Trail Map: The Hike: Dolly Sods puts the wild and wonderful in West Virginia. This unique wilderness is home to bog and heath ecosystems more commonly found in southern Canada. This area is a true wilderness. A trailhead sign warns: “Don’t expect cell phone service and be prepared to navigate unmarked trails and cross waterways […]
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Trail Map: The Hike: The rocky summit of Seneca Rocks dominates the landscape. This has been a popular destination for generations. Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area (NRA) contains the highest peak in West Virginia with some of the best rock climbing in the east. This is a very popular destination and the steep trail to
Trail Map: The Hike: This short hike has great views of the falls. It also features over 200 steps to reach the falls viewing area. This is a popular hike and the trail (and parking area) can become very congested. We arrived before 8am on a Sunday and had the trail and the falls to
Trail Map: The Hike: On a recent week-long hiking trip to western NC, we used Hot Springs as our home base. We stayed at the Laughing Heart Lodge located about 150 yards from the Appalachian Trail. The hike to Lovers Leap on the AT is a local favorite so we added it to our list.
Trail Map: The Hike: We first visited Max Patch on a rainy day in 2020 and clouds and fog hid most of the views. On our 2023 western NC hiking trip, we decided to revisit Max Patch. The weather cooperated and we were treated to the outstanding views of which Max Patch is famous. Max
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Trail Map: The Hike: This is a popular hike with great views. The narrow road to the trailhead is dirt/gravel and the last mile or so has some washed out sections. We saw several 2-wheel drive cars in the parking area. Take your time and avoid the road following heavy rain or snow. The parking
Trail Map: The Hike: This Appalachian Trail section hike reaches two bald summits—Little Hump and Big Hump. The road to the trailhead is gravel/dirt for the last two miles or so. There are some deep ruts and washed-out areas. Our AWD Subaru had no problem. The parking area is on the left, a gate blocks
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Trail Map: The Hike: This section hike on the Appalachian Trail straddles the North Carolina/Tennessee state line. The open ridge provides spectacular views of both states. The road to the trailhead is paved for a few miles and then turns to gravel/dirt. We had no problems with our AWD Subaru and it should be passable
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Trail Map: The Hike: Beauty Spot is a popular local destination. The Appalachian Trail passes through this bald summit. However, most visitors drive here over a bumpy dirt road. The day of our hike, the weather wasn’t cooperating. The forecast called for clouds and scattered showers much of the day. We waited for the heavy
Trail Map: The Hike: This hike is said to have some of the best views in Great Smoky Mountains NP. We certainly understand why it is so popular. This eight-mile round trip hike on the Appalachian Trail has an option one mile extension on the Jump Off Trail with even more amazing views. Dogs are
