Noland Creek 
8.2 miles | Moderate
Forest Walk, North Shore History

2021 CLASSIC HIKES OF THE SMOKIES

Discover America’s most-visited national park with a guided day hike! The Classic Hikes of the Smokies feature interpretation of the history, flora, and fauna of park trails. Hikes vary in distance, difficulty, and location within the park to provide a comprehensive overview of the Smokies, exposing hikers to high Appalachian vistas, streams teeming with aquatic life, the best collection of log structures on the Eastern Seaboard, and much more.

After completing registration…
You will receive an email the Friday before the hike with directions, and more information. All hikes begin at 9 a.m

This hike is contingent on good weather.

Park at Craven Gap, this is an in & out hike. – 8.8 miles, 1345′ elevation gain

We will begin hiking at 10:00am, so please give yourself time to get there on time.

We will move at a moderate pace – 2.2 – 2.5 miles an hour or around 24-27 minutes per mile. There are a few vistas so we can stop momentarily to take in views, or snap photos. We’ll also stop for a snack at the lodge ruins.

This will be a “No Political” hike. Please keep your Red/Blue views at home and enjoy the views that the trail offers.

• Wear closed-toed footwear appropriate for hiking. The trail will consist of dirt, rocks, roots, and mud.

• Trekking poles are recommended.

• Well behaved leashed dogs are welcome.

Feel free to post questions not covered in this description in the comments section.

Cell phone service is pretty good along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with the return of guided trail walks in 2021! From April — October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 10 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

Register In Advance

Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged. Pre-registered participants must check in at the Baker Information Desk no later than 10 minutes before the scheduled program to keep their spot. Unclaimed spots will be offered to other guests.

Guests may sign up for trail walks in the following ways:

• Pre-register online, using the the link below.
• Sign up in-person at the Baker Information Desk.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with the return of guided trail walks in 2021! From April — October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 10 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

Register In Advance

Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged. Pre-registered participants must check in at the Baker Information Desk no later than 10 minutes before the scheduled program to keep their spot. Unclaimed spots will be offered to other guests.

Guests may sign up for trail walks in the following ways:

• Pre-register online, using the the link below.
• Sign up in-person at the Baker Information Desk.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Hit the trails and learn more about The North Carolina Arboretum’s botanically diverse forest with the return of guided trail walks in 2021! From April — October, this free hiking program is led by trained volunteer guides who take small groups of participants along woodland trails and through a variety of forest types. Depending on the season and each guide’s area of expertise, topics of discussion may include wildflowers, plant and tree identification, natural history and more.

Guided trail walks are limited to 10 people, including the guide, and are not recommended for guests under 16 years of age. Groups depart from the Baker Visitor Center Lobby on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m..

Walks last 1.5 – 2.5 hours, are approximately one to two miles in length. As this program is held rain or shine, all participants should dress appropriately for the weather.

Register In Advance

Space is limited and advance registration is encouraged. Pre-registered participants must check in at the Baker Information Desk no later than 10 minutes before the scheduled program to keep their spot. Unclaimed spots will be offered to other guests.

Guests may sign up for trail walks in the following ways:

• Pre-register online, using the the link below.
• Sign up in-person at the Baker Information Desk.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP

Walks are FREE; however, donations to The North Carolina Arboretum Society are appreciated. Regular parking fees apply. Arboretum Society Members always park free.

Boogerman Loop 
7.4 miles | Difficult
Cataloochee Valley History, Old Growth Poplars, Elk

2021 CLASSIC HIKES OF THE SMOKIES

Discover America’s most-visited national park with a guided day hike! The Classic Hikes of the Smokies feature interpretation of the history, flora, and fauna of park trails. Hikes vary in distance, difficulty, and location within the park to provide a comprehensive overview of the Smokies, exposing hikers to high Appalachian vistas, streams teeming with aquatic life, the best collection of log structures on the Eastern Seaboard, and much more.

