Part 2 of Summer Road Trips: Outdoor Adventures and Curated Beaches
Roll the windows down and turn the music up — we’ve got more must-see destinations for your summer road trip! Chapel Hill’s central location makes it easy to plan a day trip or weekend excursion to some of the state’s most fun and exciting places. Add these adventure sites and coastal towns to your bucket list and start planning an epic North Carolina summer.
Live It Up Outside
North Carolina’s mountains offer visitors a wealth of activities year-round, and summer is one of the best times to visit.
One unique and memorable way to explore our state’s mountainous terrain is on horseback. Ranches in the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Great Smokies offer guided tours for both newbies and skilled riders. If you’re new to horseback riding, start with a one-hour trail ride and you can eventually work your way up to an entire day trip.
A great hike is about the journey, but it’s a bonus when your efforts take you to a hidden natural wonder. Just east of Asheville, the Catawba Falls Trail is a two-and-a-half-mile loop that leads you through a mossy, shady forest valley to a beautiful series of waterfalls on the Catawba River. After some rock scrambling and switchbacks, you’ll arrive at a stunning 100-foot waterfall.
Immerse yourself in some waterfall action at Sliding Rock, less than an hour’s drive from Asheville. The legendary destination takes visitors down a 60-foot natural waterfall and plunges them into an eight-foot-deep pool of water below. Lifeguards are on duty and bathrooms/changing rooms are open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and it’s just $4 for unlimited slides.
If you’d prefer cushioning between your bottom and the water, tube down one of North Carolina’s many rivers. A fun activity to kill a few hours in the sunshine, families can select a calm route, while groups of friends may seek out a more adventurous ride offering rapids and rope swings. Companies rent heavy-duty innertubes and life vests and will provide transportation to the launch and/or pick-up spot.
For an epic adventure, start training now to hike North Carolina’s Mountains-to Sea-Trail. Spanning almost 1,200 miles, the trail starts at Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains and ends at Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks. During this trek, you will traverse ancient mountains and small Piedmont farms, coastal swamps, colonial towns, changing textile villages and barrier islands. Since this trail takes about three to four months to hike, you can break up your trip into segments over an extended period to accommodate your schedule.
Another great way to explore the Tar Heel state is via bike. North Carolina Bike Tours offers both guided and self-guided tours lasting four to six days. Each trip includes bike rental, lodging, meals, social hour and scenic views you’ll never forget.
Trade your handlebars in for an oar at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte. While paddling the class II-IV rapids on the world’s largest manmade whitewater river is the primary draw, this facility offers a ton of other attractions to get your heart racing, including ziplines, mountain bike trails, rock climbing walls and ropes courses. Throughout the year, the center also hosts events, races, outdoor films, music festivals, camps and team-building opportunities.
For a big adrenaline rush and a bird’s-eye view of the Outer Banks, try tandem hang gliding with Kitty Hawk Kites. An ultralight plane tows you up to either 2,000 feet or a mile and releases you into the sky. A certified instructor pilots the hang glider through dives and turns before landing back at the airport like a plane.
Find Your Beach
North Carolina is home to the seventh-longest coastline in the United States, with 3,375 miles of sandy beaches to explore. Every seaside community offers a unique vibe with different activities to appeal to beachgoers.
One of the few remaining vintage boardwalks in the nation is less than three hours from Chapel Hill in Carolina Beach. For the family that needs stimulus day or night, the boardwalk offers amusement rides, seasonal live music and weekly fireworks. Take a break from the sun and peruse the boardwalk’s sweet treats, colorful shops with souvenirs and beach gear, seaside restaurants and tiki bars.
Another family-friendly option is Kure Beach, with its inviting small-town beach retreat atmosphere. You can take a ferry for a scenic trip, fish from the public pier, surf, kayak, standup paddleboard or SCUBA dive. On rainy days, North Carolina Aquarium’s Adventure Reef lets the kids get up close and personal with marine life, including alligators, sharks, stingrays, moray eels, seahorses, sea turtles, otters and more.
If you’re craving relaxed island vibes and a more upscale destination, hop the ferry to Bald Head Island. This car-free paradise is just small six square miles, making it easy to navigate around by golf cart or bicycle. Get some exercise playing one of the world-class golf courses, hitting the tennis courts, swimming or trying your hand at croquet. Be sure to explore the scenic maritime forest and salt marshes that protect the island’s natural charm.
Another truly unique coastal experience native to North Carolina is seeing the wild horses on Corolla Beach in the northern Outer Banks. These mustangs were believed to have been shipwrecked there in the 16th century by Spanish explorers, and about 100 of their ancestors continue to roam the beaches and nearby wooded neighborhoods. Guided off-road tours are available, but if you’re lucky, you just might spot one grazing in the dunes.
For a convenient jaunt to the coast, Wrightsville Beach is the closest to Chapel Hill. After about two and a half hours in the car, you can be walking along the island’s pristine beaches. The wave break is known great surfing, while the placid waters of the Intercoastal Waterway on the east side of the island are well-suited for paddleboarding and kayaking. With shopping, restaurants and fishing excursions available, it’s never a dull day at this beloved beach.
North Carolina is an incredible place to live year-round, and easy access to history hotspots and tasty towns, plus all these outdoor destinations make us glad we get to call Chapel Hill home every day. Enjoy your summer road trips!