The North Carolina High Country offers a wide variety of hiking, including sections of the Appalachian Trail crossing Roan Mountain at a mile high elevation. When you have hiked Beech, you can always find other great trails close by. Many folks enjoy setting up Beech as their Base Camp then taking hikes throughout the area. Favorite areas for hikers in addition to the A.T. include Linville Gorge, along the Blue Ridge Parkway and, of course, Grandfather Mountain and its many miles of changing trails.

Parkway trails are always fun for everyone. The Boone Fork Trail, at mile post 296.5; Price Lake Trail at milepost 297; Rough Ridge Trail in the Viaduct Area; and the Moses Cone Carriage Trails are all close to Beech.

Over a dozen trails can be found in the Linville Gorge area. Most of this area is for more experienced folks with the right hiking equipment.

If "inner city (town)" trails are to your liking, after Beech trails, you can enjoy Boone's Greenway Trail, the Valle Crucis Park Walkway Trail and Blowing Rock Glen Burnie Trail.

For more trail information, pickup the Summer Times--a free local publication--or any local trail guide, available with great information on a lot of interesting things to do in our area, especially hiking.

Check out the weekly High Country News, a free paper distributed weekly, for additional hiking opportunities in our area. The Mountain Times also has lists of hikes in our area.