If a walk in the woods meant peaceful meditation for 19th-century naturalists like Henry David Thoreau, it signaled danger for African-Americans. An outdoorsman is changing that narrative by leading Charlotte's Outdoor Afro hiking club on journeys to reclaim natural spaces.
After a long day in the wilderness, even the most rugged outdoor enthusiasts can’t resist the comfort and good company found in a trail shelter.
In the shadow of Whiteside Mountain in Jackson County sits the Grimshawes Post Office, an eensy-weensy wooden building that old-timers fondly remember and newcomers visit on hiking excursions around Cashiers and Highlands.
In the late 1960s, an Asheboro Scoutmaster had a dream: cut a mini Appalachian Trail through Uwharrie National Forest, in the center of the state. Today, a new group of trailblazers aims to finish the job.
Trekking through the woods (or scaling sand dunes) will surely work up an appetite. After a day on the trails, refuel at these hiker hangouts.
Winding along rivers and linking together towns, rail trails and greenways connect us to nature — and each other.
When you need an outdoor escape, check out these eight easy-to-get-to, quick-to-hike trails in the Triangle, Charlotte, and beyond.
When the trees part and the trail slopes down to flowing waters, a hiker must decide: Try your luck and leap from rock to slippery rock — or take a deep breath and ford the stream?
They are our inland lighthouses, the fire towers of western North Carolina. Long ago decommissioned as regular lookouts, these wobbly perches still have plenty of character and purpose. Just ask all the hikers.
