Parks and recreation areas across North Carolina offer hiking opportunities that range from leg-stretching nature walks to backpacking routes that run from border to border.  North Carolina is home to several national recreation trails, including portions of the Appalachian Trail and the Bartram Trail, and the entire Uwharrie National Recreation Trail, plus its own Mountains-to Sea Trail.

Our hiking pages mostly list trails of 5 miles or more in various parks and forests. Trail names, lengths (one-way) and difficulty levels may differ among publications. Check at park offices or ranger stations for maps and guides.

For the definitive guide to hiking in North Carolina, we recommend “North Carolina Hiking Trails” by Allen de Hart, which is a source for some of the information below.

Also, Joe Miller, the former outdoors/fitness reporter for The News & Observer in Raleigh, has published “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina” and “Backpacking North Carolina.”

Continue below for hiking opportunities in national parks in North Carolina and at right for information about trails in national forests (including wilderness areas) state parks, state forests, and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

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