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Regional Trips Galleries

09-13-09: Wilson Creek Waterfalls (Lost Cove, Gragg Prong, N Harper) : This is our 3rd trip to the Wilson Creek area this summer. Our objective was to hike Little Lost Cove Falls, Gragg Prong and North Harper Creek Falls. No one in our group had been to either of these waterfalls. For Little Lost Cove Falls, we had a 4WD vehicle and the gate to FR 464A was unlocked, saving us 0.8 miles each way (1.6 mile round trip). We didn't go far enough down the trail to find the "official" trail to Upper Lost Cove Falls. Rather, we ended up taking the "sucker" trail to the creek and then bushwhacking down to the top of Upper Lost Cove Falls. The path from the upper falls to the lower falls was much easier to follow. Unfortunately, the lighting was terrible for quality photography of the falls. Next, we drove to the trailhead for Gragg Prong. This was one of the best "swimming" holes in the Wilson Creek area. The creek jumps from pothole to pothole as it slides down the rock slope. At the bottom there is a large 150 +/- foot diameter pool. Further downstream are some mini-falls then the lower Gragg Prong Falls which is a long "slide." Finally, we retraced our steps to FR 58 and the North Harper Creke Trailhead. There, we took the trail to North Harper Creek falls. This waterfall has 2 parts, an upper slide formation and a lower 60 foot freefall. The swimming hole was great the at the bottom but the water was MUCH colder!

09-13-09: Wilson Creek Waterfalls (Lost Cove, Gragg Prong, N Harper)

This is our 3rd trip to the Wilson Creek area this summer. Our objecti ...

Updated: Sep 14, 2009 12:27pm PST

09/05/09 Bear Island - Hammocks Beach State Park : Bear Island is a 3.5 mile island located off the North Carolina coast between Jacksonville and Morehead City. It is reached only by ferry or private boat. 15 Family campsites and a group site are the only overnight accommodations on the island. The best time to explore the island is after 6PM when the day visitors leave and before 10AM which is when the ferry arrives. The sunsets and sunrises are spectacular! An added bonus was that we were able to see sea turtle hatchlings!

09/05/09 Bear Island - Hammocks Beach State Park

Bear Island is a 3.5 mile island located off the North Carolina coast ...

Updated: Sep 09, 2009 8:55am PST

08-30-09: GSMNP - Big Creek & Midnight Hole : Big Creek is one of my favorite destinations in the Southeast. Rangers used to refer to this area as the "best kept secret in the Smokies." Unfortunately, the secret is now out as there are lots of visitors. The most spectular spot on Big Creek is Midnight Hole, where the river squeezes between 2 boulders into a deep hole at least 14 feet deep. The water is so clear that you can see every pebble on the bottom as well as the rainbow trout. When viewed from a distance, the water appears to be a dark blue, like midnight, hence the name. Approximately 1/2 mile upstream is equally impressive Mouse Creek Falls. This is a 35 foot waterfall that empties into Big Creek!

08-30-09: GSMNP - Big Creek & Midnight Hole

Big Creek is one of my favorite destinations in the Southeast. Rangers ...

Updated: Aug 31, 2009 10:20am PST

08/22/09: Wintergreen Falls : Wintergreen Falls lies DEEP (and I mean DEEP) in Gorges State Park. It is located approximately 2 miles north of where Auger Hole Road crosses the Toxaway River. While visiting Gorges State Park, we found out from the Ranger that Auger Hole Road would be permanently closed to vehicular traffic on August 28, 2009. Normally, a visitor would have to hike 4 miles from Frozen Creek access down the Auger Hole Road to get to the trailhead. With 4WD vehicles, we could cut out 4+ miles of the hike. This was too good of an offer to pass up. So, we hopped into 4WD vehicles and drove to the trailhead. Initially this is a well graded trail on an old logging road. Unfortunately after 1 mile the old logging road disappeared leaving an unmaintained fisherman's trail. The real challenge came when we had to contour around a cliff band. Here, we were teetering along a steep slope, grabbing onto whatever we could to not slip. A fall here would have been BAD, REAL BAD. Once the cliff band was traveresed, the rest of the route was straight forward. On the way back, we set rope to negotiate the cliff band. Having said that, this was not a difficult hike, but it felt quite technical and in a way was more dangerous than most other waterfall hikes.

08/22/09: Wintergreen Falls

Wintergreen Falls lies DEEP (and I mean DEEP) in Gorges State Park. It ...

Updated: Aug 27, 2009 9:57am PST

08-22-2009: Horsepasture Gorge : Horsepasture River contains some of the best swim holes in the Southeast. This year, there is a new access point as Gorges State Park has relocated the parking areas. Unfortunately, it means the hike in is slightly longer (now 3 miles one way) and there are more crowds :(

08-22-2009: Horsepasture Gorge

Horsepasture River contains some of the best swim holes in the Southea ...

