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Q) Dear Bob, we are new to the area having just moved to Greer, SC. I would like to plan a weekend trip to the mountains to take the wife hiking and sightseeing. She’s not into camping yet, so a place with a nice, inexpensive motel and some scenic trails close by would be nice. Any suggestions? Thanks,
 Rick H. Greer,SC

A) Rick, thanks for the question. One of our favorite trips for years when we lived in Spartanburg,SC was a 2 hour drive up US Hwy 221 to the town of Linville Falls,NC This is a great base for many neat activities. There is a little motel called the Parkview Lodge a couple hundred feet off the BRP right in town. It is a nice place and very pet friendly. From there its only a few miles to The Linville Falls and Gorge. Besides one of the nicest waterfalls around, there are numerous trails to the falls, gorge and wilderness area. A trip to the Linville Falls Ranger Station will provide all the necessary info.Also,the National Geographic Trails Illustrated map of Mt. Mitchell/ Linville Falls will help. Besides this, there are the Linville Caverns on Hwy 221, the North Carolina Minerals Museum on the BRP and the town of Little Switzerland all on the BRP within 30 miles of Linville Falls. No trip to the town of Linville Falls would be complete without a visit to Famous Louise’s Rockhouse Restaurant. This landmark, besides the great country fare if famous for having 3 counties join in the middle of the restaurant. If memory serves, Burke,Avery and McDowell counties all come together here. I hope this helped.

Q) I saw in your articles where you refer to FS 1206,etc, and use the term BRP.What do all these mean?
Laura K, Concord, NC.

A) Laura sorry for the confusion. Any references to FS followed by numbers refer to Forest Service roads. These are generally gravel roads of varying widths mostly in excellent condition.(no 4 wheel required) BRP means Blue Ridge Parkway. MM stands for mile markers on the BRP. Every mile along the entire length of the BRP has a mile marker, starting with MM 1 in Virginia to MM 469 at its terminus in Cherokee, NC.

Q) How many waterfalls are there in the NC Mountains?
Andy G, Cleveland, Oh.

A) Using Asheville as the center, there are approximately 300 waterfalls within 100 miles.

Q) I have heard that the Graveyard Fields are a really neat place to visit. What’s the story on this place?
Judy K, Atlanta, Ga.

A) Judy, the fields are pretty neat. The area is a bald with few trees at about 5000 ft. elevation. There are tremendous views, easy trails and an upper and lower falls. The bad news is that on weekends there may be a hundred cars in the parking lot and throngs of people. This is one that’s best done in the off-season during the week.

Q) I was wondering if it was worth the hike to "bag" cold mountain. i saw on the maps many possible trails/options to get to the summit trail. i would like to know the quickest route and the most scenic routes to get there. also, are there any places to camp near or on cold mountain?
Shane H, Bolivia, NC

Shane thanks for the question,The quickest route may not be the most scenic.The quickest route would be the Art Loeb Trail from the Daniel Boone Scout Camp.From the trailhead you will ascend 2800 ft total gain over 5 miles.Total Distance 10 miles.The scenic route would be from the Black Balsam and Art Loeb trailheads off FS 816(Black Balsam Rd) off the BRP,MM 420. This trip with some side trips is above 6000 ft,crosses Black Balsam Knob,Tennant Mt, Grassy Cove Top, The Shining Rock,Stairs Mt. and of course Cold Mt.Both of these routes eventually feed into Deep Gap,1.5 miles from the summit of Cold Mt.At deep gap there are numerous campsites.The summit trail leads from Deep Gap directly to the summit of Cold Mountain.And yes,the summit is worth it.Spectacular views awat you at the top.For more detailed info. I recommend Danny Bernstein's Hiking the Carolina Mountains.