Visit North Carolina - September 24, 2025

NC’s Trail Towns Are Your Basecamp for Adventure

Outdoor NC’s Trail Towns: Communities that Combine Stewardship with Adventure

Location, location, location…it’s important when you’re choosing a home and when you’re choosing your next adventure destination. A good trail town needs to offer fast access to the outdoors while providing the post-adventure amenities we all crave. Outdoor NC’s Trail Towns go a step further by adding an element of stewardship to their prime locations. The new Outdoor NC Trail Town Guide is a comprehensive resource detailing more than 80 of these communities across the state that promote responsible tourism in some of North Carolina’s most cherished outdoor destinations.

Consider the quaint town of South Mills, which sits next to the 113,000-acre Great Dismal Swamp. The community has embraced their stewardship role by encouraging paddlers and hikers to “leave it as you find it,” and not disturb or remove the flora that is so unique to the swamp, which is the largest intact wetland in the South.

And South Mills is just one example. The new Trail Town Guide features 15 regional destinations with more than 105 trails to explore, from the rugged Atlantic Coast to the rolling sand hills of the Piedmont and the pristine peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Maps for each trail town include clickable links that provide more information on the community’s various adventures. There’s something for every kind of traveler, whether you’re looking for raucous mountain bike trails or driving routes on scenic byways.

Here are three Outdoor NC Trail Towns where you can access world-class adventure while practicing responsible travel.

South Mills: In the northeast corner of the state, South Mills sits adjacent to the tea-colored waters of the Great Dismal Swamp. Paddling the historic Dismal Swamp Canal offers a look at our history, as it’s the oldest manmade waterway in the country, while Dismal Swamp State Park has 20 miles of former logging roads open to cyclists.
Southern Pines: The cultural hub of the Piedmont, Southern Pines has been attracting visitors since the 1800s, when it was thought that breathing the air from the longleaf pine forests provided therapeutic qualities. Today, visitors can visit the oldest longleaf pine in Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve before sampling local cuisine at Red’s Corner, a food-truck park.
Wilkesboro: Thanks to its location in the foothills, Wilkesboro is known as the town “where the mountains begin.” Visitors have access to a cornucopia of adventure, from paddling the Yadkin River to mountain biking more than 45 miles of singletrack.

Visiting an Outdoor NC Trail Town allows you to become an active steward of our most cherished landscapes. Practicing responsible travel is particularly important in popular destinations, like Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is home to more than 30 species of salamander, but also attracts more than 13 million visitors each year. That’s why gateway communities like Waynesville encourage visitors to “Keep Wildlife Wild” by observing those salamanders at a distance, and leaving the rocks that are their homes undisturbed.

No matter where you adventure, practicing Outdoor NC Leave No Trace principles ensures the local resources will be healthy for all to enjoy. Pack your bags and be sure to incorporate these stewardship tips as you set out for one of Outdoor NC’s Trail Towns.

Make Your Next Trail Town Adventure Count With These Outdoor NC Leave No Trace Tips

1. Leave it as you find it.

North Carolina has some of the most biodiverse natural areas in the world, and visiting a Trail Town gives you a chance to experience the diverse plant and animal-life that makes the state so unique. Leaving rocks and flora undisturbed preserves the habitat of the animals that call those spaces home, while also preserving the scene for others to enjoy.

1. Trash your trash.

If you bring something into a natural area, like an apple, make sure you take that object out with you when you’re done exploring. It can take years for litter to decompose, and exposing wild animals to food scraps can be dangerous for their well-being. You can even go an extra step and bring a trash bag with you so you can remove any litter others have left behind.

Get to know our Featured Partners for September

Hickory

Onslow

In Hickory, outdoor spaces aren’t just places to visit—they’re part of the community. Hickory has built and preserved places where everyone can get outside and make memories year-round. The Hickory Trail offers more than 10 miles of trail that connects downtown, neighborhoods, parks and waterfronts in one continuous route for walkers, runners, cyclists, skaters and mobility device users. Glide past public art, roll through leafy green spaces, or step onto the Riverwalk’s ADA-accessible boardwalk for sweeping lake views. The Hickory Trail invites everyone to explore at their own pace.

Plan your next adventure to Hickory.

Encompassing pristine slices of the Atlantic Coast, maritime forest and wetlands, Onslow County is home to some of North Carolina’s most cherished coastal destinations. The community is passionate about protecting their waterways, especially through multiple thriving oyster programs, which provide delicious seafood while building healthier ecosystems. You can see the results for yourself by touring a working oyster farm with Ghost Fleet Oyster Co. and Hold Fast Oyster Co., both of which are part of the NC Oyster Trail. Come see for yourself how they're making a difference, one oyster at a time!

Learn more about Onslow County trails and events.

MEET OUTDOOR NC GUIDE

Laura Blythe

Laura Blythe is the founder of 7 Moons MTB, which leads mountain bike trips on the Fire Mountain Trail System on the Qualla Boundary, the ancestral homelands of the Cherokee. Blythe considers the mountains to be part of the Cherokee story and culture. Guiding mountain bike trips gives her a chance to impart that sense of place to others.

Tell us about 7 Moons MTB.

Blythe: I started 7 Moons MTB to help make mountain biking more accessible to everyone in our community, offering free mountain biking programs and gear to help folks try out the sport without barriers. I also lead cultural rides at Fire Mountain Trails, giving guests a chance to experience Cherokee culture on the saddle surrounded by nature.

Why are Outdoor NC Leave No Trace principles important to you?

Blythe: Stewardship is tied to who we are as Cherokee people. Practicing Outdoor NC Leave No Trace is about caring for the land so it can continue to provide for all of us for generations to come. Every ride is a chance to help others build that same connection. When you love a place, you take care of it.

How do you integrate stewardship into your guiding?

Blythe: We emphasize “Leave What You Find.” I share stories about the Cherokee Homeland’s significance and folks pause before pocketing a pretty rock or flower. Seeing that shift, when they realize they’re not just in a forest, but in a living piece of Cherokee history, is powerful.

7 Moons MTB

Find your next Trail Town Adventure

Outdoor NC Trail Town Guide