North Carolina

Hoop Pole Creek Nature Preserve Trail is a short and easy out-and-back hike leading to Money Island Bay near Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. Along the trail, you'll see many different bird species and fauna. The total hiking time is about 15-20 minutes roundtrip.

Currituck National Wildlife Refuge is located near Corolla Beach, NC. At this refuge, you can can visit wild horses on the beach! Please remember to be respectful of wild animals in their habitat and keep a respectful distance.  There are two main ways to get a glimpse of these horses: You can p...

The Loblolly and Reedy Creek Trail Loop is a great loop trail for hiking, running and biking in Umstead State Park near Raleigh, North Carolina.  TRAILI started my run on the Loblolly Trail from the parking area and then continued on the Reedy Creek Trail. Combining these two trails forms a loop...

The Cane Creek Mountains Natural Area is a nature park in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina. Pine Hill Trailhead is the first phase of the park and includes 3.5 miles of trails. All the trails are color-coded and marked with matching blazes every tenth of a mile. The 2.5-mile Northern Approac...

The Woodland Trail and Mason Farm Trail together create a roughly 1.8-mile (approximately 2.9 km) loop through portions of Parker Preserve and the Mason Farm Biological Reserve, offering visitors a peaceful journey through upland forests and bottomland meadows. The Woodland Trail (~0.8 mi) win...

Mills River Valley Overlook is located along Blue Ridge Parkway. Situated at milepost  404.5 with an elevation of about 4,085 ft, this paved overlook offers sweeping views into the surrounding valleys on both sides of the ridgeline—rare among Parkway vantage points. This overlook is ideal for...

Perched at milepost 418.3 at an elevation around 4,955 ft, East Fork Overlook offers one of the most striking panoramic views along this stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The overlook looks out over the headwaters of the East Fork of the Pigeon River and surrounding ridgelines. What to Expec...

Allen's Loop: Historic Farm Trail in Orange County Allen's Loop is one of four well-maintained hiking trails winding through Blackwood Farm Park's 152 acres of Piedmont hardwood forest and open fields. Named after the Blackwood family who farmed this land for generations, this easy trail connect...

Pounding Mill Overlook, situated at milepost 413.2 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, is a top-tier viewpoint offering sweeping panoramic vistas of the Pisgah National Forest and its surrounding peaks. Perched at approximately 4,700 feet elevation, this overlook provides a rare vantage to view Looking ...