Updated: Sep 02, 2009 9:15am PST

08/21/09: Brevard area Waterfalls : A few of us snuck out of camp early Saturday AM and Sunday AM to enjoy some of the local waterfalls. Bird Rock and Mill Shoals are located on NC 215 on the Living Waters Ministry property. (Public access is permitted at this time). Cathey's Creek Falls is located on Cathey's Creek Road. Before returning to the Triangle area, we hit Skinny Dip falls on the BRP

08/21/09: Brevard area Waterfalls

A few of us snuck out of camp early Saturday AM and Sunday AM to enjoy ...

Updated: Sep 02, 2009 9:11am PST

08/01/09 - Wilson Creek Waterfalls (Steels Creek, Burnthouse Branch, Upper Falls) :

08/01/09 - Wilson Creek Waterfalls (Steels Creek, Burnthouse Branch, Upper Falls)

Updated: Sep 01, 2009 6:43am PST

07-18-09: GSMNP - Andrews Bald :

07-18-09: GSMNP - Andrews Bald

Updated: Sep 15, 2009 7:45am PST

07/11/09 : Grandfather Mountain Hike :

07/11/09 : Grandfather Mountain Hike

Updated: Sep 09, 2009 9:13am PST

06-28-09: GSMNP - Enloe Creek & Raven Fork :

06-28-09: GSMNP - Enloe Creek & Raven Fork

Updated: Sep 09, 2009 9:22am PST

06/13/09 : Grayson Highlands - Rhododandron Gap - Scales Loop :

06/13/09 : Grayson Highlands - Rhododandron Gap - Scales Loop

Updated: Sep 09, 2009 9:38am PST

05/30/09: Wilson Creek (Raiders Camp - Harper Creek Loop) :

05/30/09: Wilson Creek (Raiders Camp - Harper Creek Loop)

Updated: Sep 09, 2009 9:50am PST

02/08/09 Panthertown Valley :

02/08/09 Panthertown Valley

Updated: Sep 09, 2009 10:14am PST

02/07/09 Brevard area Waterfalls (Horsepasture Gorge, Looking Glass, Toxaway Falls and "secret" falls) : A winter camping trip to Brevard is always nice. While most campground amenities are closed (bathroom, showers are winterized), you have good water flows, unobstructed views and best of all NO TOURISTS!. Not to rub it in, but there are some "hidden" places left. The last photo in this album is of an unnamed, and as far as we can tell, unpublished waterfall. While the waterfall is believed to be on forest service property, we were invited to go there by a local who told us to park at his family's property and cut through their land to access the falls. No, I am not disclosing where this is!

02/07/09 Brevard area Waterfalls (Horsepasture Gorge, Looking Glass, Toxaway Falls and "secret" falls)

A winter camping trip to Brevard is always nice. While most campground ...

Updated: Sep 09, 2009 10:12am PST

01/24/09 Jones Lake State Park :

01/24/09 Jones Lake State Park

Updated: Sep 09, 2009 10:21am PST

01/10/09 : GSMNP - Dbl Springs Gap via Newfound Gap : Double Springs Gap Shelter sits only 2 miles west of Clingman's Dome. However, during the winter months, Clingman's Dome Road is closed, adding 8 miles to the hike. Double Springs Gap is named due to springs being located on both sides of the ridge. We planned a simple overnight trip to the shelter, but there was nothing simple about this trip due to weather. We hiked out on a snow and ice covered trail, with a driving, heavy rain, and air temperatures in the mid-30s. It would have been better had it snowed (maybe). Much to our surprise, we found at least 4 other hikers at the Shelter and they had a warm fire going! 1 was a AT thru hiker, and the other 3 had come up from Forney Creek. The next day, there was a thin crust of ice everywhere, but the views and landscapes were stunningly beautiful. Also, the famed "mist" was gone, allowing rare long range views. On Clingman's Dome, we could make out Mt Mitchell and the Black Mountains off in the distance.

01/10/09 : GSMNP - Dbl Springs Gap via Newfound Gap

Double Springs Gap Shelter sits only 2 miles west of Clingman's Dome. ...

