The Adventure Collective

The Adventure Collective publishes a series of outdoor adventure sports guides to adventures in Asheville, Boone, Brevard, Chattanooga, Charleston and The Great Smoky Mountains.

Paddling Shem Creek

Paddle Shem Creek & Crab Bank Island Preserve

Paddle Shem Creek Around Crab Bank Island Preserve (Mt. Pleasant): An easy paddle out Shem Creek and around Crab Bank Island in the Charleston Harbor with great views of Fort Sumter, Ravenel Bridge, Patriot’s Point, and Sullivan’s Island. Crab Bank Island is home to thousands of nesting...

Caw Caw Interpretive Center Charleston

Caw Caw Interpretive Park

Caw Caw County Park (Ravenel): Once the site of several working rice plantations carved into a cypress swamp, Caw Caw now boasts 6 miles of raised trails through the watery landscape. Alligators, deer, and otters abound, and bald eagles, kites, and a host of waterfowl are commonly present...

West Ashley Trail

Run At Santee Coastal Reserve

Nestled in the heart of the south, Santee Coastal Reserve boasts a sprawling playground of 24,000 acres, a sanctuary for those who seek adventure in the great outdoors. This reserve is not just a destination; it’s an experience, offering an intimate encounter with nature’s raw...

Charlotte, NC Adventure Travel Guide

Charlotte’s Great Outdoors

Charlotte, North Carolina, affectionately known as the Queen City, is a treasure trove of outdoor adventures waiting to be discovered. Nestled in the heart of the Piedmont, this bustling metropolis is not only a hub of banking and business but also a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. From...

Wilmington, NC Adventure Travel Guide

Wilmington, NC Adventure Travel Guide

Wilmington, North Carolina, is a gem tucked away on the southeastern coast, where the Cape Fear River meets the Atlantic Ocean. This city, a blend of history, culture, and natural beauty, invites travelers to immerse themselves in its unique charm. Wilmington’s story is one of...

Dog-Friendly Activities at Boulder Reservoir

Dog-Friendly Activities at Boulder Reservoir

Boulder Reservoir is an idyllic destination for outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers in Boulder, Colorado. With its panoramic views of the Flatirons and sprawling natural landscapes, this haven offers a plethora of activities to immerse in the beauty of Colorado’s outdoors. For...

Valmont Dog Park

Valmont Dog Park

Valmont Dog Park is a vibrant community spot that’s one of the best Dog Friendly Adventures In Boulder. known for its dog-friendly nature, but if you’re looking to explore a bit further, there’s another gem close by that both you and your furry friend will love. This...

Climbing The Flatirons in Boulder Colorado

Climbing The Flatirons

Guide to Rock Climbing at the Flatirons in Boulder Welcome to the enchanting city of Boulder, Colorado, nestled at the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains. The Flatirons are not just a stunning backdrop to this vibrant city but also a paradise for rock climbing enthusiasts. Offering...

Climbing In Boulder Canyon

Boulder Canyon Rock Climbing Guide Boulder Canyon, one of Colorado’s premier climbing destinations, offers a wealth of opportunities for climbers of all levels. Nestled in the beautiful landscape near Boulder, Colorado, this area provides not just exceptional climbing experiences but also...

Climbing Eldorado Canyon

Climbing In Eldorado Canyon

Welcome to Eldorado Canyon, a world-renowned rock climbing destination situated just south of Boulder, Colorado. This canyon offers an array of climbing opportunities that cater to beginners and professional climbers alike. Its historical significance and the breathtaking scenery of the...

McKinney Gap Boulders

The McKinney Gap Boulders are a new bouldering area just north of Asheville with high quality rock in a dense zone with a nice selection of fun climbs that range from moderately difficult (v2-v4) to a handful of classic hard problems in the v6-v10 range. The area was developed in large...

Windrock Tennessee National Enduro

Tennessee National Enduro At Windrock Bike Park

Windrock Mountain Bike Park, located in Oliver Springs, TN, is known for its challenging trails and epic downhill runs. But for two days each March, the park plays host to one of the toughest Enduro races in the country. The Windrock Enduro takes place on March 18-19, and features a multi...

Best Knoxville Fishing Spots

Knoxville, Tennessee is a great destination for fishing enthusiasts, with several rivers, lakes, and streams in the area that offer a variety of fishing opportunities for anglers of all levels. Fort Loudoun Lake: Fort Loudoun Lake is a 14,600-acre lake that offers several opportunities...

Best Knoxville Rock Climbing Spots

Knoxville, Tennessee is a great base for rock climbers, with several world-class climbing destinations within a few hours’ drive of the city. From sandstone cliffs and boulder fields to multi-pitch routes and technical climbing challenges, the region offers a variety of experiences...

Moore Cove Falls

Moore Cove Falls Trail: Looking for a short and sweet adventure in Pisgah? Look no further than Moore Cove Falls trail! This hike is understandably one of the more popular in the area, and for good reason. With a well-marked trail that’s just under 1.5 miles round trip, this...

