Save Your Favorite Listings, Events, and Offers Here
Your browser is not supported for this experience.
We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.
Your Guide to Great Trails State Month in Rutherford County
Hike it. Bike it. Paddle it. Explore it.
This fall, we're celebrating all the ways you can get outside in Lake Lure, Chimney Rock & the Blue Ridge Foothills with a lineup of trail adventures, community events, volunteer opportunities, and plenty of reasons to hit the trail.
North Carolina is known as the Great Trails State, and we're taking the celebration beyond a single day. From September into October, you can paddle the Broad River, bike through the foothills, go birding at Chimney Rock, lend a hand caring for our trails, explore after dark, and even get a first look at a brand-new trail.
Lace up your hiking shoes, grab your bike or paddle, and make this your month to Find Your Trail.
Celebrate in Chimney Rock Village
County-Wide Trail Use Scavenger Hunt
September 1–October 19
How many trails can you explore before Great Trails State Day?
Pick up our Great Trails State Month Scavenger Hunt and spend the next several weeks hiking, biking, and exploring your way around the Blue Ridge Foothills. Check off adventures as you go and discover a few new favorite places along the way.
Go Birding at Chimney Rock
Naturalist Niche: Early Bird Walk + 18th Annual Flock to the Rock
Saturday, September 19
Early Bird Walk: 7:30–10 AM
Flock to the Rock: 10 AM–3 PM
Chimney Rock State Park
Break out the binoculars! Start your morning before the Park gates open with a slow-paced, Naturalist-led birding walk, then stick around for Chimney Rock's annual feathered celebration.
Flock to the Rock welcomes birders of all experience levels with live raptor programs, birding activities, introductory birding hikes and the annual hawk watch. It's a great excuse to bring the whole family and experience the trails from a completely different perspective.
Give Back to the River
Annual Fall River Sweep
Saturday, September 26 | 9 AM
River section to be announced
Love our rivers? Help take care of them.
Join Rutherford Outdoor Coalition for its Annual Fall River Sweep and spend the morning helping clean up one of our local waterways. The exact river section will be announced closer to the event.
Lend a Hand on the Trail
National Public Lands Day Volunteer Work Day
Saturday, September 26
Chimney Rock State Park
Celebrate National Public Lands Day by giving a little love back to the places we love to explore. Join Chimney Rock State Park Rangers for volunteer trail work designed to help maintain some of the Park's most-used trails.
Come ready to get your hands dirty and leave knowing you helped care for one of Western North Carolina's most iconic outdoor destinations
Celebrate in Chimney Rock Village
Public Art Unveiling & Community Gathering
Sunday, September 27 | 2 PM
Chimney Rock Village Riverwalk
Behind Riverwatch Grill & Bubba O’Leary’s General Store
Join Chimney Rock Village for a special community gathering marking two years of resilience following Hurricane Helene and the unveiling of a new public art installation created in partnership with students from UNC Charlotte’s Ravin School of Architecture.
Gather along the Riverwalk to experience the new installation, hear brief reflections from Village and UNC Charlotte representatives, and celebrate the creativity, strength and enduring spirit that continue to move Chimney Rock Village forward.
While you’re here, spend some time exploring the Village, supporting local businesses and enjoying the beginning of fall in the Hickory Nut Gorge.
Ride the Foothills
Tour de Pumpkin
Saturday, October 3 | Ride Starts at 9:30 AM
Downtown Rutherfordton
Fall color. Country roads. Two wheels. Let's ride.
The annual Tour de Pumpkin takes cyclists through the beautiful rolling countryside surrounding Rutherfordton, with your choice of a 50K route with approximately 2,200 feet of climbing or a 100K route with approximately 4,440 feet of climbing.
Registration is open from 8:15–9:15 a.m., with the ride beginning at 9:30. Your registration includes a post-ride meal, door prizes and an event T-shirt for the first 125 entrants. Even better, proceeds benefit local youth cycling.
Spend the Day at Hilltop
Rutherfordton Hilltop Festival
Saturday, October 3 | Downtown Rutherfordton | 10 AM- 5 PM
Make a day of it in downtown Rutherfordton at the annual Hilltop Festival! Enjoy a full day of food, vendors, live entertainment and plenty of small-town fall fun along Main Street.
While you're there, stop by and say hello to some of the organizations helping make outdoor recreation and community projects happen throughout the Blue Ridge Foothills. Visit booths from RCTDA, Rutherford Bound, Rutherford Outdoor Coalition, Overmountain Victory Trail, Conserving Carolina and Foothills Conservancy to learn more about places to explore, projects underway and ways to get outside during Great Trails State Month and beyond.
Whooo’s Ready for an Evening Hike?
Night Owl Hike
Saturday, October 3 | 6:30–7:30 PM
Rumbling Bald | Chimney Rock State Park
Calling all night owls! Hit the Rumbling Bald Loop with a Park Ranger for a 1.5-mile evening hike all about the owls that call Chimney Rock State Park home. Listen for Barred Owls, Screech Owls and other species as you explore the trail after dark.
Bring water, comfortable shoes and a headlamp or flashlight.
Paddle Into Fall
ROC Members Fall Fun Float
Thursday, October 8 | 10 AM
Broad River — Coxe Road to Poors Ford Road
Trade the hiking boots for a paddle!
