Tuckasegee, North Carolina

The foothills parkway runs parallel to the Great Smoky Mountains. It is approximately 30-miles in total. There are a few different places to get on to the parkway. There is one entrance near Fontana, Walland, Wears Valley, and Cosby. However Cosby is a smaller section and does not link to the oth...

Park at the Panther Creek Recreation Area. The fee to park here is $4. There is extra parking alongside the road if the parking lot is full. The trail begins opposite the parking area, noted by a wooden sign. The trail gains elevation here and there with several drop-offs secured by cable cord f...

The Cheoah River is a dam controlled section of whitewater that has become one of the "bucket runs" for Western, North Carolina. Located near Robbinsville, NC, the Cheoah is a non-stop class IV+ classic of constant gradient that delivers a Southeastern whitewater experience like no other. There...

Start your hike at Anthony Creek Trailhead (elevation 1,800 ft), in the Cade’s Cove area. The trailhead is located at the far end of the day-use picnic area near Cade’s Cove campground. There are a few parking spots right at the trailhead, but note that the picnic area closes at dusk (a gate clos...

Rocky Top is known to be the spot that inspired the famous fight song of the University of Tennessee, which is also an official song for the state of Tennessee.  The trailhead for this hike begins in the Cade’s Cove picnic area parking lot towards the back side. There are a few parking spots ri...

On the first Saturday of November the best creek boaters in the world gather at the Green River in North Carolina to see who can storm the Narrows and claim the top title (at least for the next year!). For paddlers, creek boating is a pursuit along tight and narrow steeps that most of us have ne...

Park along the road at Bearwallow Gap - this is also the parking area for Bearwallow Mountain. Starting at a little over 3600ft, the Trombatore Trail has been well marked by the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy with red blazes. Parts of the trail border private land, so pay attention to the sig...

Once you have parked along the roadside near the trailhead, pass through the big gate on the right side of the road and take the trail off to the right. The trail winds up the mountain for a mile before it empties out onto the bald atop Bearwallow. Once on the bald, you can follow the gravel road...

Gregory Bald via Twentymile is a loop trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Robbinsville, North Carolina.

The Gregory Bald summit is indisputably picturesque – the 10-acre meadow at the top hosts magnificent azalea blooms in June, wild blueberries in August, and views of Cades Cove, Rich Mountain, Fontana Lake, Thunderhead Mountain, and Clingmans Dome, year-round. Start this hike at the Gregory Ridg...

When exploring all that Tennessee has to offer, it’s hard to ignore the fact it is home to more caves than any other state in America. So when picking one, of more than 10,000, to explore it is hard to go wrong. Forbidden Caverns happens to be one of the most popular spots and is only a few minut...

The beauty of this trail starts at the parking lot. Before you start the trail, you will find a picnic table near the parking lot and go down to the edge of the rolling stream. Its a great spot to hear the stream and take some pictures. If you are feeling adventurous you can try to hop from rock ...

Cade's Cove is a valley located smack in the middle of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Feel free to drive the 11 mile loop in the day, but if you're really cool, you'll schedule your trip around a full moon so you can bike under the light of night! Allow yourself a few hours to explore a...

This is an awesome trek with views of both Young Harris and Hiawassee, GA! The trail starts from the parking area where there is the Miller Trek A-Frame (see photo for reference)! There are several different trails within the trail system on the mountain, but if you take 5 minutes to read the map...

Lovers Leap Loop trail is a 1.8 mile loop in Hot Springs, NC. The address of the trailhead is 138 Silver Mine Rd, Hot Springs, NC 28743. Once you arrive at the parking lot, you will see a trail leading up into the mountain with a post next to it. This is where you want to begin. It is part of the...

Located just a few miles north of Helen, Georgia is this hidden gem. The road that leads up to the starting point of the hike is a bit tricky to find so make sure you have your GPS to help a little, its a gravel road that winds up the mountain for a about a mile. The dirt trail winds down throug...