GetHiking! Southeast

This week on the GetHiking! Southeast Podcast we answer that age-old question, which is it you can get a permit to gather firewood in, a National Park or a National Forest. We also look at two efforts to open the outdoors to a wider range of people. Related linksInterested in gathering firewood in the Hanging Rock Day Use Area of the Clinch Ranger District, George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia? Learn more here.To learn more about the Virginia Outdoor Foundation's $20,0...

This week we scout a trail system in Virginia that we hope will make for a good weekend backpack trip for beginning backpackers. Along the way, we explain what makes a great trip for a first timer. In the episode we make mention of "Backpacking Virginia: The Definitive Guide to 40 Can't-Miss Trips from Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean," by Johnny Malloy. Learn more about the book here.If you're looking for recommended first-time backpack trips, check out these 5 from "Backpacking North Ca...

This week we look at a shortage of campground hosts that's closing National Forest campgrounds and at the issue of ebikes and how our National Forests are looking to accommodate them.LinksInterested in being a campground host, or in any number of other volunteer opportunities on federal and state lands? Check out the possibilities at volunteer.gov.We mention off-road ebikes, and cite as example the Pedal All Wheel Drive II. Get a sense of what it's like here.

Three of the most iconic spots on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia are Dragon’s Tooth, Tinker Cliffs and McAfee Knob. And combined with three trails in the North Mountain trail system they can be done in a loop of about 35 miles. In today's episode, we follow 10 backpackers on a four-day, three-night trip that covers these geologic icons and some pretty phenomenal scenery in between.ResourcesCheck out this all trails.com description of the hike here.Find our GetBackpacking! Guide to Virginia...

It's all about the July 4 weekend in today's episode, including:Where you can catch catch the Brood X Cicada Choir and their 100-decibel performance.The answer to the question you've possibly been wondering: Are fireworks allowed in National Forests? (No.)Speaking of which, is there one convenient location where you find out the fire danger — and other cool fire-related stats — before heading into the woods? (Yes.)Are there still campsites available for us procrastinators? (Yes.)LinksTo disco...

Hiking is great, but nothing beats a post-hike gathering at the campsite. Over the years we've become a connoisseur, of sorts, of group campsites; today, we share 5 of our favorites.Learn more about these sites and make reservations by visiting this post at our GetGoingNC.com website.

Bears have been getting into more campers gear of late: the reason? Improper food storage. In this week's quick listen, we talk about the importance of food storage on the trail.For more information on food storage and dealing with blackberry in general, visit bearwise.org.

About 12 percent of the United States is protected as natural area. That’s roughly 456,000 square miles of the nation’s total land mass of roughly 3.8 million square miles. Now, when most of us think of land set aside to protect nature, at least here in the Southeast, we think of National Parks, we think of National Forests, we think of State Parks. Yet nationwide those three entities only account for about 10 percent of total protected land. What about those remaining 3.3 million squar...

The 77-mile Foothills Trail jumps back and forth along the North Carolina South Carolina state line, along the rugged Blue Ridge Escarpment. Backpackers who thru-hike the trail generally take 5 to 7 days to complete the challenging trek. And those are backpackers who typically have several years of experience and have trained for the hike. Now imagine being someone with little or no hiking experience and being challenged to hike more than a third of the entire 77-mile Foothills Trail in one d...

"Software update" — that's the best way to describe why this week's episode is just 7 minutes long. We hope to be back next week with our chat with Chris Webber, Director of Development for the Central & Western North Carolina Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, as we discuss the Trailblaze Challenge, a 28.3-mile hike on the Foothills Trail of North Carolina and South Carolina to raise money for Make-A-Wish. In the meantimes, you can check out their work and learn about the Trailblazer...