Foster Falls (Jasper)

Great wall of southern sandstone, featuring beginner, moderate, and expert level sport routes averaging between 50-70 feet tall. Everything from slabs to steep walls lines this 2-mile long cliff. The wall mainly faces south, so it is showered by sunlight all day. The Right Bunker and the...

Horse Pens 40 (Oneida, AL)

Horse Pens 40 is an international destination for boulderers, with acres of bulbous sandstone faces, blunt prows, tall slabs, steep overhangs, and challenging water grooves. For a small day fee ($5/day/climber), the owners, Mike and Gina Shultz, have been so kind to open up this once...

Escape into the Woods (Francis Marion National Forest)

Drive twenty minutes north of Charleston and there’s a seemingly endless selection of sandy logging roads to explore through the pine forests of the Francis Marion. To really get out there and take in a nice quiet run, head up into the Hellhole Bay Wilderness, where you’re likely to share...

Whitewater Kayak in the Surf (Edisto Island)

Whitewater Kayak in the Surf (Edisto Island)

Edisto Island’s underwater topography has a different gradient than its northern cousins, providing a shore break that’s got plenty of rodeo kayak potential for coastal-bound whitewater enthusiasts. Because Edisto isn’t the surfing hotspot that Folly is, you’ll likely have the waters...

Kitesurf an East Coast Hotspot (Sullivan’s Island)

Kitesurf an East Coast Hotspot (Sullivan’s Island)

Head to Sullivan’s Island’s Station 28.5 on even a slightly breezy day, and you’ll witness at least a dozen kites pulling riders across the water. The spot boasts some unique geographical erosion -for nearly a quarter of a mile offshore, the depth remains almost consistently three to six...

Jet Ski the Intracoastal Waterway (Isle of Palms)

Jet Ski the Intracoastal Waterway (Isle of Palms)

North of the IOP, the Intracoastal Waterway is an undeveloped wildlife haven ripe for exploration. Rent a WaveRunner from Tidalwave Watersports and take off toward Capers Island, part of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and an excellent open waterway to enjoy some jet-propelled...

Paddle America’s First Canal (Moncks Corner)

Paddle America’s First Canal (Moncks Corner)

Old Santee Canal Park boasts an impressive museum, visitor center, and a boardwalk through the swampy area along the Cooper River. They also maintain the Santee Canal, built in the late 18th century to transport crops between the uplands and Charleston. Today, the canal is a fine place to...

Tidal Creek Disc Golf Course (West Ashley)

Tidal Creek Disc Golf Course (West Ashley)

Charleston is home to a handful of disc golf courses, and Tidal Creek at West Ashley Park is one of the nicest. The wooded, technical course winds along marshland and includes some tight drives. Your furry pal will enjoy keeping you company, and he might come in useful if you launch a...

Kiawah Beachwalker Park (Kiawah Island)

Kiawah Beachwalker Park (Kiawah Island)

Among Charleston’s beaches, Kiawah’s Beachwalker County Park has the least restrictive dog rules. They’re allowed year-round, all day long, as long as they’re leashed. It’s also one of the Lowcountry’s most beautiful and fragile beaches. Walk to the end of Capt. Sam’s Spit for a panoramic...

Explore Fort Moultrie (Sullivan’s Island)

Explore Fort Moultrie (Sullivan’s Island)

Fort Moultrie’s legacy lives forever on the S.C. state flag-the fort’s palmetto log sides famously absorbed a barrage of British cannonballs during the Revolutionary War. Today it’s a fine place to take your four-legged friend. Dogs aren’t allowed inside the fort itself, but when leashed...

James Island County Park Dog Park (James Island)

James Island County Park Dog Park (James Island)

With its sandy beach, swimming lake, and multi-acre field surrounded by woods, James Island boasts the Taj Majal of dog parks. The park provides drinking water, hoses for cleaning and cooling off, entry and exit gates, and bags and collection cans for your pooch’s poo. Directions from...

Catch the Breeze

Catch the Breeze

For a relaxing, stress-free adventure we recommend experiencing Charleston’s sights via water. More specifically, we recommend kicking back in style on a catamaran. Skip the carriage tour mob, hit the water, and take in Forts Moultrie and Sumter, Castle Pinckney, the USS Yorktown, and the...

Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest

Experience a Real Lowcountry Swamp (Harleyville)

When most people think of the Lowcountry they think of beaches. That beach mentality often keeps folks from participating in an authentic and rewarding swamp experience. Located in Four Holes Swamp and off the beaten path, the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest includes a 1.75-mile...

Biking Around Lake Moultrie (Lake Moultrie)

Biking Around Lake Moultrie (Lake Moultrie)

For 26 miles, the Palmetto Trail skirts the banks of Lake Moultrie following a wide dike that’s often immediately along the shore. The packed dirt trail is flat which allows for any great family ride for all levels of riders. The final 3 miles at the trail’s western end passes through a...

