North Carolina State Parks Investing $2 Million In Crowders Mountain Trails
If you’ve lived in the Charlotte area for long chances are you’ve ventured over to Crowders Mountain on a spring Saturday morning. It’s one of the most popular hiking trails…
If you've lived in the Charlotte area for long chances are you've ventured over to Crowders Mountain on a spring Saturday morning. It's one of the most popular hiking trails in the area. And now it's set to get even better. North Carolina Parks announced a multi-million dollar capital improvement project for state parks including $2 million for Crowders Mountain trails.
“These much-needed park improvement projects will bring several of our state parks facilities at some of our most visited parks up to modern standards to improve our visitors’ experiences in the parks,” said N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary D. Reid Wilson. “We remain grateful to the General Assembly and Governor Roy Cooper for providing significantly increased investments in the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund over the last two years, a clear recognition of the importance of our state parks to the people and economy of North Carolina.”
WSOC-TV reports the funds will be used to repair and improve hiking trails that were heavily used by visitors. No word on if these repairs will close trails to visitors for any period of time. I can't wait til the weather is warm enough to enjoy the Crowders Mountain trails again.
For more information about North Carolina State Parks visit their website.
The New List Of The Best Hikes In America Only Includes Two North Carolina Hikes
It was impossible to narrow down a list of the 25 best hikes in the US because there are literally hundreds of thousands of hiking trails in America. If you are looking for an epic hike, look no further. The Broke Backpacker compiled a list of 25 of the best hikes. Here are the best hikes in the United States. North Carolina made the list. Two times!
We have to disclose, that we didn't include the Appalachian Trail in our count of two. Our reason is that this hike is over 2,190 miles long and goes all the way from Georgia to Main. Check out the 25 best hikes in the United States below. When you see what North Carolina hikes made the list you might have even done them yourself.
25. Appalachian Trail, Georgia through Maine
Length: 2,190 miles (3,524 km)
Days: 4-6 months +
Best time to hike: March – October
Nearest Town: Hot Springs (you’ll pass lots of other towns on the way)
24. Mt. Washington Summit via Tuckerman’s Ravine, New Hampshire
Length: 8.4 (17 km)
Days: 1 (8-10 hours)
Best time to hike: June – September
Nearest Town: Gorham
23. Petrified Forest Loop, North Dakota
Length: 10.6 miles (17 km)
Days: 1 (7-9 hours)
Best time to hike: May – September
Nearest Town: Cripple Creek
22. Mt. Mitchell Summit, North Carolina
Length: 11.4 miles (18.3 km)
Days: 1
Best time to hike: March-November (fall colors are best in October)
Nearest Town: Asheville
21. The Long Trail, Vermont
Length: 272 (437 km)
Days: 20-39
Best time to hike: April – October
Nearest Town: Williamstown
20. Smokey Mountain National Park Section of the Appalachian Trail, Tennessee
Length: 71 (114 km)
Days: 3-4
Best time to hike: April – October
Nearest Town: Hot Springs
19. Red River Gorge Loop, Kentucky
Length: 36 miles (57.9 km)
Days: 2-3
Best time to hike: Fall
Nearest Town: Slade
18. Mount Adams South Climb, Washington
Length: 11.2 miles (18 km)
Days: 1-2
Best time to hike: May – September
Nearest Town: Trout Lake
17. Tomales Point Trail, Califonia
Length: 9.4 miles (15.1 km)
Days: 1
Best time to hike: All year!
Nearest Town: Point Reyes Station
16. Art Loeb Trail, North Carolina
Length: 30.1 miles (48.4 km)
Days: 3
Best time to hike: Spring – Fall
Nearest Town: Brevard
15. Kesugi Ridge Trail, Alaska (Denali State Park)
Length: 36.2 miles (58.3 km)
Days: 2-3
Best time to hike: July – August
Nearest Town: Anchorage
14. John Muir Trail, California
Length: 211 miles (339 km)
Days: 15-21
Best time to hike: July-September
Nearest Town: Curry Village
13. Titcomb Basin, Wyoming
Length: 28 miles (45 km)
Days: 2-3
Best time to hike: July-September
Nearest Town: Pinedale
12. Half Dome, California (Yosemite National Park)
Length: 17 miles
Days: 1 (12 hours)
Best time to hike: May-September
Nearest Town: Curry village
11. Grayson Highlands, Virginia
Length: 8.5 miles (13.6 km)
Days: 1 (5-8 hours)
Best time to hike: April-November
Nearest Town: Jefferson
10. The Narrows, Utah (Zion National Park)
Length: 5-16 miles (depending on the route)
Days: 1 (5-10 hours)/2 days
Best time to hike: May-October
Nearest Town: Springdale
9. Long’s Peak, Colorado
Length: 15 miles (24.1 km)
Days: 1 Day (12-14 hours)
Best time to hike: May – October
Nearest Town: Estes Park
8. Mauna Loa Summit, Hawaii (Hawaii Volcanoes National Park)
Length: 17 miles (28 km)
Days: 1
Best time to hike: All year!
Nearest Town: Hilo
7. Cracker Lake, Montana (Glacier National Park)
Length: 12.6 miles (20 km)
Days: 1-2 days
Best time to hike: Summer
Nearest Accommodation: Many Glacier Hotels
6. The Wave, Arizona
Length: 5.2 miles (8.3km)
Days: 1 day (2-4 hours)
Best time to hike: All year
Nearest Town: Kanab
5. Kalalau Trail /Napali Coast, Hawaii
Length: 22 miles (35.4 km)
Days: 2-3
Best time to hike: All year
Nearest Town: Hanalei
4. Mount Katahdin, Maine
Length: 2.4-9 miles
Days: 1 (8-12 hours)
Best time to hike: Summer
Nearest Town: Millinocket
3. Trans-Catalina Trail, California
Length: 38.7 miles (62km)
Days: 3-5
Best time to hike: All year, (Summer is HOT AF)
Nearest Town: Avalon
2. Tonto Trail, Arizona (Grand Canyon National Park)
Length: 70 miles (113km)
Days: 4-6
Best time to hike: Spring, Fall, Winter (avoid July and August, you will melt.)
Nearest Town: Grand Canyon Village
1. Lost Coast Trail, California
Length: 24.6 miles (39.6km)
Days: 3-4
Best time to hike: All year, Fall is best.
Nearest Town: Shelter Clove
