Top Ten Hikes Within an Hour’s Drive (or so) of Greensboro

(prepared for www.backporch.org)

For a county sitting right slab in the middle of the piedmont, far from mountain and sea, we are fortunate to have some truly good hiking opportunities so close to us.

I know, the great stuff lies further a field, across the parkway, in the misty mountains to our west, and along the seacoast to our east. When I was at Clemson I spent about every opportunity backpacking and exploring the western North Carolina mountains, west of Asheville. Great stuff out there.

But we have what we have, and it ain’t bad.

I am not including local Guilford County hikes in this list, though some of the watershed trails would qualify. You can find them under Top Ten Local Hikes and Walks.

The best trails are in three “clumps,” one to our northwest, one to our east, and one to our south. There are trail maps and descriptions on most of the web sites hyperlinked below.

To our Northwest lies Hanging Rock State Park, (also check out North Carolina Outdoors Hanging Rock Site), Pilot Mountain State Park, and the Sauratown Trail that joins them (and is a part of the Mountain to the Sea Trail).

To our east lies the Occoneechee State Natural Area, The Eno River State Park, (also check out North Carolina Outdoors Eno River Site), the Duke Forest, and the William Umstead State Park.

To our south lies Uwharrie National Forrest including the Birkhead Wilderness Area (also check out North Carolina Outdoors Birkhead Mountains site), as well as Morrow Mountain State Park.

From all of these options, my top ten may not be the same as your top ten, but there are quite more than ten trails to hike, so, who cares, hike them all!

There are several good books available at local book stores that five guidance on NC hiking trails. Allen de Hart has written several editions of books on North Carolina trails. His Third Edition gets good reviews. There is Hiking North Carolina by Randy Johnson, a Falcon Guide Book. And then there is Don Childrey’s Uwharrie Lakes Region Trail Guide: Hiking and Biking in North Carolina's Uwharrie Region. Allen de Hart also has two trail guides, for the Triad and Triangle respectively, which covers most of the short trip hiking opportunities near us. They are Trails of the Triad and Trails of the Triangle.


Anyway, here are my “Top Ten Hikes Within an Hour’s Drive (or so) of Greensboro”

The Moore’s Knob Trail, Hanging Rock State Park
The Robbins Branch-Birkhead Mountain Trail loop, Birkhead Wilderness Area
The Sauratown Trail
The Occoneechee Mountain Loop/Occoneechee Mountain Trail, Occoneechee State Natural Area
Bobbit’s Hole Trail, Eno River State Park
The Mountain Trail, Pilot Mountain State Park
The Wolfe Rock/Hanging Rock Trail Loop, Hanging Rock State Park
The Little Pinnacle, Jomeokee Trail, Pilot Mountain State Park
The Lower Cascade Falls Trail, Hanging Rock State Park
The Uwharrie National Recreation Trail, Uwharrie National Forrest

Maybe you would like to write a trail description for www.backporch.org, or just pass along ideas to me. I’d appreciate it.