Nc Caches With Good Hikes?

[+agentblue]

Hey all,

Looking for some good NC area caches that actually require a bit of a hike and a little 'roughing' it to reach. Gettin' kind of sick of these drive-through caches. (I've seen a million too many ballparks and swingsets.) Let me know. I'm in the Fayetteville area.

~ Nate

[The Alethiometrists]

You don't have to go as far as the mountains for some excellent NC cache hikes. One of my favorites is Flow of the Haw (GCA3A8) in Chatham County. It's a 2.5 mile hike (as the crow flies, so add maybe a mile or so for as-the-geocacher-hikes) each way, along the scenic Haw River. The trail comes and goes, so there is some bushwhacking. Also, a couple creeks have to be crossed without bridges.

 

The most intense bushwhacking hike around here (Triangle area) is probably our oldest active cache: Beaver's Playground (GC17B). It's a two-stager, and on the first stage you have to work your way over fallen logs across a beaver pond. There's also a substantial creek to cross, and some steep terrain.

 

But my absolute favorite hikes in the eastern half of NC are in the Uwharrie National Forest. One great one is another old cache: Uwanna Uwharrie (GC555). It requires a few miles of hiking on the Uwharrie National Scenic Trail. There's also a shorter route that's all bushwhacking up steep terrain. And there's an even better hike in the Uwharries: a 7.5 mile trail loop with three well-spaced caches along it. It's in the Birkhead Mountain Wilderness section of the national forest, and the three caches consist of: Mystery of the Birkhead Ghosts (GC3C2A), BEACH TRIP (GCG3QM), and Robbins Branch (GC42F1).

[+Nuwati]

But if you do head to the mountains the pisgah national forest holds many treasures and wonderful hikes. Just do a zipcode search (28768) and look for the Cold Mountain Cache, Sam's Knob cache, Searching Far and Low, Johns Rock Cache, Blueberrie Hill, Shining Rock Cache: these are all hikes with a view. There are quite a few hikes around the Turkey Area that allow you to hike and build numbers. check out www.ncgeocachers.com and connect with the western north carolina geocachers association for more info. There are just to many to name.

 

Nuwati

[+wimseyguy]

Ow, my legs twitch just remembering the 'shorter' route to Uwanna Uwarrhie. Less than a mile, no trails, +500' elevation change; most of it in the final 400 feet to the cache. In the same Falls Lake area as the Beavers cache you can Hike to Ogosh, and the Cookie Factory. Down by Harris Lake you can hike a mile+ out to Quid, and pick up a few others along the same trail.

[+Taliban Hunter]

I have one near Spring Lake NC. Its called the "Airborne LGOP". Nice 2.5 mile hike with some bushwacking.

 

SYOTH

[+Criminal]

Try this cache, although it will involve a plane ride...

[+evergreenhiker!]

Try this cache, although it will involve a plane ride...

Ah there's one for EGH! to check out.

[adventuretom]

Mystery of the Birkhead Ghosts is a four mile hike (round trip) in one of my favorite areas.

 

Tom

[+OzGuff]

If you are looking for a longish hike with a few finds along the way try Down Under, Up Over. This is a multi-cache that is a 7-8 roundtrip hike with serious elevation gain. There are a total of 7 caches along the way. Great views from the top!

 

Also Cullowhee Falls is a good 3.6 mile roundtrip with nice waterfalls along the way.

 

Both, however, are in western NC.

[+ScubaDewd]

You should try Scout Mitchell . It's a nice stretch of the legs... starting from the parking lot of the highest point east of the Mississippi River. Check out the pictures in the logs for a taste of the terrain.

 

ScubaDewd

[+horsegeeks]

Three more new ones in North Carolina in the Raleigh area. The Haw River, the Ha Haw River and the Ha Ha Haw River placed by nittany dave. They are on the same great trail that the Flow of the Haw is on. We can't wait to do them. Five miles total will grab all four caches and you'll see the beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife and the infamous Trail Knome. Come and give them a try.