The Wanderers is an easy hiking group that targets 3 to 5 miles with less than 600 feet of climb.  This group hikes at a rate of 1 to 2 miles per hour.  Hikes range from the R1 to R5 difficulty level based upon the Pisgah Hikers rating scale.  The group takes breaks on uphill sections of trails to rest, smell the flowers, enjoy the views and take pictures.   To join this group, you should be able to hike 3 – 5 miles with some hills.  Please contact one of the hike leaders before doing your first hike with us.

Hike Leaders:
Hugh Brown; hbrown3649@icloud.com
Jay Hinze:      rtbzrh@gmail.com

Updates:  Updates will be  posted on the website every Tuesday morning for the next day’s hike.  To receive updates automatically by email hikers must subscribe by clicking on the +Follow button at he bottom right hand corner of any webpage.  Otherwise find the update by selecting the Updates page on the website.

 

Assembly Area:   Pisgah National Forest Ranger Station/Visitor Center in the side lot near the blue dumpster.  Alternate Assembly Areas may be selected depending on the location of the hike.  Directions from Brevard can be found by clicking this link:  Assembly Areas

 

Departure Time: 9:00 when the weather warms up in Spring, 10:00 during the Winter.  Hikers are asked to show up 15 minutes early so we can arrange carpools.

 

Car pooling is practiced but not required.   Driver fees are determined by the distance to the trailhead from the Ranger Station/Visitor Center. 

 

Hikes may be changed or cancelled based upon the weather weather forecast.

 

 

3/27  Pisgah Ridge
4 mi, 200’cl, R2, $5.00
From the trailhead on FS816 we hike the Pisgah Ridge (VFT) trail to its terminus at the MST.  From there we hike down to Skinny Dip Falls for lunch.  We hike back to our shuttle at the Looking Glass Rock overlook.4/3      Pink Beds – Barnett Branch — Loop
3.5 mi, 200’cl, R1, $3.00
From the Pink Beds trailhead on US276 we hike the south side of the Pink Beds loop and turn left on the Barnett Branch trail.  After crossing the boardwalk, we meet up with the north side of the Pink Beds loop and return to our cars.  Lunch at the Pink Beds picnic area at the end of the hike.

4/10    Seniard Ridge Waterfalls – North Face – Slick Rock Falls
3.5 mi, 500’ cl, R3, $3.00
We combine three easy hikes into one adventure.  First we hike the Seniard Ridge trail to the Upper and Lower Log Hollow Falls followed by Discovery Falls.  We hop in our cars and hike the North Face trail to the base of Looking Glass Rock.  If we’re lucky, we may see climbers from the base of the rock.  Then we get back in our cars and hike the 100 yard trail to Slick Rock Falls for lunch.Our winter 10:00 start time has ended.  Spring has sprung!  Starting with the 4/17 hike we will leave the Ranger Station/Visitor Center at 9:00.  Hikers should arrive 15 minutes early so we can organize car pools.
4/17    Pisgah Inn – Frying Pan
4.5mi, 600’cl, R5, $4.00
From the Pisgah Inn we hike to the Frying Pan Tower via Big Bald.  We return by walking the Parkway back to the Pisgah Inn where we’ll eat our packed lunch on the Adirondack chairs.4/24    North Carolina Arboretum (By Popular Demand!)
4.5 mi, 300’cl, R3, $2.00   
Meet at Ingles Mills River  (Park in the last row next to North Mills River Road
Alternate Meeting Place: Bent Creek River Park
From the Shut-in Trail parking lot in the North Carolina Arboretum, we hike the Bent Creek trail to the Carolina trail through the Annual Azalea display to Visitor Center for our packed or purchased lunch.  We return to our cars via the Wesley Branch and the Old Mill trail.  Please bring your Arboratum pass if you have one.  We’ll need it to get to the Shut-in trailhead.  Hikers are asked to RSVP for this hike.

5/1      Headwaters State Forest – Graveley Mill Falls
3.5 mi, 400’cl, R3, $3.00
Meet at the Island Ford Road Takeout on the French Broad River
After a brief stop at the Sassafras Mountain Overlook we hike to Graveley Mill Falls from the White Oak Bridge trailhead in Headwaters State Forest    We continue past the falls along Glady Fork and continue the lollypop hike back to our cars. Hikers are invited to your leader’s house for refreshments after the hike.5/8      MST – Elk Pasture to Stony Bald Overlook
4 mi, 300’cl, R3, $5.00
After dropping cars at the Stony Bald Overlook on the Parkway, we hike the MST from Elk Pasture Gap (at the junction of NC151 and the Parkway) to the Stony Bald Overlook for lunch.  Then we return to Elk Pasture Gap to pick up the shuttle car.

5/15    Caney Bottom/Cove Creek
4.5 mi., 600’cl., R5, $2.50
From the Cove Creek trailhead on Davidson River Road we hike to the far end of the Caney Bottom Campground.  We hike the Caney Bottom trail to the Cove Creek trail to Cove Creek Falls.  Then we hike the user trail along Cove Creek eventually finding Whaleback Falls and our cars.  Hikers are encouraged to bring trekking poles for the two rock hops across Cove Creek.

5/22    Ravencliff Falls
4 mi, 400’cl, R3,$4.00
From the Ravencliff Falls parking lot on US276 we hike to the overlook and back. 

5/29    Graveyard Fields – Upper Falls
4 mi, 300’cl, R3, $5.00
From the Graveyard Fields parking lot on the Parkway we hike to the Second Falls and Upper Falls and back.

6/5      Gorges State Park – Rainbow Falls – Turtleback Falls
4.5 mi, 500’cl, R5, $5.00
From the Rainbow Falls parking lot in Gorges State Park we hike to Rainbow Falls and Turtleback Falls and back.

6/14    Sam Knob
4 mi, 600’cl, R4, $5.00
From the Sam Knob parking lot we cross the meadow and hike up to Sam Knob.  We visit each of the two knobs and have lunch at the south knob.

6/19    Slate Rock
4 mi, 600’cl, R6, $3.50
From the Pilot Cove trailhead on Yellow Gap Road we hike the Pilot Cove Loop clockwise to Slate Rock for lunch.  We continue on the Pilot Cove Loop to our cars.

6/26    Fly Poison Hike
3 mi, 300’cl, R4, $6.00
From Bear Pen Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway we hike the Mountain- to-Sea trail to Haywood Gap where our shuttle awaits.  We will enjoy the fly poison blooms along the way.

North Carolina ArboretumCedar Rock Creek Rock HopDaniel Ridge – Tom’s Spring Falls