North Carolina has some amazing hiking trails what with the Blue Ridge Mountains and several other state parks like Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock. It’s been a while since I’ve been hiking and I was reallllly missing it. We used to go about once a month when my good Italian energy-bundle of a friend still lived here. So I was super excited when the fiancé had most of a Saturday off and we were able to go hiking!

I packed my fanny pack (oh yes, it’s awesome, you know you want one) and the love packed a backpack and off we went. Well, that was after trying make a decision on where to go. Sooo many options!

We drove up to the Harper Creek Area just west of Lenoir. My hiking book had mentioned several different length loops and waterfalls – yes please! After we had driven two out of the three hours there his airline decided he had to work the next morning. GREEEEAAAAT. Just as we thought we had the day to actually do something that normal people do on a weekend. Luckily there were some late evening flights that could get him to work so that we just kept going to at least do a short hike.

NC90 all of a sudden turned into a narrow gravel road…. But nothing that this farmer’s daughter couldn’t handle.

We eventually went on a fun but short 3 mile hike along Raider Camp Creek and to the Harper Creek Falls where you could rappel down to the base of the falls with the rope that was there. It looked super steep and sissy me was a little intimidated but after I saw a 5 year old rappel back up I just followed zee babe down like a mountain goat. Super fun and the view was awesome! Definitely a place to go back for a swim in the waterfall pool!