanctioned trails, … Continued

North Mills River Trails Reopened

posted in: WNC Hiking, WNC Mountain Biking | 0

Most of the trails and roads which were closed for the Brushy Ridge logging project have reopened today, according to the National Forests in NC. The roads and trails were closed while logging took place in the area, and while … Continued

15 Miles of Multi-Use Trails Open Saturday at Lake James State Park

posted in: WNC Hiking, WNC Mountain Biking | 0

Western North Carolina is about to have yet another trail system for mountain biking at one of its beautiful mountain destinations! Lake James State Park will soon be open to bikes with 15 miles of new multi-use trail on the north … Continued

Black Mountain Trail Needs Your Help!

posted in: WNC Hiking, WNC Mountain Biking | 1

The lower section of the Black Mountain trail – below its northern intersection with the Thrift Cove trail – will be closed for at least two weeks while the “Big Dig 2014” trail work project gets underway. The project, which is being … Continued

Santeetlah Lake Trail Now Open

posted in: WNC Hiking, WNC Mountain Biking | 1

Tucked away near Robbinsville, NC in Graham County is Santeetlah Lake, a gem of a reservoir with a name I’ve yet figured out how to pronounce correctly. The lake is fed by clear, cold-water streams such as Snowbird Creek and one … Continued

New multi-use trails open near Lake Lure, NC

posted in: WNC Hiking, WNC Mountain Biking | 2

We’ve been hearing tidbits about the development of the new trails near the Hickory Nut Gorge and Chimney Rock State Park for the last few years. Now it looks like the first trail openings are happening, starting at Lake Lure’s Buffalo … Continued