TRAILS ON TUESDAYS

Did you know that November 17th is National Take a Hike Day? Don’t worry, most of us didn’t either! The good news is that there is no shortage of trails to explore in Western North Carolina. If you are looking for recommendations, look no further than our very own Dani Miner. Dani is running a Trails on Tuesdays Facebook Series where she posts information about recent hikes she has done along with slideshows of pictures. Below are six of her featured hikes. Check them out and walk your turkey off with a trail adventure of your own!

TRAIL: MOUNTAINS TO SEA TRAIL FROM SOCO GAP TO WATERROCK KNOB OFF THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

This week’s 8.5-mile roundtrip hike started at Soco Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway peaking out at almost 6300 feet at Waterrock Knob. The scenery both in the woods and at the peaks is what keeps us on the trails week after week. Barley, our black mouth cur, scrambles up these trails making it look easy. Getting out in these spectacularly beautiful areas with our best friend Barley makes for some perfect hiking.

TRAIL: BARTRAM TRAIL TO CHEOAH BALD

At an elevation of 5,062 feet, Cheoah Bald stands tall against the surrounding peaks. Starting on the Bartram Trail where it intersects with HWY 19 outside of Bryson City in the Nantahala Gorge, the trail climbs for five miles to where it finishes at the Appalachian Trail (AT). Hiking another half mile on the AT brings you to a clearing where you can see layers upon layers of mountaintop peaks and the hazy/smoky-looking air that gave the Smoky Mountains their name. This portion of the Bartram Trail is steep and grueling but the waterfalls on Ledbetter Creek and the amazing views at the top are worth the effort. We spent time relaxing and taking pictures at the top before heading back down.