100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina

by Joe Miller

Overview

* Each of these North Carolina hikes is the cream-of-the-crop
* Full-color topographical maps, elevation profiles, and over 100 stunning trail photographs
* Trails-at-a-Glance chart to help find the hikes you want quickly and easily
* Includes info on North Carolina public lands acquisition and regulations

North Carolina is the ideal hiking state: dramatic mountain trails in the Southern Appalachians, lots of rolling trails near high population centers in the Piedmont, diverse hikes that few people know about on the Coastal Plain. The varied climates of the state make for a wide array of hiking opportunities, sure to provide some favorites for everyone. Whether you thrive off of an intense heart-pounding climb with a sweeping vista as a reward or prefer a smoother terrain filled with interesting historical tidbits, there is a classic hike for you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594850547
Publisher:	Mountaineers Books, The
Publication date:	10/09/2007
Series:	100 Classic Hikes Ser.
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	356,629
Product dimensions:	6.75(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

JOE MILLER is an outdoor adventure columnist who regularly hikes, bikes, camps, and paddles. He has written about the outdoors for The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, since 1992 and has written a weekly outdoors column, "Take it Outside" for ten years. 100 Classic Hikes North Carolina is his first book.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     11
Introduction     13
Coast Trails
North-Outer Banks, Albemarle Peninsula
Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve     20
Pettigrew State Park-Bee Tree Trail     22
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge     24
Central-Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, Croatan
Croatan National Forest-Cedar Point     27
Croatan National Forest-Neusiok Trail     29
Alice Hoffman Nature Trail     32
Patsy Pond Nature Trail     34
South-Wilmington
Carolina Beach State Park-Sugarloaf Dune     37
Fort Fisher-Hermit Trail     39
Piedmont Triangle
Umstead State Park-Sycamore Trail     42
Umstead State Park-Company Mill Trail     44
Falls Lake State Recreation Area-Falls Lake Trail     46
American Tobacco Trail     48
Eno River State Park-Buckquarter Creek and Holden Mill Trails     51
Eno River State Park-Laurel Bluffs Trail     53
Flower Hill Nature Preserve     55
Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area     57
Franklin County Nature Preserve     60
Crabtree Creek Greenway     62
Johnston Mill Nature Preserve     64
Triad
Piedmont Environmental Center     67
Lake Brandt Greenway-Palmetto Trail     68
Salem Lake Trail     71
Salem Creek-Strollway Trail     73
Charlotte
Campbell Creek and McAlpine Creek Greenways     75
Crowders Mountain State Park-Pinnacle Trail Loop     77
Crowders Mountain State Park-Crowders and Rocktop Trails     80
Latta Plantation     83
Mecklenburg County-Reedy Creek Park and McDowell Nature Preserves     85
Fayetteville-Sanford
Cape Fear River Trail     87
Cape Fear Botanical Garden     89
Raven Rock State Park-Campbell Creek Loop Trail     90
Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve     92
San-Lee Park     94
More Piedmont Trails
Morrow Mountain State Park-Sugarloaf and Morrow Mountain Trails     96
Uwharrie National Forest-Birkhead Mountain Trail     98
Uwharrie National Forest-Uwharrie National Recreation Trail     100
Hanging Rock State Park-Moores Wall Loop Trail     102
Hanging Rock State Park-Hanging Rock Trail     104
Medoc Mountain State Park     106
Hill Forest     107
Jones Lake State Park     109
Cedarock Park     111
White Pines Nature Preserve     113
Howell Woods Environmental Learning Center     114
Lower Haw River State Natural Area     117
Pilot Mountain State Park-Ledge Spring and Jomeokee Trails     119
Sauratown Trail-Section 15     121
Cliffs of the Neuse State Park     123
Clemmons State Educational Forest     125
Mountains
Blue Ridge Parkway
Moses Cone Park-Trout Lake Carriage Trail     128
Stone Mountain State Park-Stone Mountain Loop Trail     130
Crabtree Falls Trail     132
Doughton Park-Bluff Mountain Trail     134
Price Lake     136
Linville Falls     138
Tanawha Trail     140
Linville Gorge Wilderness     142
Craggy Gardens     144
Mountains-to-Sea Trail-Folk Art Center to Craven Gap     146
Mount Pisgah     148
Graveyard Fields     150
Shining Rock Wilderness Loop     152
Art Loeb Trail     154
Pisgah National Forest
Black Mountain Crest Trail     156
Mount Mitchell Trail     158
Colbert Ridge Trail     160
Wilson Creek-Thorps Creek     162
Wilson Creek-Harper Creek Falls     164
Wilson Creek-Huntfish Falls      166
Bent Creek Educational Forest     158
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Clingmans Dome     170
Fork Ridge Trail     172
Cataloochee Valley-Boogerman Trail     174
Cataloochee Valley-Divide Trail     176
Deep Creek Loop     179
Goldmine Loop-Tunnel Bypass     181
Shuckstack Tower     183
Benton MacKaye Trail     185
Far West
Pink Beds     188
Appalachian Trail-Three Bald Hike     190
Appalachian Trail-Southern Section     192
Cloudland Trail-Roan Gardens     194
Joyce Kilmer Wilderness Area-Joyce Kilmer Recreation Trail     195
Joyce Kilmer Wilderness Area-Jenkins Meadow Trail     198
Northwest
Mount Jefferson State Natural Area     201
Stone Mountain State Park-Widows Creek Trail     203
Graybeard Trail at Montreat Conference Center     206
Rendezvous Mountain Educational State Forest     208
Elk Knob State Natural Area     210
Three Top Mountain     212
More High Country
DuPont State Forest-Cedar Rock Trail     215
DuPont State Forest-Waterfalls     216
Foothills Trail-North Carolina Section     218
Gorges State Park-Bearwallow Valley and Falls Trails     221
Lake James-Shortoff Mountain Trail     223
Florence Nature Preserve     225
South Mountains State Park-High Shoals Waterfall/H.Q. Trail Loop     228
Hickory Nut Gorge State Natural Area     230
Panthertown Valley     233
Index     236

Editorial Reviews

"The publisher touts this as a coffee table book that you can take hiking with you. I agree. The color photos in 100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina make you want to get of the couch and go exploring…[Miller] writes in a simple, yet descriptive, style that makes this much better than the typical guidebook."

Decature Daily

"100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina is the most professional and serious [hiking book for NC] while also being the most general, covering the entire state and all kinds of hiking. The thoroughness and the color photographs of beautiful scenery on the trails add to the books appeal…this book is a valuable resource for any hiker in North Carolina."

The Wilson Daily Times

"Joe Miller['s] book is written in a very personable, breezy style, like his columns and blog… [and] I trust him to have actually done the hikes he writes about."

Carolina Mountain Club Enewsletter

"Joe Miller has written the perfect hiker's guidebook... a must-have for hikers of all kinds."

Atlanta Sports & Fitness

Outdoors specialist Joe Miller has been writing about the North Carolina wilderness for over 15 years, but this is his first book. Apparently, the Raleigh News & Observer has been squirreling away his best tips, because 100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina is a veritable treasury of carefully researched routes throughout the state. This backpacker's friend covers hikes on the coast, in the Piedmont, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pigsah National Park, and the Great Smoky Mountains. This handy guide features full-color topographical maps, elevation profiles, a Trails-at-a-Glance chart, and over 100 photos.