Bohicket Creek to the Edisto River (Wadmalaw Island)

Bohicket Creek to the Edisto River (Wadmalaw Island)

It’s evident just on the drive out to Wadmalaw’s Cherry Point Landing that you’re in for a scenic treat with this paddle. From the landing, head right past the sleepy, historic village of Rockville into Bohicket Creek. You’ll soon reach the open waters of the Edisto River and Botany Bay...

Wambaw Creek Canoe Trail (McClellanville)

Wambaw Creek Canoe Trail (McClellanville)

This winding blackwater creek is one of the Lowcountry’s finest places to paddle. From Still Landing, canoes and kayaks can head either direction through the cypress/tupelo stands that line the creek. Warblers, kites, and wildlife are abundant. If you have a second car to drop, it’s a 5...

Loop Through a Historic Sea Island (Wadmalaw Island)

Loop Through a Historic Sea Island (Wadmalaw Island)

Just 20 minutes from downtown Charleston, the agrarian island of Wadmalaw still exists much as it has for a century. Liberia Rd. (SC 68) allows bicyclists to ride a 9.8-mile loop, or continue down Bears Bluff Rd. another 4.3 miles to White Point Landing and the confluence of the Wadmalaw...

Troll the Gulf Stream (Atlantic Ocean)

Troll the Gulf Stream (Atlantic Ocean)

Hooking and reeling in a 50+ pound fish is an incomparable thrill, especially when the experience comes after rousing yourself at 3 a.m. for a two-and-a-half-hour boat ride out to the Gulf Stream. Charleston’s marinas offer a host of offshore guides and charters. Trolling attracts...

Catch Monster Catfish (Lake Moultrie)

Catch Monster Catfish (Lake Moultrie)

Electric utility Santee Cooper built Lakes Marion and Moultrie in the 1940s to generate power, but sixty years later, they’re best known for that project’s welcome byproduct-fish. From bass to crappie, the lakes have historically produced national record catches. Catfish take the prize...

Kayak Fish the Harbor (James Island)

Kayak Fish the Harbor (James Island)

The grassy marshland that lines the West Ashley and James Island side of Charleston harbor is rife with sea trout and redfish. A kayak’s silence and stealth allow anglers a closer approach to their prey than in a motorized craft. Focus on the mouths of small feeder creeks opening up into...

Cast from the Old Cooper River Bridge (Mount Pleasant)

Cast from the Old Cooper River Bridge (Mount Pleasant)

With the recent opening of Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park, fishermen have new access to the waters of Charleston Harbor. The remnants of the infamously narrow bridge over the Cooper River have been repurposed as a fishing pier, and trout, redfish, and sheepshead are all fair game. Bring the...

Surf Angling the Morris Island Lighthouse (Folly Beach)

Surf Angling the Morris Island Lighthouse (Folly Beach)

The former Coast Guard station on the north end of Folly Beach is a favorite local escape with a maritime forest and empty beaches. Set up shop for a day of casting into the surf right where the island turns toward Morris Island and its iconic lighthouse rising from the waves. Fish shrimp...

Mullins Cove Loop

Mullins Cove Loop

Mullins Cove Loop (Cumberland Trail, Prentice Cooper State Forest) A 10.5-mile loop that will take runners around the east and west rim of Prentice Cooper. Be prepared for tight and technical hiking trails that seem to have a constant change in elevation. After enduring miles of...

Big Daddy Run (Lookout Mountain)

Big Daddy Run (Lookout Mountain)

Big Daddy Run (Lookout Mountain) This area has many different trails to choose from, ranging from gradual gravel roads to steep technical hiking trails. Runners can choose the Guild Trail for an easier gravel road run, or opt for the extremely challenging “Big Daddy” run. The Big Daddy...

Chattanooga Urban Adventure

Chattanooga Urban Adventure

Coolidge Park (Riverfront Area) Coolidge Park lies on the banks of the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga. The park offers multiple grass fields, a giant fountain for kids of all ages to play in, a climbing wall, and a carousel with hand carved animals. Above the middle of the park...

Run the Chattanooga River Walk

Run the Chattanooga River Walk

A great place to go for a run in downtown Chattanooga. A paved, 7 mile pathway that will take runners from downtown Chattanooga, along the Tennessee River, to the Chickamauga Dam. After working up an appetite, check out the Boathouse Restaurant located on the River Walk about 3 miles from...

Raft the Ocoee (Cleveland)

Raft the Ocoee (Cleveland)

The Ocoee River, just 30 miles north of Chattanooga, offers plenty of whitewater rafting action. The 5 mile Middle Ocoee section starts at Ocoee Dam #2 and includes Class III and Class IV rapids with highlights such as Table Saw and Powerhouse. The Upper Ocoee’s claim to fame is that it...

Sunset Rock (Lookout Mountain)

Sunset Rock (Lookout Mountain)

Obvious of its name, Sunset Rock offers a great place for hikers to come and watch the sun go down. A short hike from the parking lot and hikers will find themselves atop an 80 ft, cliff with a front-row view of the Sunset. Over 20 miles of trails branch off from Sunset Rock, so hikers...