For a scenic stroll along a horse path through the South Mountains forest, you may give Little River Trail a try. Starting at the Cicero Branch parking area and climbing above Jacob Fork gorge, you will pass viewpoints for the North Carolina Piedmont and follow Little River to the end of the trail at a small but treacherous hidden waterfall. I hiked to Little River Falls on Saturday, December 27, 2014 between 2:00PM and 4:00PM. Since this was my first visit to South Mountains State Park, I was just out exploring. My plan was to see what I...
read moreNorth Carolina’s South Mountains State Park has more than 45 miles of marked trails. No doubt the most popular is the High Shoals Falls Loop Trail, a short, but tough climb to an 80-foot crystal-clear free-fall. Travel for a mile along rocky Jacob Fork River before beginning the steep ascent that requires stairs to navigate the tough terrain. From a viewing platform for High Shoals Falls, the trail continues climbing to the top of the falls, before looping down through the forest. In winter, you will also enjoy long distance views...
read moreBlue Ridge Pastures is a grassy knoll northwest of Bearwallow Mountain along the Buncombe/Henderson County line. With terrific views of Hickory Nut Gorge, and on clear days The Great Craggy and Black Mountains, the reward for your hard work pays off. The Trombatore Trail will make you climb twice for your reward, once before and once after, but keep that reward in mind as you trod along this brand new 2014 addition to the Hickory Nut trail system. The trail passes through the Upper Brush Creek watershed and along the Eastern Continental...
read moreThis section of the Palmetto Trail borders the Poinsett Watershed used by the City of Greenville, and roughly follows the North/South Carolina state line. Enjoy a delightful forest hike that winds among the Saluda Mountains as you’re passing through one of the most significant wilderness areas in South Carolina. In 1993, the Greenville Water System conveyed an easement on the property to The Nature Conservancy, forever protecting the wilderness from development. The South Carolina Upstate passages of the Palmetto Trail haven’t yet...
read moreThis climb up Station Mountain begins within Oconee Station State Historic Site then passes through Sumter National Forest on the way to Oconee State Park. Along the way you’ll enjoy the 60-foot Station Cove Falls and a botanical preserve inhabited by beaver. The climb is a good workout, as a peaceful hardwood forest and a well-maintained trail lined with switch cane surround you. This is the western end of the Palmetto Trail, a long distance track that passes from the “Dark Corner” of South Carolina all the way to the...
read moreOccasionally a nice easy stroll to a beautiful waterfall is just what the doctor ordered. I made this a three and a half mile loop, but you can actually get to the waterfall in a mile round trip. The woods off FR 475B in Pisgah National Forest are dense and filled with mountain streams running down from the Blue Ridge high above. One of these streams is Log Hollow Branch. Wherever you find mountain streams you are also likely to find waterfalls. Despite the allure, for some reason this one doesn’t get a lot of traffic. Easy to get to,...
read moreBuffalo Creek Park is the gateway to 1,500 acres of land conserved by the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy on Weed Patch Mountain that protects the northern headwaters of Lake Lure in Hickory Nut Gorge. The town of Lake Lure has since purchased 200 acres for the creation of Buffalo Creek Park and a network of hiking and mountain biking trails. When fully developed, it will offer more than 10 miles of intermediate to advanced trails and picnic facilities along Buffalo Creek and on to the conservation easement. The new multi-purpose trail has...
read moreTake a hike on the Maddron Bald Trail from the Cosby area of the Smokies, and you will be thrust into a different age and time. With a restored 19th century cabin and old family cemetery along the way, and mature forest as your destination, you might imagine yourself walking the trail in the days more than a century ago when settlers built their homesteads here. The trail provides access to Albright Grove, a patch of old growth hardwood forest that contains some of the oldest and tallest trees in the Smokies. Throw in a creek crossing on one...
read moreLocated on the east side of the Island in the Sky District, Lathrop Canyon drops off the mesa to the White Rim, then dives all the way to the Colorado River. The Lathrop Trail enables a short, medium or long hike, depending on the level of the canyon you wish to tackle. The first couple miles are a sandy straight and level shot through prairie-like grassland. As you approach the mesa rim, the ground hardens into sandstone, then opens to the vast expanse of Canyonlands far below. With views of the LaSal Mountains to the east and the Abajos...
read moreThe Needles District forms the southeast corner of Canyonlands National Park and was named for the colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that dominate the area. The district’s extensive trail system provides many opportunities for overnight trips or long day hikes including this one around, over and through Elephant Canyon. This 10-mile loop will take you up Elephant Hill, past the Grabens and into Devils Kitchen. From there you’ll cross a slickrock plateau with magnificent views of the Island in the Sky, the LaSal Mountains,...
