MountainTrue's Western Regional Director, Callie Moore will lead this easy to moderate fall scenic hike on a section of the Mountains-To-Sea trail accessed from a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway that tracks the Jackson-Haywood county line. This high-elevation out-and-back hike in the Middle Prong Wilderness affords sweeping views of our beautiful National Forests. Register to join us!
Join Broad Riverkeeper David Caldwell for a fall float along the First Broad River. We will be paddling a beautiful and remote stretch of the Broad that few people get to paddle and enjoy! The first half of the trip will have some fun, easy class I and II rapids. The second half of this section is in slow-moving and still water, so we will need to paddle some (not just float) to reach the takeout on time. It is about a 4 to 5-hour trip. If interested we invite you to bring a fishing pole and some binoculars on this trip! There will be opportunities to fish and see wildlife! Registration for this trip is required.
Did you know there are over 30 Forest Communities in the Southern Appalachians? Join us as we immerse ourselves in the Tanawha Trail's spruce-fir Forest and High Elevation Red Oak Communities on a guided hike with our Public Lands Director and Ecologist, Bob Gale. We'll learn how to identify forest communities and individual tree species, including Red Spruce, Fraser Fir, Yellow Birch, Fire Cherry, Mountain Ash, Sugar Maple, and more. We'll also take in stunning valley vistas surrounded by neighboring Ravens Rock, Table Top, and Hawksbill Mountains. This strenuous 4-mile hike can be steep in a few places, and various rocky areas make footing somewhat tricky. Please consider your ability to climb over rocks, traverse root systems and maintain physical balance before signing up for this hike. Registration is required.
Join MountainTrue's Western Regional Director, Callie Moore to get a crisp start to the New Year with an easy to moderate hike on a section of the Appalachian Trail that's accessible even when snow is on the ground! Check out views of Nantahala National Forest that are only available in winter on this 4-mile round-trip out and back. There is 801 feet of elevation gain over 1.5 miles, but nothing very steep. Bird watching and winter tree identification are additional activities on this outing.
Back by popular demand for the third consecutive year! Learn how to identify trees in the winter with Western Region Program Coordinator, Tony Ward. This 1.2-mile loop trail along the Lake Chatuge shoreline offers a relatively flat tour and features a wide diversity of native trees perfect for identification!
Join other MountainTrue folks in our 17th annual caravan around the Lake Chatuge shoreline to view a wide variety of birds. Typically, 18-25 different species are observed on the outing, ranging from small songbirds to larger birds of prey and wintering waterfowl typically associated with more northern climes (e.g. loons!).
This is a great late-winter hike that follows the Green River offering continuous views of its quiet stretches to its most intense rapids. We'll look for early wildflowers and migrating warblers. Because it lies at lower elevations than more northerly mountain counties, temperatures should be mild and spring vegetation will be farther along.
Join our MountainTrue Ecologist and Public Lands Director, Bob Gale, and Broad Riverkeeper, David Caldwell, as we explore the newest addition to the Hickory Nut Gorge trail system, Strawberry Gap Trail.
This easy hike along the beautiful state Wild & Scenic section of the Hiwassee River in Tennessee follows the route taken by one of the early founders of the conservation movement, John Muir, during his "Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf."
Join MountainTrue’s Ecologist and Public Lands Director Bob Gale for a gorgeous and educational hike through Pisgah National Forest. We will be hiking the Pilot Cove Loop Trail which is approximately 4 miles long. This hike offers everything from wildflowers to forests.