After two decades spent section-hiking the Appalachian Trail, a retiree left a single mile untrodden for a celebration with his aging dad and friends. But with injuries and illnesses mounting, would everyone make it to the end? Find out in the full article from Blue Ridge Outdoors!
Category: Hiking & Backpacking
Summiting Old Rag Mountain
Stunning views and rock scrambling make for a classic day hike in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park: from forest to granite • an “Eastern park in the Western tradition” • a fun but tiring scramble to the summit • a piece of Yosemite in the Appalachians. Read the story at Blue Ridge Outdoors!
Becoming Backpackers in the Great Balsam Mountains
High above the Blue Ridge Parkway in Pisgah National Forest, the fall scenery was beautiful. But when it came to our backpacking skills, it wasn’t pretty. Read about fun times and comical blunders (hint: we also became hitchhikers) in the fall issue of Blue Ridge Outdoors!
New Meets Old at Kentucky’s Red River Gorge
A vibrant outdoor scene evolves in a historic area of ancient rock arches. Learn more about the Red, including hiking, paddling, rock scrambling, and geologic formations in Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine!
Up the Appalachian Trail and Down the Nantahala River in a Day?
“We left the Nantahala Outdoor Center bunkhouse just after sunrise. It was our first time on the Appalachian Trail, which we followed steeply uphill above the Nantahala River as the sky brightened. My wife was joining me for the hiking portion of my first packrafting adventure. A shakedown day trip to get a feel for the sport…” Continue reading at Blue Ridge Outdoors!
Map Dash: A Road Trip to Mountains and Memorials in Central Arkansas
Some surprising and rewarding stops in Arkansas on a cross-country road trip–including a challenging summit hike and a historic townsite that helped name the Ozarks–courtesy of the National Parks System Map. Read in the latest issue of Terrain Magazine!
A Forgotten Forest
There’s more outdoor adventures than people realize–including hiking, biking, and paddling around Francis Marion National Forest–in this overlooked stretch of South Carolina Low Country. Continue reading at Blue Ridge Outdoors!
Hiking a Little Grand Canyon in Rural Georgia
“One minute we were driving through the rolling hills of rural Georgia. The next minute the bottom dropped away, and a valley appeared below. This sudden burst of topography, just west of Lumpkin, Ga., foreshadowed our arrival at Providence Canyon State Park...” Continue reading at Blue Ridge Outdoors!
Adventures in the Refuge of Lowered Expectations
The first time I heard a visitor calling for help, it came from the old ferry lake. Following the yells, I walked onto the aluminum fishing pier. Two bewildered college girls sat cross-legged on a floating platform, in the middle of this blackwater inlet of the Waccamaw River… continue reading at Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine.
Going Boating to Go Hiking
We considered it more of a hiking trip,” said the mysterious raft guide. “We looked at the river as an obstacle to going hiking.”
“Wait,” I said. “Did you just say hiking?”… continue reading at Duct Tape Diaries blog.