Just like the topic says, for those of you that like to spend time in nature, what are some of your favorite weekend hiking trips? I'm tentatively planning a camping trip at the end of the month, but trying to figure out where we should go that won't have us trapped in the car for several hours before and after. We're located in Raleigh, but pretty much anywhere in VA/NC would be do-able.
About me: I'm not a hardcore, roughing-it type. I can spend at most one night in the wilderness before I start to get cranky from a lack of restroom facilities. I do, however, like to backpack into a campsite before setting up for the night and burning all the things until it's time to cozy up in the hammock for the night. None of that car camping bs. Last summer we hiked up to McAfee's Knob and stayed the night, so that was fun. That's the type of trip I'm after. Also down for anywhere that is super dog-friendly, but last time I took one of my mutts camping, he came home absolutely covered in ticks, which is less than ideal. So lay 'em on me: where do you go to commune with nature?
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Do Asheville. Get a cheap hotel, drive to a different hike each day, drive to a different brewery each afternoon, sleep, wake, repeat.
Asheville and Chattanooga are both very dog friendly. The Sheraton in Chattanooga allows dogs.
Bald Knob (I think it's called) is a nice little hike. Unless you really take your time, 3hrs should do it.
Pisgah National Forest is beautiful and has plenty of camping/hiking options. Cold Mountain and Black Balsam Knob are great hikes/views, some of the best in the mid-Atlantic.
We did the Va Triple Crown (Dragons Tooth, McAfees, and Tinker Cliffs) over Easter weekend. Two nights camping and about 33miles. Tough at times, but still doable and some killer views of the Valley.
We toyed with the idea of doing McAfee's and Tinker Cliffs last summer, but the idea of squatting to pee in the wilderness for more than one night is a big negative for me personally.
Just stand then
Well, the designated camping areas have outhouses at them. They're not golden toilets by any means, but does the trick.
Grayson Highlands state park is an awesome hiking and climbing destination in southwest VA
I second this emotion.
Here's how to do it. Two options.
A) Wham-Bam-Thank You Ma'am Option Park in the overnight lot. Get on the Rhododendron Trail and hike it until you intersect with the Appalachian Trail (AT). Turn left on the AT (Southbound). You'll come to the park exit in about 0.5 miles, and enter the National forest area. Keep going on the AT. In about a mile you come up on Rhododendron Gap and the very cool Rock outcroppings. About 0.5 miles from here you come up on a couple of very nice campsites on your left. You'll see some large logs (benches) and some makeshift campfire rings. There's a spring near here for water. The Mt Rogers Spur Trail is another mile down the AT if that floats your boat for a side hike. (Spoiler Alert: There's no view at the summit... just a plaque that says you're higher than anyone else in VA at that particular moment.) Definitely scramble up to the top of the Rock at Rhodendron Gap at sundown. In the morning, get up and retrace your steps back to the car. Out and back this is a grand total of around 4.5 miles.
B) Cool Kids Table Option From the very same backpacker lot, get on the AT spur trail. When you intersect the AT, turn right and follow the AT. In about a mile you pass by Wise Shelter. Past the shelter, you'll cross Wilson Creek over some steps, and then head toward an area called The Scales (flat, fenced area with a trashcan and a real bathroom.) Pass through Scales for a bit of a climb until you come up on Pine Mountain Trail (Blue Blaze). Turn left on Pine Mountain Trail, and follow it for (a couple of miles?) until it joins back up with the AT and Crest Trail near Rhododendron Gap. (See Plan A) Here you can turn right on the AT and head to the aforementioned campsites. In the morning, Follow the AT back to Rhododendron Trail back to the parking lot. This is a loop that is about 12.5 miles total. You'll do about 10 before camping, and then a little over 2 in the morning back to the parking lot.
Grayson Highlands has it all. There's scenic views, woods, rocks, altitude, and crazy weather...(One weekend in May we had sunny 60's, a thunderstorm, and sleet all within about 14 hours.) Of course, there's the ponies. They get a little petting zoo aggressive on you. Watch the feeding. When my youngest son was 10 he decided to lure about 20 of them into our campsite with Frosted Flakes at 6 am. That wasn't cool.
Just remember it is National Forest. You have to pack everything in, and pack it all back out, including trash. The campsite bathroom is a private hole that you get to dig and then cover up once you're done. There's plenty of water around in creeks and springs that you can treat for cooking and drinking, so don't worry about packing jugs and jugs of water in.
Lot's of memories there. Hope you can get a plan together and do it. From Raleigh it's about a 4 hour drive.
I passed the exit for Grayson Highlands a LOT last year while traveling to and from Abingdon (glad those days are behind me), and I have some good friends that went out there pretty frequently in their pre-baby days and they also highly recommend it. My man and I camp in hammocks, so would we have any trouble finding a campsite to set up in?
Nope. Plenty of trees in the camping area that we use that are Leonard approved for hanging a hammock. My middle son has an Eno with a cover and that's all he sleeps in when the weather is above 40 F.
The whole area from Atkins to Damascus is the coolest in VA by far to me. I know some of the Shenandoah nutcases will go off on me, but I'm SWVA OG, and there's less bears here.
