Pickens, South Carolina

If you want to see a great waterfall without hiking all day, this is the perfect trail for you.  Getting there - The trailhead is about 2 miles from the intersection of Cold Mountain and Panther Ridge Road (exact coordinates: 35.1594, -82.9801). There is a small grassy pull out where you can park...

Trail signs in Panthertown Valley are limited. Be sure to bring a map! Starting at the Cold Mountain parking lot, hike to Schoolhouse Falls. This is a nice waterfall with a pool at the bottom. In the summer, you are bound to run into other fellow hikers here.  From Schoolhouse Falls, you have the...

Warden, Jawbone, and Riding Ford Falls are three waterfalls located along the headwaters of the Tuckasegee River in Panthertown Valley. Not far from the Cold Mountain trailhead, these falls are quite popular in the summer. On a weekend, you will often find people playing in the pools below the fa...

Upon entering High Hampton Inn, follow the entrance road past the registration building, cart shed and parking lot. Take a right down a gravel road that follows alongside Hampton Lake. This gravel road continues for half a mile, even winding through part of the golf course and crossing over the c...

This waterfall is located just outside of Cashiers, NC. The trailhead to the waterfall is right off of the road and has a good amount of parking. The trial itself is very nice and has new steps at the beginning of the trail. The trail is very wide and is mostly flat the entire way there. Once you...

At the foot of Blackrock Mountain just outside of Highlands, North Carolina, lies one of the most unique and secluded natural playgrounds around.  Granite City is composed of several massive granite boulders, ranging between 10-40 feet tall.  This spot is most popular for bouldering (mostly V0-V2...

You can drive this highway getting different views during the different seasons. Along the drive, have your camera ready for beautiful vistas, Looking Glass Falls, and many adventures along the highway. The views are especially beautiful in the autumn with the leaves changing colors. This route d...

This is an awesome hike to do if you're short on time or have hours to kill. Because it is so easy to access, it doesn't take very long to get down to it and can be accessed by two separate trails. Both trails are well maintained, however, while there are some blazes, it is not heavily marked. Th...

Panthertown Valley has a unique system of trails, with each trail having a specific number. Some of the trails listed at the information hut in the parking lot are accessed by taking one or two other trails to get to the start of the trail you are seeking. That is the case when hiking to Granny B...

Wilderness Falls offers a beautiful hike with a simple yet captivating falls. All of the maintained trails in Pantertown Valley are marked by a number system (there is an information hut in the parking lot with information about other local trails, distance of different trails, and emergency cont...

This is probably one of my favorite hikes I've done in Panthertown Valley. Its also one of the easier views to access. You start from the Salt Rock Gap Parking lot, taking the Blackrock Trail (447) up Blackrock Mountain. This trail is located about 100 yards to the left if you are standing lookin...

Pisgah National Forest, in my opinion, is one of the best national forests in the United States. Being just a short drive from Great Smokey Mountain National Park it has all the feel of being in the smokies with more to explore. Pisgah has anything you could want to see or do from tens of water...

Start at The Davidson River Campground just outside of Brevard, NC (276 Pisgah Ranger District). Have a shuttle car or a friend waiting at the Daniel Boone Boy Scout camp for the finish line. Hop on the 30.1 mile long Art Loeb Trail at the trailhead in the Davidson River Campground. Pull into th...

This 5 mile loop begins at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and State Fish Hatchery near Brevard, NC. Ample parking is available adjacent to the trailhead with bathrooms and water accessible. Grab a map from inside as well. To start the hike, look at the education center, to the left is t...

First off, I want to say although the road is gravel it is accessible for 2WD cars you do not need a 4WD car to access this hike. The trail begins just over the bridge that crosses Panther Branch Creek. Just over the bridge there is a pullout where you can park that should fit at least 3 cars. Th...

Whiteside Mountain is simply breathtaking, there is no way around it.  Views of the mountain from the South expose its sheer granite face, which runs almost its entire length East-to-West.  However, the views of the mountain are just the beginning, as this hike climbs to higher heights than just ...