Resources and information for exploring many North Carolina hiking trails, local, state and national parks are provided here. Please make sure to be familiar with the rules and regulations for areas where you plan to visit. View Current Blue Ridge Parkway Road and Facility Closures.
Appalachian Trail (AT)- The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the A.T., is a marked hiking trail in the Eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine.
Art Loeb Trail (ALT) – The Art Loeb Trail is a 30.1-mile trail located in Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina. The northern terminus is at the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp in Haywood County, while the trail’s southern terminus is located near the Davidson River Campground, near Brevard, in Transylvania County.
Blue Ridge Parkway – The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America’s longest linear park, runs for 469 miles through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Carolina Mountain Club – The Carolina Mountain Club, now 90 years old and the oldest Hiking and Trail Maintaining Club in Western N.C., fosters the enjoyment of the mountains of Western North Carolina and adjoining regions.
Conserving Carolina – Conserving Carolina was formed in 2017 by the merger of two local land trusts with deep roots in our communities—Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and Pacolet Area Conservancy.
The two land trusts served overlapping areas. Pacolet Area Conservancy was founded in 1989, with a focus on the Southeast portion of our current region. Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, which served the North Carolina portion of our current region, was founded in 1994 as the Natural Heritage Trust of Henderson County.
After partnering successfully on several conservation projects, the two land trusts decided to join forces, combining our expertise, talents, and resources in order to strengthen our impact.
Great Smoky Mountains – The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province.
Linville Gorge Wilderness – The Linville Gorge Wilderness is the third largest wilderness area in North Carolina and one of only two wilderness gorges in the Southern United States. Maintained by the United States Forest Service, it comprises 11,786 acres around the Linville River, and is situated inside the Pisgah National Forest.
Middle Prong Wilderness – The Middle Prong Wilderness was designated in 1984 and it covers 7,900 acres within the Pisgah National Forest in Haywood County, Western North Carolina.
Mountains to Sea Trail (MST)- The Mountains-to-Sea State Trail is a long-distance trail for hiking and backpacking, that traverses North Carolina from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks. The trail’s western endpoint is at Clingman’s Dome, where it connects to the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Nantahala National Forest – The Nantahala National Forest, established in 1920, is a national forest located in the American state of North Carolina. The word “Nantahala” is a Cherokee word, meaning “Land of the Noonday Sun.” In some spots, the sun reaches the floors of the deep gorges of the forest only when it is high overhead at midday.
Pisgah National Forest – Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Pisgah National Forest is completely contained within the state of North Carolina.
Shining Rock Wilderness – The Shining Rock Wilderness is a protected Wilderness Area in Haywood County, North Carolina. Its first 13,400 acres have been part of the National Wilderness Preservation System since the System was created in 1964.
“Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.”
– Albert Einstein