Red, yellow, and burgundy leaves provide a colorful setting for cyclists as they ride through an old-growth forest on a fall day, whipping around banked turns and sailing over small jumps. The six-mile intermediate trail — a portion of the longer 330-mile Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail — at W. Kerr Scott Reservoir begins at the Visitors Assistance Center, twists and turns along the lake, and ends at Bandit’s Roost Campground. The multiuse trail follows the approximate path that men in the Patriot militia from Wilkes and Surry counties took when returning from a pivotal victory over Loyalists at Kings Mountain in 1780. Cyclists enjoy views of the lake and dam, and might glimpse wild turkeys or pileated woodpeckers — but the best part of the trail may simply be the thrill of the ride. — Rebecca Woltz
W. Kerr Scott Reservoir
499 Reservoir Road
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
(336) 921-3390
We’re ready for fall at Great Outdoor Provision Co. Bring on the stories, laughter and relaxation around the campfire! Check out our specialty selection of camp furniture and build your dream campsite/tailgate for fall.
DuPont State Recreational Forest is home to six waterfalls, including the 125-foot High Falls. photograph by BSPollard/iStock/Getty Images Plus
North Carolina’s first state forest — established in 1996 — is so picture-perfect, it served as the backdrop for scenes from the 2012 movie The Hunger Games. Here, you’ll find breathtaking waterfalls, lakes, and granite outcroppings with beautiful views of fall colors. Oh, and nearly 100 miles of multi-use trails. For mountain biking newbies, try the old logging roads, which are mostly level, or the Wintergreen Falls Trail: a 1.5-mile out-and-back trail tucked away from the crowds. The gradual descent to the falls does mean some uphill on your return, but the pretty, 20-foot falls are worth it, and the shaded trail isn’t strenuous. For something a bit more dramatic, take a 4.4-mile round-trip ride on mostly wide gravel roads to the 120-foot Bridal Veil Falls and enjoy a picnic at the base. — Katie Schanze
DuPont State Recreational Forest
Staton Road
Cedar Mountain, NC 28718
(828) 877-6527
dupontstaterecreationalforest.com
For beautiful fall views in the mountains with minimal effort required, pedal along this mostly flat, family-friendly greenway, which follows and crosses the South Fork of the New River through open meadows, across a covered bridge, and through beautiful forests for more than two miles. It all feels very far away from the busy streets of the charming mountain town it calls home. Keep an eye out for a historic ruin, and pause often to read interpretive signs, rest on benches and at picnic tables, and bird-watch. And, of course, to admire the changing leaves on the surrounding peaks. — Katie Schanze
Boone Greenway Trail
355 MLK Jr. Street
Boone, NC 28607
North Carolina is known for many things, but nothing more important this week than the qualities of endurance, resilience, and hope.
By day, this adventure park in the Triad is a fall festival to die for. By night, the undead come alive for Halloween tricks. Welcome to one man’s vision of year-round merrymaking.
North Carolina’s border dances across the mountains as it traces four different states. Life here can be more remote, but good neighbors are never far away.
The Blue Ridge Parkway stands out among America’s national parks: Unfurling across six Appalachian mountain chains, it connects dozens of rural communities and binds together generations of families through shared memories.
