The Mountains-to-Sea Trail is an 1,175-mile destination trail that crosses North Carolina from Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Jockey's Ridge State Park on the Outer Banks. It traverses 37 counties, 7 national parks and forests, and nearly a dozen state parks and historic sites. This is the first-ever guide to day hikes along the crown jewel of North Carolina foot trails. Whether you're a seasoned hiker or new to the outdoors, this official guide from Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail is your go-to companion for exploring all the trail has to offer, showcasing everything from scenic mountain vistas to surprising escapes in the state's Piedmont region and the wonders of coastal plain pocosins. Features include - 40 hikes carefully chosen to appeal to hikers of all experience levels - Helpful hike finder feature to identify the perfect hikes for birding, waterfalls, history, universal accessibility, and more - Turn-by-turn guidance and key points of interest for each hike - Full-color maps and photographs - Helpful information about the trail's history and ongoing development

From the Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Piedmont and the Outer Banks, this thoroughly updated and revised guide features more than 200 hiking trails in all regions of the state.

Eileen Ramsay was at the centre of a unique period in yachting history, and this wonderful book, featuring her classic photography, celebrates an extraordinary woman and her extraordinary subjects.Eileen's heyday was between 1957 and 1970 - a time when eccentrics ruled, records were there for the setting, and women weren't often to be found behind the lens. But Eileen established herself as one of the greatest yachting photographers of her time, taking famous portraits of such sailing icons as Sir Francis Chichester, Eric Tabarly, Olympians like Rodney Pattisson and Keith Musto, and historic pictures from the first OSTAR (Observer Single-handed Trans-Atlantic Race). She was the only photographer Sir Francis Chichester allowed on his Gypsy Moth yachts, and managed to photograph the notorious charmers Uffa Fox and Max Aitken.Her unique archive records the explosive growth in dinghy and offshore sailing during the post-war years, and includes pictures of the first Enterprises, Mirrors, Ospreys, Optimists and the first America's Cup 12 metres Sceptre and Evaine.This beautiful book features:- the post-war explosion in dinghy sailing- the growth of offshore racing- the pioneering days of the OSTAR race and solo circumnavigations- the 12 metre class and the America's Cup- post-war powerboat racing- iconic cruising yachtsmen as well as sailing eccentricsThere are also wonderful personal tributes to Eileen throughout by sailing personalities such as Vernon Stratton, Keith Musto and Uffa Fox.

The mountains of western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina are a hikers paradise--rich with human history and home to some of the greatest biological diversity in the world. This guide includes 57 day hikes ranging in length from 2 to 13 miles, with destinations including the waterfalls of DuPont State forest; the Blue Ridge Parkway's beautiful Craggy Gardens; the ruins of George Vanderbilt's palatial Buck Spring hunting lodge on Mt. Pisgah; the summit of Cold Mountain, and more. Each entry covers everything you need to know to enjoy your hike: maps and detailed directions, mileage, elevation gain, trail highlights, fees and hiking regulations, films and novels set in each location, and more.

Western North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains are some of the oldest on earth, boasting old-growth forests, pristine streams, and ancient heath balds with stunning views. This guide includes 72 great day hikes ranging from 1 to 13 miles, with destinations like the stone tower of Hanging Rock State Park, Max Patch on the Appalachian Trail, the "Opera Box" at Chimney Rock State Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway's Craggy Gardens, the waterfalls of Linville Gorge, and Gregory Bald in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each entry includes complete driving and hiking directions, maps, trailhead GPS coordinates, elevation gain, trail highlights, and related historical anecdotes, plus books and movies set in each locale.

This is the only trail guide to the Uwharrie National Forest of North Carolina. The guide contains maps and detailed descriptions of over 215 miles of trails including 113 named trails and 95 suggested multi-trail trips. The Uwharrie National Forest is the closest national forest to the majority of the population centers of North Carolina. This guide is a must for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian enthusiasts.

North Carolina's fire lookout towers once stood watch over the mountain forests. Today, they risk becoming forgotten monuments to the value of our wild lands. Hiking North Carolina's Lookout Towers restores glory to these historic forest sentinels. It proves the lookouts to be scenic treasures accessible to anyone who enjoys a vigorous walk in the outdoors and the view from the top of a mountain. Including among the 26 towers covered in the book are Shuckstack Lookout, a steel tower in Great Smoky Mountains National Park overlooking Fontana Dam and Fontana Lake Wayah Bald Lookout, a stone structure built by the CCC that has been converted into an observation tower offering breathtaking views of Nantahala National Forest Mount Mitchell Lookout, a new observation tower that has followed several previous lookouts atop the highest peak in the eastern United States Mount Cammerer Lookout, a historic tower once in disrepair that now represents a landmark effort in lookout restoration Green Knob Lookout, a former live-in tower that offers stunning views of Pisgah National Forest and the Black Mountains The tower chapters contain detailed hiking routes of varying difficulty, historical information, descriptions of the views, photos, and maps. Information on lookout tower organizations, towers with restricted access, removed towers, and lookouts just outside the state is also included. Hikers and outdoor enthusiasts alike will find North Carolina's lookout towers to be the perfect hiking destinations. Book jacket.