2024 Hiking Calendar

April 18th -Thursday

May 21-22 - Weds/Thurs

Crossmore Campus, Winston-Salem

The first hike of the season will be close to home --the Children’s Home/Crossnore Communities for Children on Reynolda Road. The Piedmont Land Conservancy protected 92 acres of land owned by the Children’s Home and, in October 2022, ground was broken, and trail building began. Come join us for a peaceful walk through the open pastures and the tree covered loops of the newly opened Stuart and Emma Thomas Trail. We'll picnic after the hike, so bring your lunch and a lawn chair.

March 21st - Thursday

NC Museum of Natural Sciences

On April 18 th , the hiking club will be going on an urban adventure in Raleigh. We will tour the Nature Science Museum, the Southeast’s largest natural historymuseum. The museum is home to dozens of exhibits from coastal to prehistoric North Carolina. We will have lunch at the Museum. After lunch, we will take a guided tour of Mordecai Historic Park. The Mordecai Plantation was 1200 acres and was the birthplace of Andrew Johnson.

Abingdon, VA

Martha Washington College opened in a former private residence in Abingdon. The college closed in 1932, but the grand building re-opened as a hotel in 1935. Experience the history and beauty of Abingdon, VA. We will stay in the Martha Washington Hotel; dine at The Tavern, located in the oldest building in Abingdon (1779); see “Grandma Gatewood Took a Walk” at the Barter Theater and hike a section of the Virginia Creeper Trail.

June 20th-Thursday

July 11th - Thursday

August 15 -Thursday

Rocky Knob, VA

We will escape the summer heat with a trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia for a hike and visit to the Chateau Morrisette Winery and Restaurant. The hike portion will be at the Rocky Knob Recreation Area; our last trip was to the creekside trails in the valley. This time we will stay on top of the mountain with two hike options, Black Ridge (moderate) and Rocky Knob (easy). The second portion will be a special lunch at Chateau Morrisette with an opportunity to have wine tasting or a tour of the winery if time allows. Chateau Morrisette has beautiful views, delicious food, and award-winning wines. This will be a Mountain Top Experience day!

Blowing Roc, NC

Another favorite of the BRW Hiking Club over the years has been Grayson Highlands and it's wild ponies. The Appalachian Trail runs through Grayson. There are several trails you can explore in this state park near Mouth of Wilson. Grayson is over 4,000 feet and you will typically find temperatures 15-20 degree cooler there. We have left BRW where it was 90 and found it 53 degrees and misty at Grayson. Great place to get away from the heat in July.

Yakdin Memorial Park

This will be the best dam hike of the year as we visit Yadkin Memorial Park and hike around Hampton Lake to the dam on the Ashley/Ladd Trail. This is an approximate 1.75 mile in and out trail that follows the lake. We will end with a cookout at the Park featuring hamburgers and hot dogs.

November 13th - Wednesday

September 18th - Wednesday

Pinehurst, NC

We will be adding a new state to the "places we've been" list this year with a 3 night trip to Savannah, GA. With almost 3 centuries under its belt, Savannah is one of the most historic cities in the south. From the River Street to the famous squares (22 of them), to the Garden of Good and Evil, to Tybee Island, this trip will provide lots of new adventures to BRW Hiking and will wrap up 2023 on a historic note...and there will probably be some good food along the way too.

Black Mountain/Montreat

Visit charming Black Mountain and the former home of Billy Graham at Montreat where we will hike a couple of the many trails that are there. We will also include a trip into Asheville to visit the North Carolina Arboretum.

Ciener Botanical Gardens, Kernersville

Blacksburg is home to Virginia Tech, but is much more than a temporary home to college students. It is located in close proximity to the Appalachian Trail and a number of other hiking trails. There are numerous wineries in the area, boutique farms and an old growth forest containing several 300+ year old white oaks. There is also a lively art, restaurant and bar scene in Blacksburg. The historic Smithfield Plantation is home to two virginia governors,