read moreThe canyon and mesa country north of the San Juan River in the four corners region holds many archaelogical sites where ancestors of today’s Pueblo Indian tribes lived. Round, square, and D-shaped towers grouped at canyon heads most vividly mark once thriving communities. Many dwellings stood right on the canyon rim, and some structures were built atop isolated or irregular boulders, for protection. The Little Ruin Trail at Hovenweep loops around Little Ruin Canyon with an opportunity to view several of the 700-year-old stone block...
read moreThe San Rafael Swell consists of a giant dome-shaped anticline of sandstone, shale, and limestone that houses many of the classic slot canyons that Southern Utah is known for. Included among them is Little Wild Horse Canyon, where the walls are so close you may have to turn sideways to get through. Spring and Fall are ideal times to hike here. The weather is usually dry, and temperatures are mild during these seasons. Little Wild Horse Canyon is a mere six miles from the popular Goblin Valley State Park, enabling you to make a complete day of...
read morePerhaps the best hike in all of Capitol Reef National Park, Upper Muley Twist Canyon is a full-featured Utah adventure that includes narrow canyons, expanses of slickrock, large arches, and dramatic vistas from the top of the incomparable Waterpocket Fold. There are opportunities for side trips to slot canyons and other exciting off-trail experiences, as well as perilous exposure to precarious canyon rims. The canyon was carved over eons through a particularly contrasting section of the Waterpocket Fold where the deep red Wingate Sandstone...
read moreNortheast of the Southern Utah town of Kanab, a surprise slot canyon called Lick Wash is located along Skutumpah Road. It’s 15 miles on twisty, dirty ranch road to get there, but the reward is well worth the adventure. This is the Paria-Escalante region of the national monument, beneath the Pink Cliffs. You will even find pink colored stones and pebbles in the wash. The canyon is narrow at the entry end, widening as you proceed deeper into the wash. This is a nice, easy, short hike to stretch your legs on the way between Southern Utah...
read moreLocated on the very southern tip of the Kaibab Plateau, and the prime vista location for the North Rim of Grand Canyon, Bright Angel Point offers a bird’s-eye view of the meeting of Roaring Springs Canyon and Transept Canyon at the Bright Angel Fault. It is 4/10 mile from Grand Canyon Lodge to the point on a paved trail that offers several overlooks along the way. High altitude (8,148′) and an elevation change of 200 feet warrant extra caution for those with heart or respiratory conditions, so take your time. The trail is high...
read moreThe North Rim of the Grand Canyon doesn’t get nearly the traffic as its more touristy neighbor to the south. For one thing, it is a lot more remote. The North Kaibab Trail is the most difficult of the three trails that dissect the canyon, but it also holds the most varied ecosystem. Somewhat surprisingly, it is forested. With fir and aspen and scrub oak, along with ferns and assorted wildflowers, the North Rim enjoys the color of the seasons. The trail descends through redwall limestone, then the Supai Formation, consisting of mostly...
read moreAngels Landing is a unique fin sandstone monolith that erupts 1,500 feet from the floor of Zion Canyon. The trail to the top is one of the most popular hikes in Zion National Park, certainly the most thrilling. For someone like me with heights and edges phobia and vertigo, it’s a little too much excitement, but there is a compromise. You can still enjoy most of the ascent, then join the West Rim Trail, climbing even higher than Angels Landing without the extreme drop-off business. You’ll steer clear of the crowds that line the...
read moreThe only trail in Zion National Park that is suitable for wheelchairs, allows your pets to join you, and is also bicycle friendly. Pa’rus is from a Paiute word meaning “bubbling, tumbling water.” Both Oak Creek and Pine Creek cross this paved pathway that winds along the Virgin River between the Visitor Center and Canyon Junction. Ideal for start of day or end of day strolls, the sunset in particular dances off the Navajo sandstone formations that surround the river valley. It’s a great way to warm up your legs for the...
read moreMount Baldy surveys Zion Canyon at 6,521 feet elevation, more than 2,100 feet above the valley floor. Jutting out from Mt. Baldy into one of the widest sections of Zion Canyon, Observation Point commands a view of nearly every major attraction, particularly those like Angels Landing and The Organ at Big Bend. Hikers receive a spectacular vista of the lower end of Zion Canyon, with views even beyond the mouth of the canyon. The hike itself is quite steep, with short sections of relief, including the scenic stroll through beautiful Echo Canyon....
