Spring Hiking at Connemara

posted in: Trip Reports, WNC Hiking | 1

You don’t have to be a great appreciator of the arts, poetry, or even Carl Sandburg to enjoy a visit to Connemara – the poet’s historic homestead at Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. From the moment you start down … Continued

Joyce Kilmer Trails to Close Temporarily

posted in: WNC Hiking, WNC Waterfalls | 0

The Joyce Kilmer National Recreation Trail and other trails in the vicinity will close temporarily this November for tree removal. On November 1 – 14, the Forest Service will be felling many huge, dead hemlock trees in the area via … Continued

Eastatoe Trail to Open in Pisgah Forest

posted in: WNC Hiking, WNC Mountain Biking | 0

The new Estatoe Trail, long rumored to be under construction (and confirmed by the Forest Service a while back), opens tomorrow. They’ve been somewhat secretive about it, but it appears that the new multi-use trail runs along the Davidson River, … Continued

Improvements Planned for Catawba Falls Trail

posted in: WNC Hiking, WNC Waterfalls | 0

Momentum in the Catawba Falls access issue has finally come to a head, with the recent sale of two parcels of property totalling 88 acres to the US Forest Service, officially making the access route to the falls public property, … Continued

Hike to the Waterfall on Hickory Branch

Instead of watching the super bowl, I hiked to the waterfall on Hickory Branch today, near the historic Curtis Creek area in the Pisgah National Forest. It was a beautiful winter day, and not only would I rather do just … Continued

Two New Waterfalls Added to Site

I spent New Year’s Eve visiting two waterfalls near Highlands, NC which I have added to NorthCarolinaWaterfalls.info: Picklesimer Rock House Falls and Big Shoals (Secret Falls). The weather was foggy, and it had snowed around 1-2 inches the night before, … Continued

Visit to Catawba Falls

Catawba Falls is located just off of I-40 in the Pisgah National Forest, near Old Fort, in McDowell County. Despite its’ being on National Forest property, however, the falls has long since been off-limits to the general public due to … Continued

Pink Beds Trail Relocation

posted in: Outdoors, WNC Hiking | 1

According to the Forest Service’s Schedule of Proposed Actions for October 2009, the trail reroute around the flooded area of the Pink Beds is complete. I haven’t had a chance to field check this so anyone who’s hiked this part … Continued

Pisgah Area Trail Updates

According to the Pisgah Ranger District office, in the Bent Creek area, North Boundary Road will be closed Mondays through Fridays for road re-construction. This might put a few folks onto alternate routes if you used that old road to … Continued

Panthertown Valley Trail Names and Uses Designated

posted in: WNC Hiking, WNC Mountain Biking | 0

The US Forest Service has issued a decision regarding the trail naming and use designations within Panthertown. Most of the trails themselves remain uncharged, however, as a lot of the maintenance budget was lost and that project was mostly scrapped. … Continued