After completing registration…
You will receive an email the Friday before the hike with directions, and more information. All hikes begin at 9 a.m

We meet at the parking area of the French Broad River. We leave for the hike no later than 9:10 a.m. and hike 2.5 miles on the MTS trail and back for a total 5 miles hike. We walk at a pretty swift pace (2.7 to 3 mph). Hike is designed for fitness and conversation. We don’t take a break until we reach the turn around point, then we stop for brief water break. We repeat this hike on Friday. Then move on with our regular rotation of hikes.

Hikers who are new to hiking will likely be more comfortable on another meet up hike designed for people who are just beginning hiking or trying to get into shape for hiking. You might consider “WNC Easy Hikers Group,” for instance.

We meet at the parking area of the French Broad River off of Brevard Road. Coming from Asheville, go through the light at the arboretum intersection and you will see the parking area almost immediately on your left. We leave no later than 9:10 a.m. I think this is called the Brent Creek River Park.

7 miles | Moderate Forest Walk, Holiday Celebration

2021 CLASSIC HIKES OF THE SMOKIES

Discover America’s most-visited national park with a guided day hike! The Classic Hikes of the Smokies feature interpretation of the history, flora, and fauna of park trails. Hikes vary in distance, difficulty, and location within the park to provide a comprehensive overview of the Smokies, exposing hikers to high Appalachian vistas, streams teeming with aquatic life, the best collection of log structures on the Eastern Seaboard, and much more.

After completing registration…
You will receive an email the Friday before the hike with directions, and more information. All hikes begin at 9 a.m

Join Namaste in Nature for a reflective meditation walk in the Park. De-stress during this peaceful hike focused on reconnecting with nature and yourself. Bring your partner or a friend and enjoy this mindfulness experience focused on the season of love and warmth.

Where: Carvers Gap on Roan Mountain Distance: 2.6 miles total. ~600 ft elevation gain. Difficulty: Moderate (5). Trail conditions will be icy. Cost: FREE for all participants Join the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy on February 13 for a hike from Carver’s Gap to Jane Bald in the Highlands of Roan. Participants will travel 2.6 miles atop the highest elevation balds in the Highlands of Roan, widely considered the most spectacular scenery along the Appalachian Trail. At the peak of Jane Bald, we will enjoy a natural, unobstructed 360-degree view. We hope to come across hoar frost and rime ice on our hike. Hoar frost and rime ice are beautiful ice formations that appear after a cold night. However, they form in different ways. Rime ice forms on nights when a cold fog or cloud cover is present. When supercooled water droplets in the fog come in contact with a surface below freezing, the water droplets freeze on contact. On the other hand, hoar frost forms on clear nights when gaseous water vapor freezes onto a below-freezing surface, bypassing the liquid phase. While hiking, our goal will be to find these ice formations. Note: There are many stretches of the trail covered with thick ice. Trekking poles are highly recommended. The weather for Sunday has highs in the mid-20s with a slight chance of snow. Please plan and dress accordingly.

Registration: Pre-registration is REQUIRED.

We invite you to join us for a memorial hike to honor and remember our friend Bill Popper and his dedication to preserving the 573-acre property in Yancey County that he loved so much. This hike is a perennial favorite, taking participants through our Price’s Creek Preserve with numerous wildflowers this time of year, including May Apples, Blood Root, Lark Spur, and much more. We will hike through mature northern hardwood forest and make our way to a lovely spot on Price’s Creek for lunch, then loop back to the beginning, all the while enjoying the flowery splendor of Mother Nature!

We will be carpooling to the Price’s Creek Preserve. If you are willing to be a driver, please let me know in the comments section of your registration.

If you would like to learn more about Bill Popper and his passion for this land that he loved, please read our recent memorial here. 

NOTE: Due to limited parking availability, we will be hard capping this hike at 11 participants. Please register each party member individually to ensure we do not go over this number.  

Masks will be required while carpooling.