My first hike at South Montains State Park, southwest of Hickory, NC. This is a big, remote park with all mountainous terrain. The hills are not terrible high (none over 3000 feet, as far as I could tell) but the trails have two orientations: up and down. Camping opportunities are abundant -- and 40 miles of trails deep into the backcountry of the park offer many backpacking options.

Rugged hike to Calloway Peak, high point of Grandfather Mountain State Park.I went up the Nuwati Trail to the Cragway Trail and got on the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Trail at the Flat Rock Trail junction. Trip write-up at Two Heel Drive.

Weather is the main concern on Grandfather Mountain: Thunderstorms are common on summer afternoons, and the peak is fogged in many days of the year.

I hiked the Cabin Creek Trail, Twin Pinnacles Loop and a little bit of the Appalachian Trail at Grayson Highlands State Park in southwest Virginia. All told, it was 7.1 miles with well over 1,000 feet of elevation gain (my GPS unit says 1900 but it always vastly inflates elevation gain estimates). A great park to hike in the off-season. Trip write-up to at Two-Heel Drive.

This park along the Blue Ridge Parkway has a pair of nice trails -- a flat, easy 2.5-mile hike around Price Lake and a moderate 5-mile hike along the Boone Fork Trail on the north side of the Parkway. The parks are very popular with families but once you get beyond the popular gathering places, the hiking is very nice. Trip write-up at Two-Heel Drive.

Attempted to hike from Boone Fork Trailhead (mile 299.9 on the Blue Ridge Parkway) to Callaway Peak at Grandfather Mountain in western North Carolina. Had to turn back about about 2 miles in because foot-deep snow was obscuring the trails.  Went up Daniel Boone Boy Scout Trail, which becomes snow-covered past the Flat Rock trail junction.

The River Section of Pilot Mountain State Park is in a very remote section of countryside northwest of Winston-Salem (in contrast to Pilot Mountain's main section, which is right next door to U.S. Route 52).Trails are not super plentiful, but if you like taking walks along a lazy river, it's worth checking out.

15-mile out-and-back hike along the Corridor Trial, which connects the main section of Pilot Mountain State Park and the lower section along the Yadkin River. Trip write-up at Two-Heel Drive.

Multiple stream crossings mean it's likely you'll get your feet wet. Good hike for exercise -- lots of up and down, hills are relatively short -- but not much in the way of scenery. Mostly tree tunnel.

Nicest sections of the Sauratown Trail I've seen so far (seven down, nine to go). These sections head west out of Hanging Rock State Park -- the terrain is far more rugged on this end compared to the western end at Pilot Mountain State Park.