Hiking in Western North Carolina
Red needles on the Douglas Falls trail.
The mountain region of Western North Carolina is a haven for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.
Some of the highest peaks in the East, surrounded by vast areas of wilderness and miles and miles of trails, invite visitors from all over the world. But even locals looking for an easy day hike find the area irresistible. Why take an expensive vacation thousands of miles away when a world-renowned outdoor playground is right next door?
HikeWNC.info is your on-line hiking guide for North Carolina's Appalachian mountain region, containing all of the information you need to make your next trip complete. We aim to provide guidebook quality information that you can use in your outdoor persuits. Have fun browsing and hiking!
On This Site
Trails
The new Trails section is dedicated to the individual trails in Western North Carolina. Use this section to search for a trail if you know its name. Each trail has its own page with all the details, a map (where available), and a place to leave ratings and comments.
Featured Trails: Estatoe, Elk Knob, Commissary, Harper Creek...
Trailheads
HikeWNC's Trailheads are hubs or larger areas where several trails are clustered together or in a network. Each represents a place where you can spend a day or more exploring hiking trails without driving too far (or at all!).
Featured Trailheads: Pisgah National Forest, Nantahala National Forest, Blue Ridge Parkway, DuPont State Forest, Catawba Falls (New!)...
Best Hikes
The Best Hikes combine the individual trails from the Trailheads above into a fully guided experience. We feel like these trips are most representative of the great hiking that Western North Carolina has to offer!
Featured Hikes: Toms Creek Falls, DuPont State Recreational Forest Waterfalls Tour, Rattlesnake Lodge, Mount Mitchell...
Maps
This section covers all of the maps we have available for you to view, download, and purchase, including maps of the Trailheads and Best Hikes above, and interactive Google Maps with downloadable GPS data.
Featured Maps: Interactive Map of Trailheads, USGS Topographic Maps, Nat. Geo Trails Illustrated™ Series...
Photo Gallery
Browse through photos of the trails, views, waterfalls, and mountains in the region. Links to these galleries are provided from Trailheads and Hikes as well.
Featured Galleries: Looking Glass Rock, Sam Knob, Whiteside Mountain, Panthertown Valley, Crabtree Falls...
Area Information
Get general area information to round out your trip, including things to consider when planning a hike, information about places to stay and outfitters, and ways to get involved in the area's hiking community.
Area Information Pages: General Considerations, Camping/Lodging, Hiking Outfitters, Weather/Climate, Clubs and Organizations...
Site Updates & News
New DuPont State Forest Map by Pisgah Map Company
Earlier this year, Pisgah Map Company released another map in the Western North Carolina Trail Guide series, this one of DuPont State (Recreational) Forest. Like the Pisgah Ranger District map published in 2011 (which we also reviewed), this is another fantastic publication made by locals who are not only trail Read more »
Posted on June 12, 2013 2:53 pm
New Trail Opens in DuPont State Forest
In celebration of National Trails day on June 1, 2013, several new trails were officially opened in DuPont State Recreational Forest, including a new connector between the end of Turkey Knob Road at Pinnacle Mountain Road and Little Briery trail. This new segment of trail, which was built by Long Read more »
Posted on June 10, 2013 12:38 pm
Max Patch Mountain Parking Area Repaired & Improved
The Forest Service has announced repairs and improvements to the parking area at Max Patch Mountain after vandals had their way with it earlier this year. It was a shame to see this beautiful place destroyed the way it was, but with a construction contract and the help of volunteers, Read more »
Posted on May 13, 2013 10:51 pm
Crabtree Falls Trail Open, but Campground to Remain Closed
Due to the 5% decrease in the Park Service’s budget this year, the Crabtree Falls campground will remain closed throughout the 2013 season. This is in addition to several other closures along the road, and the cancellation of all of the Park’s normal seasonal interpretive programs. The Balsam Mountain campground, Read more »
Posted on March 15, 2013 10:34 pm
Forest Service Trail Strategy Document Completed
The US Forest Service has released the draft final Non-Motorized Trail Strategy document, which is available on their web site for review. The final Trail Strategy collaborative meeting for Pisgah is to be held tomorrow, Thursday Feb. 14, 6:00-8:00 p.m., at the UNCA Sherrill Center, Mountain View Conference Room in Asheville. Agency employees Read more »
Posted on February 13, 2013 1:29 pm
Blue Ridge Parkway General Management Plan & Final EIS Announced
The National Park Service released the General Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Blue Ridge Parkway today. This begins a 30 day “no action” period, after which time they’ll officially select an alternative for implementation. While there is good stuff to be found in the plan, there is Read more »
Posted on January 16, 2013 10:50 pm
New Trail Shelter Completed on the AT
Hikers on the Appalachian Trail in the Standing Indian area of the Nantahala National Forest near Franklin, NC have a new trail shelter to enjoy. Located at the head of the Long Branch drainage, the new, sturdy structure replaces the old, dilapidated Big Springs Gap shelter nearby. Official Forest Service Read more »
Posted on December 21, 2012 2:28 pm
Archived news and more articles are on the WNCOutdoors.info Blog.
