The Best Backpacking in Morganton

Little River to Upper CCC to Horseridge to Upper Falls Loop is a loop trail where you may see local wildlife located near Connelly Springs, North Carolina.

This 8.5-mile total trip will take you through the highlights of South Mountains State Park with an overnight stay in one of the drier campsites.  You'll start with a 2.7 mile loop that you can do sans packs before picking up with a 3-mile each way out-and-back.  Begin by parking at the large par...

The Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, also known as the Grand Canyon of the East, is one of the wildest, most rugged gorges in the eastern United States. It's also an outdoor paradise for hikers and backpackers. Camping here is always a treat and you are sure to enjoy your time spent in the gorge.D...

Start your hike from the Shortoff Mountain Trail off of Wolf Pit Road at the base of Lake James. From the summit there is a small grassy area off a side trail that provided awesome cliff side views of the Gorge and Linville River! You can setup after making the hour and a half trek (maybe just in...

The Chimneys area is a lesser-known camping destination within the Linville Wilderness. The Chimneys are a series of rock formations that rise above Linville Gorge and provide unobstructed panoramic views of the gorge and surrounding mountains. These rocks sit adjacent to Table Rock which hosts w...

We are pretty notorious for passing up a good campsite but we are learning our lessons. We got a late but interesting start on Pinch-In trail. We climbed down a steep 600+ feet after passing this ledge only to climb right back to it a third of a mile in. If we come up to an awesome spot, we somet...

One of the first things I noticed when researching this hike was the conflicting information regarding finding the trail head, length of the hike, and the hike's correct route. Hopefully, as of September 2017, this report will contain the most up-to-date information currently available. To find t...

Hidden far above the beautiful Linville Gorge stands Hawksbill Mountain, among many other fantastic hikes. The roughly 1.7 mile hike from the dusty gravel parking lot is steep but worth every step. It took me about an hour to conquer with a few water bottle-guzzling stops. At the top, you are al...

Linville River is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a waterfall located near Morganton, North Carolina.

North Harper Creek, Kawana Road, Harper Creek, and Raider Camp Creek Trail Loop is a loop trail that takes you by a waterfall located near Collettsville, North Carolina.

Greentown Trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a waterfall located near Newland, North Carolina.

Harper Creek, Raider Camp, and Yellow Buck Mountain Trail Loop is a loop trail that takes you by a waterfall located near Collettsville, North Carolina.

Linville Gorge Loop is a loop trail that takes you by a river located near Newland, North Carolina.

Yancey Ridge Trail is an out-and-back trail that provides a good opportunity to view wildlife located near Collettsville, North Carolina.

Calloway Peak via Profile Trail is an out-and-back trail with waterfall views located near Banner Elk, North Carolina in Grandfather Mountain State Park.

Celo Knob Via Black Mountain Crest and Colbert Ridge Trails is an out-and-back trail that takes you past scenic surroundings located near Burnsville, North Carolina.