GetHiking! Southeast

Hiking at night offers rewards not offered in daylight. This type of hiking calls for a different level of concentration: your world is defined by the sphere of light cast by your headlamp. You tune in the sounds of the night, which are not the same as the sounds of daytime: more owls than warblers, more raccoons than squirrels. Pause in a clearing, snuff your light and you can see the glories of the vast night sky. It’s a special place, the night world, and it is one well worth explori...

The trails have long been crowded come spring and fall. In the last two years, they've become even more so as an increasing number of people have discovered hiking as a safe way to recreate. So what's a long-time hiker to do, hibernate in the best two hiking seasons of the year and wait out the masses? Not hardly, especially if you know how to beat the crowds. In today's episode, we share some tips on how to find the solitude you crave on the trail, even during the active spring hiking season...

Seasonal closures don't always end when they're supposed to: it pays to double check before heading out, especially this time of year. Also, spring break is coming: do you know where you'll be spending it?For more on Seasonal closures (and reopenings) in National Forests, check the appropriate National Forest Service website and look under "Events & News"/"Alerts & Notices".GeorgiaNorth CarolinaVirginiaTennesseeSouth CarolinaWest VirginiaInterested in taking the family out...

This past Sunday, March 13, marked the return of Daylight Saving Time throughout the land, and whether you think it a devious contrivance designed entirely to benefit the vast Barbecue Industrial Complex — I know, we’re in the South, I should call it the vast Grilling industrial Complex — or think Daylight Saving doesn’t go far enough, that we should have 24 hours of daylight, Daylight Saving Time is here and we should make the most of it. In today's episode we discuss how to do just that.In ...

We love winter, but when mid-February rolls around we can't help but be on the lookout for signs of spring. What are the harbingers of the season and where do we search for them? That's the topic of today's podcast.Download our Spring Wildflowers tip sheet, here, for more info on what spring wildflowers to look for at the beginning of the season, and where to search for them. Find it here.In the NewsFor a rundown of cliff faces in western North Carolina National Forests closed through Aug. 15...

Looking to get into the mountains a lot this year and explore new trail? Or maybe you’ve got a hiking vacation planned. If you’ve got big hiking goals, you need a good training program to to meet them. It needn’t be a strictly regimented program — not necessarily one that requires running stairs in your 12-story office building before and after work. Rather, it needs to be one you’ll adhere to and thus, is fun. In today's episode we talk about devising a practical hike training program suited...

Like a lot of us, Robin Barefoot got her first taste of being outdoors as a kid, in her case, on the summer vacations her family took in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. And, also like a lot of us, life intervened as she got older and she found herself playing in the woods less and less. Then, in the early 2000s her interest in the woods was rekindled on a trip to the Smokies with her two kids and a friend. Then, a couple years ago, the Durham resident decided to act. She wandered into h...

Today we talk about some of resources we use for scouting and planning hikes and trips, and for simple entertainment. The links follow: Trail status, road conditionsNorth Carolina State ParksBlue Ridge ParkwayGreat Smoky Mountains National ParkCroatan, Nantahala, Pisgah and Uwharrie National ForestsShenandoah National ParkVirginia National Forests (George Washington and Jefferson)Virginia State ParksAppalachian TrailVirginia State Parks Sunrise, sunset Sunrise-suns...

By mood? We're always in a good mood when we backpack — how could we not be? Rather, by "mood" in this instant we're referring to the kind of backpack trip we'd like to take, or that we have time for. In short, the type of trip we're in the mood for. Thus, we break down our favorite trips by category. They are:Best Weekend TripBest Winter TripBest Basecamp TripBest Wilderness TripBest Avoid-the-Masses TripBest Trip, PeriodYou can learn more about each trip and find a link with details on taki...

Think about your recent hikes. Notice anything about your fellow hikers? About their age? That, maybe they’re a little older than you might think? According to the latest Outdoor Participation report from the Outdoor Foundation, hiking is the most popular form of outdoor recreation for people ages 45 to 64. And it’s not surprising that this trend would be especially noticeable on trails here in the Southeastern U.S. because of the number of older people who relocate here, sometimes to be clos...