Updated: Sep 04, 2009 11:27am PST

12/13/08 - Weetock Trail (Croatan NF) :

12/13/08 - Weetock Trail (Croatan NF)

Updated: Sep 11, 2009 8:05am PST

12/06/08 - Crowder's Mtn State Park :

12/06/08 - Crowder's Mtn State Park

Updated: Sep 11, 2009 7:42am PST

11/08/08 : Neusiok Trail (Croatan NF) :

11/08/08 : Neusiok Trail (Croatan NF)

Updated: Sep 11, 2009 11:45am PST

10-13-08 : GSMNP - Mt Cammerer via Big Creek :

10-13-08 : GSMNP - Mt Cammerer via Big Creek

Updated: Sep 11, 2009 3:23pm PST

08-23-08: Thompson River - Big Falls : Getting there is half the fun! The last 1/2 mile of trail drops nearly 600+ feet and is a moderately difficult bushwhack!

08-23-08: Thompson River - Big Falls

Getting there is half the fun! The last 1/2 mile of trail drops nearly ...

Updated: Sep 11, 2009 3:38pm PST

08-23-08: Horsepasture River :

08-23-08: Horsepasture River

Updated: Sep 11, 2009 3:42pm PST

03/30/08: Cascades (VA) :

03/30/08: Cascades (VA)

Updated: Sep 11, 2009 2:59pm PST

03-01-08: Catawba Falls & South Mountains State Park :

03-01-08: Catawba Falls & South Mountains State Park

Updated: Sep 11, 2009 2:28pm PST

11-07-2007: Grandfather Mountain Traverse :

11-07-2007: Grandfather Mountain Traverse

Updated: Feb 26, 2008 2:17pm PST

10-21-07 : High Falls :

10-21-07 : High Falls

Updated: Sep 15, 2009 7:20am PST

10-20-2007: Panthertown Valley :

10-20-2007: Panthertown Valley

Updated: Sep 15, 2009 7:15am PST

09-16-07: Cascades, VA :

09-16-07: Cascades, VA

Updated: Sep 21, 2007 5:56am PST

09-09-07: Horsepasture River Gorge :

09-09-07: Horsepasture River Gorge

Updated: Sep 21, 2007 7:14am PST

09-08-07: Big Falls & High Falls (Thompson River) : This was our first trip to the remote Thompson River gorge. There are no official trails in this area, although there is an old logging road that parallels the river bed. The turnoff for High Falls is not well marked, but is fairly obvious. The bushwhack down to Big Falls is steep and tedious. While rope is not required, it is very beneficial!

09-08-07: Big Falls & High Falls (Thompson River)

This was our first trip to the remote Thompson River gorge. There are ...

Updated: Sep 21, 2007 8:08am PST

08-11-07: Hanging Rock State Park :

08-11-07: Hanging Rock State Park

Updated: Aug 13, 2007 5:47pm PST

08-05-07: Art Loeb Trail III - Tennet Mountain :

08-05-07: Art Loeb Trail III - Tennet Mountain

Updated: Aug 13, 2007 6:00pm PST

08-04-07: Avery Creek Trail - Twin Falls :

08-04-07: Avery Creek Trail - Twin Falls

Updated: Aug 13, 2007 6:22pm PST

08-04-07: Horsepasture Gorge :

08-04-07: Horsepasture Gorge

Updated: Aug 13, 2007 7:29pm PST

07-21-07: Harper Creek-Raiders Creek Loop : The Harper Creek Trail (260) and Raiders Creek Trail (277) for a 9 mile loop in the Pisgah National Forest. Though rated as easy-moderate, parts of the trail are overgrown and there is some route findings difficulties. Highlights include Harper Creek Falls and South Harper Creek Falls. There are numerous swimming holes, but there are also dangerous drop offs!

07-21-07: Harper Creek-Raiders Creek Loop

The Harper Creek Trail (260) and Raiders Creek Trail (277) for a 9 mil ...

Updated: Jul 22, 2007 8:44pm PST

07-08-07: Dupont State Forest : DuPont State Forest, located between Brevard and Hendersonville contains some of the most stunning waterfalls in the region. This gallery details 3 of the major waterfalls (Triple Falls, High Falls and Hooker Falls)

07-08-07: Dupont State Forest

DuPont State Forest, located between Brevard and Hendersonville contai ...

