Take and Hike. Get a Beer.
Post by Ben - 4/3/2025
Spring is here and coughing and sneezing is at peak season. Are you going to make the fact that you can’t take one normal breath stop you? Get out there before it gets miserably hot. Enjoy our little spring. Take a hike.
Hiking is a great family activity to get everyone out of the house and complaining together. Long hikes for those older kids will mean plenty of bonding, good pictures for the grandparents, and something out of the norm when they complain y’all NEVER DO ANYTHING. Little kids can, of course, be loaded into a carrier of some sort and lugged to the top of most moderate trails, but I’ve tried to include some shorter little hikes or walks to encourage learning and growing that skill. Now, the hike is as good as done, right? Well, what about a stop for lunch, maybe a relaxing beer before heading home?
Crowders Mountain State Park - Gastonia, NC
The most popular and closest hikes to Charlotte, Crowders is great for finding exactly what you like about hiking. Like climbing or rock scrambling for older kids? It’s got that. Need to get to the top super fast to snap a gram pic and then book it? It’s got stairs to the top. But it also has small, easy trails around the lake and a Fern nature trail is great for little kid hikers. This is a great start if you are unsure about what hiking looks like for your family. Afterwards, stop by Keepsake Brewing, Durty Bull (especially if you want to catch a Ghost Peppers game too) or Cavendish Brewing Co. to grab food, beer and a little rest (all have great outdoor spaces).
Uwharrie National Recreation Trail, Troy, NC and Morrow Mountain State Park
Head east of Charlotte for a little over an hour and you’ll find some great trails and scenery. Join the Uwharrie National Recreation Trail for a bit (or do the whole thing if you are hardcore) for serene forests, cool rock features, and some of the best central NC vibes we’ve got. If you have kids or want a little more variety or a big group and need something for everyone, head to Morrow Mountain State Park. They have a lake for swimming and boating, hikes big and small, and even a little museum for the grandpas (or the grandpas at heart, like me - I love a little museum, y’all). Hit up Badin Brews or Uwharrie Brewing in Albemarle, NC before heading home and it will be a fun, relaxing day.
Clear Creek Access, South Mountains State Park and Lake James State Park - Morganton, NC
Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina hard and getting back to usable trails is a long process. Popular South Mountains trails like the High Shoals loop remain closed as of spring 2025, but Morganton has a few options for you. Only about an hour and a half from Charlotte, you can use the Clear Creek Access (as of March 2025) for a scenic and fairly difficult set of trails heading into the mountains, or take some recreational hikes around beautiful Lake James State Park. Hit up Fonta Flora nearby in downtown Morganton or the Whippoorwill Farm brewing facility near the state park in Nebo, NC for some great beers and great food.
Sierra Nevada - Mills River, NC
Is this a hike? Not really, although there are some walking trails around the giant outdoor beer garden. If feels like you did a hike, but what you really did was take your family to a nice restaurant and brewery and walked around instead of sitting. They have a kids snack plate you can order from the outside bar. They have games and blocks and when sharing is an issue you can walk the trails for a minute before getting back to it. You just spend time in beautiful western NC and never have to actually hike. Hooray?!
Many trails in western NC are still closed because of the hurricane, but those little towns need your support. Keep an eye out on trail sites for openings and go when you can.
Crowders Mountain
I hiked to the top of this mountain every day for a month during the dead of summer during Covid gym closures. I was running by the end. There was a woman there every day who would lap me. I bet she’s still killing it.