Rutherford Outdoor Coalition members are invited to enjoy a fall float along Section 6 of the Broad River, traveling from Coxe Road to Poors Ford Road. It's a fun way to experience our trails from the water and connect with fellow outdoor enthusiasts.
Not a ROC member yet? Join before registering for the float.
Bikes, Bites + Trail Community
ROC + Pisgah Area SORBA Play Day
Saturday, October 10 | 2 PM
Buffalo Creek Park, Lake Lure
Bring your bike and come play!
Rutherford Outdoor Coalition and Pisgah Area SORBA are teaming up for an afternoon at Buffalo Creek Park featuring group bike rides, food, drinks, and plenty of trail-loving community.
Meet ROC and Pisgah Area SORBA staff, volunteers, members, and supporters while experiencing one of Lake Lure's favorite places to ride.
Explore After Dark
Night Hike: History of Land Conservation
Saturday, October 10 | 6:30–7:30 PM
Rumbling Bald | Chimney Rock State Park
See the landscape through a different lens on a guided evening hike along the Rumbling Bald Trail. Join a Park Ranger to discover how conservation, recreation and community partnerships have helped shape this special place—and how responsible outdoor recreation can help protect it for generations to come.
Bring water, comfortable shoes and a headlamp or flashlight.
Celebrate Great Trails State Day
Saturday, October 17
The third Saturday in October is officially Great Trails State Day in North Carolina, and there are several ways to celebrate right here in the Blue Ridge Foothills.
Great Trails State Day Trail Workday
9 AM
Start Great Trails State Day by helping improve our local trails. Join Rutherford Outdoor Coalition for a morning trail workday and give back to the outdoor spaces that give us so much.
REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER COMING SOON
Great Trails State Day at Chimney Rock State Park
10 AM–3 PM
Celebrate North Carolina's Great Trails State by exploring the six trails at Chimney Rock State Park. Special Naturalist-led hikes will also be offered throughout the day, giving visitors a chance to discover even more about the landscapes, wildlife and natural wonders surrounding the trails.
Great Trails State Day at the Smokehouse
6–9 PM | Chimney Rock Smokehouse
430 Main Street, Chimney Rock Village
Take Great Trails State Day from the trail to the fireside! Head to Chimney Rock Smokehouse for an evening of music, Appalachian folklore, local ghost stories and cryptid legends inspired by the mountains surrounding Chimney Rock.
Come for the trails, stay for the tales—and discover a spookier side of the Blue Ridge Foothills.
EVENT DETAILS COMING SOON
Nature at Night Hike
7:30–9:30 PM | Chimney Rock State Park
When the sun goes down, a whole new side of the trail wakes up.
Join a Park Naturalist for a guided evening excursion along the Hickory Nut Falls Trail and discover some of Chimney Rock's rarely seen nighttime residents. It's the perfect way to end Great Trails State Day—and experience a familiar trail in an entirely new way.
Advance registration required.
Slow Down & Tune Into Nature - Silent Hike
Sunday, October 18 | 6:30–7:30 PM
Rumbling Bald | Chimney Rock State Park
Leave the noise behind and experience the trail a little differently. Join a Park Ranger for a peaceful 1.5-mile evening hike along the Rumbling Bald Loop, pausing along the way to turn off your lights, listen to the sounds of nature and immerse yourself in the landscape.
You may even have a chance to learn about—and hopefully spot—some of the Park’s crepuscular wildlife. Bring water, comfortable shoes and a headlamp or flashlight.
Be Among the First to Explore Wolfpen Loop
Wolfpen Loop Sneak Peek
Thursday, October 22
Get a first look at one of the region's most exciting new trail experiences.
Join Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina to experience Wolfpen Loop, with opportunities to explore the new trail and learn more about what's ahead.
Wolfpen Loop represents an exciting step forward for the Wilderness Gateway State Trail, a planned long-distance trail connecting communities, conservation lands and outdoor destinations throughout the South Mountains region.
More Details Coming Soon
Chase Fall Color
Naturalist Niche: Fall Color Hike
Saturday, October 24 | 9 AM–12 PM
Chimney Rock State Park
End your Great Trails State Month adventures surrounded by one of Western North Carolina's best shows: fall color.
Join a Park Naturalist for a guided hike through Chimney Rock State Park as Hickory Nut Gorge comes alive with autumn hues. Along the way, you'll learn about the season's flora and fauna while taking in the changing landscape.
One More Evening on the Trail
Silent Hike
Sunday, October 25 | 6:30–7:30 PM
Rumbling Bald | Chimney Rock State Park
Close out your Great Trails State Month adventures with a peaceful evening in nature. On this 1.5-mile Ranger-led hike along the Rumbling Bald Loop, you’ll pause at special spots to turn off your lights, listen to the sounds around you and experience the trail in an entirely new way.
Along the way, learn about the Park’s crepuscular wildlife and keep your eyes and ears open for signs of animals becoming active as daylight fades. Bring water, comfortable shoes and a headlamp or flashlight.
Find Your Trail
One month. Countless ways to get outside.
Whether you hike, bike, paddle, volunteer—or try a little bit of everything—Great Trails State Month is your invitation to experience the incredible outdoor spaces waiting throughout Lake Lure, Chimney Rock & the Blue Ridge Foothills.
So choose an event. Find a trail. Bring a friend. And get outside.