Updated: Jul 24, 2007 10:49am PST

07-07-07: Panthertown Valley :

07-07-07: Panthertown Valley

Updated: Jul 22, 2007 9:03pm PST

06-24-07: Hanging Rock - Lower Falls - Tory's Den :

06-24-07: Hanging Rock - Lower Falls - Tory's Den

Updated: Jul 23, 2007 7:03am PST

06-18-07: Grayson Highlands :

06-18-07: Grayson Highlands

Updated: Jul 24, 2007 6:33pm PST

06-10-07: Bicycling Bald Head Island :

06-10-07: Bicycling Bald Head Island

Updated: Jul 22, 2007 6:17pm PST

05-06-07: Roan Mountain Hiking :

05-06-07: Roan Mountain Hiking

Updated: Jul 22, 2007 6:00pm PST

03-17-07: Round Bald - Roan Highlands :

03-17-07: Round Bald - Roan Highlands

Updated: Mar 19, 2007 12:18pm PST

03-10-07: Doughton Park :

03-10-07: Doughton Park

Updated: Mar 19, 2007 11:54am PST

02-24-07: Cascades, VA :

02-24-07: Cascades, VA

Updated: Feb 26, 2007 9:13am PST

02-17-07: Panthertown Valley :

02-17-07: Panthertown Valley

Updated: Feb 26, 2007 9:32am PST

01-20-07: Weetock Trail - Croatan National Forest : The photos are presented in a clockwise direction (ie S to N)

01-20-07: Weetock Trail - Croatan National Forest

The photos are presented in a clockwise direction (ie S to N)

Updated: Jan 22, 2007 9:59am PST

01-13-07: Neusiok Trail :

01-13-07: Neusiok Trail

Updated: Feb 26, 2007 11:58am PST

01-06-07: Hanging Rock State Park :

01-06-07: Hanging Rock State Park

Updated: Feb 26, 2007 1:16pm PST

12-17-06: Jones Lake State Park :

12-17-06: Jones Lake State Park

Updated: Dec 30, 2006 5:28pm PST

10-28-06: Horsepasture River Gorge :

10-28-06: Horsepasture River Gorge

Updated: Nov 20, 2006 10:34am PST

10-21-06: Rough Ridge - Tanawha Trail :

10-21-06: Rough Ridge - Tanawha Trail

Updated: Nov 20, 2006 11:02am PST

09-09-06: South Mountain State Park :

09-09-06: South Mountain State Park

Updated: Sep 09, 2006 8:58pm PST

08-26-06: Wilson Creek and South Harper Falls :

08-26-06: Wilson Creek and South Harper Falls

Updated: Nov 21, 2006 11:04am PST

08-19-06: Hanging Rock State Park :

08-19-06: Hanging Rock State Park

Updated: Nov 20, 2006 9:39am PST

08-06-06: Graveyard Fields :

08-06-06: Graveyard Fields

Updated: Nov 21, 2006 9:18am PST

08-06-06: Sliding Rock :

08-06-06: Sliding Rock

Updated: Nov 21, 2006 10:00am PST

08-05-06: Art Loeb III - Cold Mountain :

08-05-06: Art Loeb III - Cold Mountain

Updated: Nov 20, 2006 8:27am PST

07-22-06: Stone Mountain State Park :

07-22-06: Stone Mountain State Park

Updated: Nov 19, 2006 8:11pm PST

07-16-06: Crabtree Falls :

07-16-06: Crabtree Falls

Updated: Nov 21, 2006 10:46am PST

07-15-06: Mt Mitchell via Black Mountain Trail :

07-15-06: Mt Mitchell via Black Mountain Trail

Updated: Nov 19, 2006 8:45pm PST

06-17-06: Mt Rogers via Masseys Gap (Grayson Highlands) :

06-17-06: Mt Rogers via Masseys Gap (Grayson Highlands)

Updated: Nov 21, 2006 9:49am PST

05-28-06: Bear Island - Hammocks Beach State Park :

05-28-06: Bear Island - Hammocks Beach State Park

Updated: Jun 10, 2006 9:32pm PST

04-15-06: GSMNP - Mt Leconte Backpacking :

04-15-06: GSMNP - Mt Leconte Backpacking

Updated: Apr 17, 2006 10:30pm PST

01-29-06: Neusiok Trail, Croatan National Forest :

01-29-06: Neusiok Trail, Croatan National Forest

Updated: Feb 09, 2006 5:18pm PST

01-08-06: Uwharrie National Forest :

01-08-06: Uwharrie National Forest

Updated: Feb 09, 2006 9:40am PST

12-24-05: Jones Lake State Park :

12-24-05: Jones Lake State Park

Updated: Apr 22, 2006 10:56pm PST

12-10-05: Outer Banks Adventures :

12-10-05: Outer Banks Adventures

Updated: Apr 26, 2006 4:48am PST

10-23-05: Grandfather Mountain Hiking :

10-23-05: Grandfather Mountain Hiking

Updated: May 02, 2006 9:25pm PST

08-20-05: Rocky Knob - Mabry Mill :

08-20-05: Rocky Knob - Mabry Mill

Updated: May 02, 2006 7:55pm PST

10-25-09: Midnight Hole and Mouse Creek Falls :

10-25-09: Midnight Hole and Mouse Creek Falls

Updated: Oct 27, 2009 6:47am PST