We rode the Creeper Trail last summer. I had a blast. My partner in crime? Well, let's just say mistakes were made and he had a great time until he hit the wall and it wasn't fun for him anymore, but I still want to go back and conquer it again. It was great to stop in Damascus at the brewery and down a few pints before continuing on to Abingdon. It's a nice area to visit for sure.
Can attest that Grayson highlands is awesome. Lots of bears if that's your thing
Didn't they close the area briefly last summer because of all the bear activity?
A few weeks ago, my brother and I found Lake Moomaw (we stayed at Bolar Mountain Recreation Area), in Bath/Alleghany Counties, VA. It's in George Washington National Forest. It can get pretty isolated with a lot of trails, but it has a few boat slips and some campgrounds around it. It may, or may not, meet your idea of roughing it, but there are camp sites that have showers and toilets nearby as well as those that do not.
Lake Moomaw is really beautiful and there are only two ways into the recreation area (something we figured out the hard way when the one-lane dirt road we were on was blocked by downed trees), so it's not high traffic or overly "touristy."
I'm in Raleigh too and I got there in about five hours. Probably could've thrown a rock into WV from there.
(These aren't my photos, as I haven't uploaded anything from the trip yet).
When I was in college my high school buddies and I would go there for a week or two over the summer to lay around in nature and get shitfaced. Lake Moomaw= Beard approved
Old Rag is great.
As recommended above Grayson Highlands is awesome, I have hiked Mount Rogers and backpacked Little Wilson Creek. Awesome views and you get to experience the views for most of the hike. You will most likely see wild ponies and cattle. Other recommendation is Linville Gorge, I haven't done it but my friends have and it seems great.
My go-to is the Pecos Wilderness near Santa Fe. Some 13000ft + peaks, lots of alpine lakes, and generally pretty secluded. There are a few trails I've found where I can be reasonably certain I won't see another person. Maybe my favorite place on Earth.
Amazing! I'm putting that one on my bucket list.
Looks squatchy
Have you ever hiked Truchas Peak? I think that's an overnighter with some dodgy access but supposed to be amazing. The Gila Wilderness in SW New Mexico is an amazing place for solitude.
Further afield, if you want to go to a national park and seek solitude in the summer go to The Maze district in Canyonlands National Park in Southern Utah (if your vehicle can handle it):
Yeah, so the peak on the right in the first photo I posted is Truchas peak. There are three peaks in the Truchas group that are all roughly the same height; I have summitted North Truchas, but not the other two. It's kind of in the middle of the wilderness area, so you can get to it from either end, and it's a long hike either way. An intrepid hiker in good shape could do it in a day, but I've always camped at the lake below. One of my favorite spots.
My wife and I spent a week in the Gila for our honeymoon, and it is indeed a great place for solitude. I still have yet to explore any of the national parks in Utah; I need to get out there soon. Thanks for the recommendation!
Canyonlands is our all time favorite, have been there several times. There are many incredible hikes and a lot of very cool 4-wheeling opportunities, but it was the long hikes in that we loved most. Off season, and now several years ago, on our hikes we seldom saw more than two or three other people. The bizarre formations and complicated landscape were mind blowing. We camped in the small campground, and only once had to wait a couple of nights to get a space. Five stars.
reason #5862 why I want to move to NM
Since you aren't looking for anything hardcore, why not hit an established campground with some trails to hike during the day? First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach has some nice options. The campgrounds are well cared for and the area is wooded to feel a little more distant from your neighbors than you actually are. Not a bad drive from Raleigh, plenty of restaurants, trails, and beaches nearby.
Alternatively, my son and I hiked Signal Knob near Front Royal last year. Hike up was pretty brutal with packs, but we had the entire mountain to ourselves overnight. Primitive camping experience. Hike down the long way and the trails are amazing. Signal Knob trail:
Here's an image of the campsites at First Landing in VA Beach:
First Landing beaches:
I love Dolly Sods in WVA in the fall, a little bit of a hidden gem compared to other spots in VA.
Got a trip planned for there at the end of the month. Looking forward to it. Haven't been before
Dolly Sods is quite unique. I have been twice and covered about 2/3 of the area. Boggy areas and scrub trees and tundra like vegetation. Trails are usually wet. Hope your going all the way across to the western border to see the views.
Falls Ridge Nature Preserve and Bottom Creek Gorge are two nice day hikes that not everyone in the NRV knows about. Angels Rest is also a good hike with a rewarding view.
Anywhere in Hanging Rock State Park (NC) is good hiking and they're dog friendly. You can pick the trail that best suits your capabilities / how much work you wanna do that day.
I haven't personally camped there, but there are camp grounds available!
Another decent backpacking option in North Carolina is the Uwharrie National Forest near Troy. From the trailhead parking lot on NC 27, there's a couple of different loops that are fairly easy, with good camping spots.
Only drawbacks are finding water can sometimes be dicey, and Sasquatches live here for sure.
Uwharrie is on my short list. Mostly because it's pretty close by for a quick trip. The possibility of running into a Sasquatch is a plus.
Nimla Gardens