When you can’t or don’t make it to the AT, where are some of your favorite hiking places to go to to hit the trails? I love the trails in the Uwharrie Mts. in piedmont NC about 30-45 minutes from home or the trails through the NC section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, about two hours from home. Both are great in the early spring or fall
Gramps
Nice thread Gramps.
I’m getting ready to head out the door as I type. The weather is a little misty" but we call these “dry days” on the AT…haha…I’ll take 50 degrees in Feb. anytime.
If you live in Ohio like I do you have your choice of trails that are developed yet not hardly used at all. The Buckeye Trail goes through Tar Hollow State park near Chillicothe…the trail by the old fire tower is flat and gorgeous. Also near Chillicothe are state parks like Great Seal and Scioto Trail…both with steep sections yet ridgewalking after you get to the top. I’ve hiked Shawnee state park near Portsmouth but found it tougher than the AT…very steep and no switchbacks…but it’s a good place to get ready for the AT.
My favorite place is Hocking Hills south of Lancaster and near Logan but it takes a while to get there. Near Old Mans Cave is the Granny Greatwood trail named after I think the oldest female to ever hike the AT. A recently discovered gem by me is the Clear Creek Metro Park…sounds weird I know since it seems a part of the Columbus Ohio metro system and is 50 miles away! The Hemlock Trail has groves of these huge ancient trees and nifty rock formations that the Hocking Hills are famous for.
Local as in 10 miles for me are mostly “rails and trails” but I found one that runs past the original Hopewell Moundbuilders site…lots of bikers near Chilicothe but back my way in Frankfort is hardly anyone…follows the North Fork of Paint Creek where you can still find the fresh water clams and mussels that the ancient moundbuilders ate.
Cheers!!
I must be off!!!:cheers
Doc Holiday
We live near Washington. Good backpacking is a long way from here - mostly we go to northcentral PA for the best backpacking with fewest people -Donut Hole, Quehanna, Chuck Keiper, etc. For day hikes our favorite hiking places include Prince William Park near Quantico, Little Bennett SP north of us, or Shenandoah NP west of us. Truly local hikes are pretty much flat walking - we’d rather drive a bit farther and have hills to walk in.
Spirit Walker
Doc - ever hiked the Zaleski backpakcing trail in Zaleski state forest? It starts near the furnace in Lake Hope State Park and has several loops. You can do a three-day, two night hike of about 26 miles. It’s one of my favorites in Ohio.
terry
My favorite closest to home is Crowders Mountain State Park. Its a strenuous climb up the hill (good practice for the AT) but the cool breezes and views on top are worth the exercise. TO the east one will see the Charlotte (where I am from) skyline, and in the other direction are the hazy Blue Ridge mountains. The park also has rock climbing so its a double bonus.
windblue
I live near Norvin Green State forest in the NJ Highlands. Norvin Green has an extensive network of trails that can be looped and circuited for a really good 15 mile hike with all sorts of elevation change. The trail head is a mile from my house. I really live in a remarkable section of NJ. I can get on the Hewitt Butler trail there and hike north through the Wanaque Watershed to the Highlands Trail and follow it through Ringwood State park into Sterling State Forest and eventually link up with the AT near Fitzgerald Falls in NY (just north of Greenwood Lake, NY). I live 30 minutes from NYC and I can hike about 20-30 miles through the north Jersey suburbs legally on trails to reach the AT. I have often thought about hiking to the AT to start a hike. Thank you NYNJTC
tribes
Thanks Terry…I’ve been looking for another Ohio hike so I’ll check Zaleski out…I found it already in a couple of hiking books I have.
Granny’s name by the way was Gatewood for the Granny Gatewood Trail…must have been a Freudian slip.
Walking today was fun…I saw one of the largest blue herons I’ve ever seen.
Doc Holiday
In Hollis New Hampshire, the trails of The Beaver Brook Association are great for easy rambling and x-c skiing in winter. The Wapack Trail and the trails on the northern ridges of Mount Monadnock, all in SW NH, are other favorites. I also recommend The Squam Range, The Rattlesnakes and Red Hill in the Lakes Region of NH: great views for moderate effort
Celt
Day Tripper and myself just moved up to Sisters (near the PCT). It is a hiker’s heaven… too many choices…
Peace
ASWAH
p.s. when I lived in the Damascus area I always loved hiking around the highlands… almost anywhere in between Roan Highlands (well, Roan Mountain thru the Grayson Highlands). When I lived in Eugene, OR I liked Spencer Butte (for a very short hike)…
Aswah
Pennsylvania has so many options for dayhikes. Check out Ricketts Glen (22 waterfalls in about 7 miles; tallest is 93 feet) or Pine Creek Gorge in Tioga County. I just discovered Worlds End State Park in the Endless Mountain region (www.trailjournals.com/suvid2005), and found it to be among the upper echelon of state parks here in terms of scenery.
Suvid
Celt, I whole heartily agree on the Rattlesnakes but right across the street the whole squam range is also nice. Start on Sandwich Notch Road and run the whole ridge to Holderness. Also the Trypyramids loop and for kick ass views turn off the AT at Guyot and hike the Bonds.
Big B
i live in middle TN…so, we have numerous state parks that offer a variety of hiking opportunities…my closest fave is: Montgomery Bell State Park (Burns,TN) which features an 11.5 mile perimeter trail…rolling hills & hollows & several creeks & small lakes.(also several shorter routes)
on the edge of East TN is the BIG SOUTH FORK near Jamestown,TN(too many diff trails to name there) good hiking for all .
Fiery Gizzard (Monteagle,TN)in S.E.TN (emulates some of the A.T.)
the Cumberland Trail (trailhead in Chattanooga,TN area) has many sections now open & is only a hour or two from my house…good trails & marked well in most places.
And of course…there’s the Smokies…(Gatlinburg,TN)over 900 miles of trails in the GREAT SMOKY MTN NATL PARK…(including the A.T.)
i enjoy them all!
“Jaybird”