North Carolina Active and Adventure Travel Guide

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Top Active and Adventure Destinations In North Carolina

Travel Guides In North Carolina

Southeast Active and Adventure States/Provinces

Active and Adventure Travel Destinations

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Outer Banks, North Carolina

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina's Outer Banks (Craig Brewer/Photodisc/Getty)

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how many miles from Chapel Hill to Ashville. how many miles from Chapel Hill to the Outer Banks.
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are there any historical landmarks or museums on viking history
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North Carolina Travel

Feature Articles

26 West
Mars Hill, NC
Snow Kiting
outside
Twin Cities, Minnesota
Carolina on My Bow
outside
A new way to navigate the Tar Heel state
Great Smoky Mountains
outside
The Southeast's Backwoods at its Best
GORP - American Canoe Association: Proposed Wild and Scenic Rivers in North Carolina
gorp

More North Carolina Active and Adventure Feature Articles (51) »

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Trip Ideas

Cycling in the High Country
East: The Outer Banks (North Carolina)
Top Eight Sea Kayaking Hot Spots
Best Water Playground: Cape Hatteras National Seashore (North Carolina)
America's Best Beaches
Bold Colors on the Blue Ridge: Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina
GORP's Top 10 Autumn Escapes: Fall's Best Forests

Practical Advice

Rising to the Challenge
How do you learn to conquer a snow-covered mountain—and your fears? Simple. Go with Wyoming's Exum Mountain Guides, the leaders in mountaineering training.
How to Build a Snow Cave
outside
Ask ten people how to make a snow cave and you'll get ten different answers. Winter-survival expert Greg Davenport, 49, ends the debate. Here's his definitive guide to making a bomber backcountry bunker.
What Andrew McLean, Ski Mountaineer, Brings
outside
McLean, 47, is one of the world's most accomplished backcountry skiers, with first descents on every continent—and more than 100 total. This spring, he's off to Greenland for a few more. Here's what he's packing.
Playing It Safe
Tout, scam, trickery, pickpockets, or downright theft—any one of 'em can turn a trip of a lifetime into a lifelong lesson. Here's how to avoid bad experiences.
Fix a Busted Tire with a Buck
outside
Flatten your bike tire on a thorn and you can patch the inner tube or swap in a new one—no problem. Damage the tire itself (say, by tearing your sidewall on a sharp rock)—much bigger problem. Here's a quick field solution to keep you on the roll.

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GORPtravel Adventure Trips & Guided Tours

Nolichucky River Family Whitewater Rafting - The Lower Nolichucky
Cherokee Adventures
from $57, 2 days
A relaxing trip down the Nolichucky River, perfect for the family and gentle enough for the younger children. ...
Nolichucky River Whitewater Rafting - The Upper Nolichucky
Cherokee Adventures
from $68, 2 days
The Upper Nolichucky is one of the wildest and most scenic rivers in the Southeast - exciting and challenging! ...
North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains Biker
Timberline Adventures
from $1795, 6 days
In the context of our new 6-day Blue Ridge of North Carolina program, we'll ride the southernmost 180-mile section of the magnificent Blue Ridge...

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Gear

What You Need: Ski Mountaineering
The gear you need to strap on, pack up, wear, and shed to get up—and back down—a serious mountain.
Gear of the Year
outside
Wilier Triestina Izoard
Women's Road Biking
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Race Upgrades
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KTM Adventure 990
outside
Expedition Ready

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Fitness

Four Steps to Peak Agility
outside
Without agility, working out is just bodybuilding.
Cutting-Edge Sports Gear
outside
The athletic equipment that made the cut for our second annual celebration of the best in design and technology.
Revolutionary New Gear
outside
Outside's guide to the best new concepts in gear, garb, human performance, and green.
Are the Mountains Killing Your Brain?
outside
Alarming new science shows that thin air can wreck brain cells—at lower altitudes than you'd think. Here's how to protect yourself.
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Attractions

Outer Banks Beaches

One Visitors Center Circle
Manteo, North Carolina 27954

Description: The Outer banks beaches are a 175 mile chain of islands offering an expanse of unspoiled natural... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended

Ocracoke Island

PO Box 456
Ocracoke, North Carolina 27960

Description: Ocracoke Island, part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, has almost 16 miles of undeveloped... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended

Nantahala National Forest
c/o Wayah Ranger District, 90 Sloan Road
Franklin, North Carolina 28734

Description: The Nantahala River Gorge, a nine-mile stretch of the Nantahala River that runs from Beechertown to... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended

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