read moreWithin Arches National Park you will discover a landscape of contrasting colors, landforms and textures unlike any other in the world. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. This red rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its colorful sunsets. From Courthouse Towers parking area, the trail ascends gradually, meandering along Park Avenue Wash into a spectacular canyon, and continues up the...
read moreLooking for an easy hike of less than five miles that will take you to several different waterfalls? Yes? Then this just might be the one for you. It starts on the ever popular Cat Gap Trail, passes two falls on Cedar Rock Creek and a whitewater cascade on John Branch before hopping on the Butter Gap Trail to follow Grogan Creek through Picklesimer Fields to the truly picturesque Grogan Creek Falls. All of that in only 2¼ miles one way. This is easy hiking too, climbing less than 500 feet over the full course. What are you waiting for?...
read moreStart your morning with the elk rut in Cataloochee Valley. Then gear up for this enchanting deep forest hike that includes mountain creek crossings, giant old growth tulip poplar and hemlock, occasional views of the Smoky Mountains surrounding the valley, and a stroll down memory lane at historic settler homesteads. Enjoy this 10-mile loop in three segments, on three different trails, as you also discover means of accessing other sections of the national park. This is probably my favorite Cataloochee hike as it combines wildlife, good...
read moreThe Deep Creek area in the Smokies, just north of Bryson City, NC, is a water wonderland. Creeks and branches descend through every nook down the surrounding mountains. The documentarian Ken Burns describes Deep Creek as one of his favorite places to visit in the national park. Three picturesque waterfalls are in close proximity to the campground, and hiking trails abound. The area is also home to Lakeview Drive, aka the infamous “Road to Nowhere,” and the numerous trails that start there. You can circle Fontana Lake, or follow...
read moreLocated in an area of Polk County, NC between Tryon and Saluda, the Norman Wilder Forest is a conservation easement that first opened to the public in 2001. Owned and operated by the Pacolet Area Conservancy, the 185 acres of protected mature third growth mixed hardwood forest provide hikers with a small trail system that meanders beneath the shady canopy. Lying on the southern slope of Little Warrior Mountain, you will find trails to sheer granite walls, weeping waterfalls, rocky outcroppings, and vistas of the surrounding farmland. Despite...
read moreWater. Forest. Mountains. History. For me, that is what Great Smoky Mountains National Park is all about. On the Smokemont Loop hike you will get all of them. For the first couple miles, stroll along one of those beautiful mountain streams the Smokies are known for, then prepare your legs and lungs for a tough climb 1,350 feet through the forest to the top of the ridge. In seasons when the leaves are down you’ll be able to view Newfound Gap far to the north. As you descend back to the campground you will pass an old homestead and...
read moreAnother foray into the Black Mountains led us to summits with names like Point Misery, Little Butt and Big Butt. The Big Butt Trail takes off from Balsam Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway along Brush Fence Ridge, roller-coastering across several peaks and gaps. The forest is filled with floral and fungal oddities, and old-growth spruce and pine that protect the ridge like gentle giants. The razor ridge offers occasional panoramic views of the Black Mountains Range, including Mt. Mitchell State Park, and the vast expanse of Big Tom Preserve down...
read moreSometimes you have to work for the reward at the end of the trail. Hiking from Craggy Gardens to Douglas Falls is a prime example. You will descend 1,350 feet from the Blue Ridge Parkway to this 70-foot waterfall through a luscious forest of birch, maple, and beech, even enjoying old growth hemlock along the way. Expect a rough hike, as the terrain is very rugged in the Great Craggy Mountains. Hop rocks crossing various branches of Waterfall Creek that also have smaller attractive waterfalls of their own. What goes down, though, must come...
read moreHiking among the giants of the East. That’s what you’re doing when you take the Blue Ridge Parkway to Mt. Mitchell State Park for this trek on the Mountains to Sea Trail in the Black Mountains. With fabulous views of the Blacks and the Great Craggy Range, and closeup experiences with gnarly old growth fir and spruce krummholz, this stretch of the MtS is some of the best of the North Carolina high country. The trail climbs through ancient forest, past moss-covered granite outcrops, to the crest of the ridge and Blackstock Knob...
read moreThere are 84 named trails in DuPont State Forest. This robust and mature trail system is a series of arteries that connect the various and disparate sections of this family friendly recreation area. In the central region of the state forest I put together a semi-loop hike that took me first to a waterfall, then to a hilltop summit, and finally to the tranquil banks of a mountain lake. Along the way I was able to enjoy the thoroughly entrancing forest and its wide variety of wildflowers and fungus. I took this hike on Friday, July 25, 2014...
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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