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.

Capers Island (Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge)

Capers Island (Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge)

That Capers Island exists as an undeveloped, public island is one of the Lowcountry’s greatest natural assets. Just 15 miles from downtown Charleston, the night sky on Capers’ boneyard beach is darker (and the stars more vibrant) than on any of the populated islands it neighbors. Although...

Folly River to Bird Key (Folly Beach)

Folly River to Bird Key (Folly Beach)

The myriad of tidal creeks, running behind Folly Island, are a fine place to explore by kayak, and it’s only a quick 15-minute ride from downtown Charleston. From the Folly landing head left to the mouth of the Stono River (about 2 miles). The island blocking the inlet’s mouth between...

The Perfect Charleston Weekend

The Perfect Charleston Weekend

Welcome to the Charleston Adventure Guide’s Perfect Weekend section. Below you will find information on things to do in Charleston, SC including nightlife, attractions, and outdoor adventure. Head to the Ravenel Bridge We suggest kicking off your Perfect Weekend by heading to Charleston’s...

Conquer the Isle of Palms Connector (Mt. Pleasant)

Conquer the Isle of Palms Connector (Mt. Pleasant)

At close to 2.25 miles long, the IOP Connector Bridge crosses the Intercoastal Waterway and connects the Isle of Palms with Mt. Pleasant. The deceptive climb up to the crest of the bridge rewards you with outstanding views of the Waterway and Isle of Palms. We suggest starting this run at...

Surf The Washout Folly Beach

Surf The Washout (Folly Beach)

Although it’s hardly consistent year-round, Folly Beach is arguably the best break in S.C., if not the most popular. Surfers come out of the woodwork on big days to ride the popular Washout break, known by that name because of hurricanes’ propensity to cut a new creek through the island...

Standup Paddleboard Isle of Palms

Standup Paddleboard (Isle of Palms)

Before surfboards evolved into the tiny daggers they are today, most were hefty planks. Stand-up paddleboarding takes that history a step further, adding enough girth and buoyancy to the board to allow a person to stand upright and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water. The...

Quest For Adventure Heath Cartee

Quest For Adventure: Heath Cartee

In the first episode of a new series from The Adventure Collective, The Quest For Adventure, we join Heath Cartee of Pisgah Outdoors to gain insight into what motivates his pursuit of adventure and learn more about his philosophy behind pushing himself to continue exploring and seeking...

Graveyard Fields Trail

Graveyard Fields Hiking Trail

Graveyard Fields Hiking Trail (Blue Ridge Parkway): A moderate 3.2-mile out and back hike through a high alpine valley with two picturesque waterfalls. Start the hike at the lower end of the parking area. To access Second Falls, hike down the steep paved path and cross the river...

Skinny Dip Falls Asheville

Skinny Dip Falls & Swimming Hole

Skinny Dip Falls: This three-tiered waterfall along the Yellowstone Prong drops a total of 30 feet through a rocky bend in an ice-cold mountain stream. Perched on the edge of the tallest falls is a rock that juts over a deep plunge pool. While we can’t say that the waterfalls are...

Warren WIlson Trails

Warren Wilson Running Trails

Warren Wilson Running Trails: The numerous hiking and running trails at Warren Wilson College are some of our personal favorites. The area is home to miles of great singletrack that carves through rolling meadows and beautiful forests seemingly endless options for exploration. One of our...

Hiking Roan Mountain

Roan Mountain Hiking Trail (Appalachian Trail)

Roan Mountain Hiking Trails: The Appalachian Trail, the nation’s longest marked footpath at 2,178 miles, has numerous access points near Asheville. We like the rugged Roan Mountain section near Bakersville. From the Carver’s Gap (5,500 feet) parking area we recommend heading...

Blue Ridge Parkway Cycling Brevard

Blue Ridge Parkway Ride (Brevard)

Blue Ridge Parkway Ride (Brevard): Climb US 276 through the Cradle of Forestry to gain scenic views of the expansive Pisgah National Forest and the site where forestry first began in the U.S. Head South to gain views of Looking Glass Rock, a towering dome of granite deep in Pisgah...

Mountain Biking At Lake James

Mountain Biking At Lake James (Paddy’s Creek Bike Trails): Taking a mountain bike ride on the extensive trail system at Lake James State Park is a great way to enjoy the outdoors at your own pace.  Around 15 miles of singletrack mountain bike trails are now open at the...

Mike Stam Linville Bouldering

Quest For Adventure: Mike Stam

The Linville Gorge is renown as one of the top backpacking spots in the country. In addition to hiking the gorge also features world-class paddling, climbing and bouldering. The Linville River area is unique due to the type of stone, which is largely characterized as being river-polished...

Best Places To Ride Electric Bikes In Charleston, SC

Charleston, SC is a beautiful city with plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventure. And what better way to explore the city than on an electric bike? Here are some of the best places to ride electric bikes in Charleston: The Battery: The Battery is a beautiful waterfront promenade that...

Southern Appalachian Loop Trail

Southern Appalachian Loop Trail

The Southern Appalachian Loop Trail measures over 350 miles in length. First pieced together by Matt Kirk, the SALT, is currently 99.4 percent complete. With the exception of a sliver of undeveloped land on the state line between North Carolina and South Carolina in Transylvania County...

Oconaluftee River Fly Fishing

Oconaluftee River Fly Fishing

Hook A Hawg On The Cherokee Reservation: Ready to hook up with a hawg on the fly rod? We recommend heading to the Oconaluftee. While most mountain trout average 9″ – 10″, on the heavily stocked Oconaluftee trout are measured in pounds, not inches. A 2.2-mile stretch near...

East Fork French Broad Fly FIshing

Fish The East Fork (Brevard)

Catch a “Grand Slam” on the East Fork: Once a closely guarded secret, this roadside stream near Rosman has emerged as the region’s most popular Delayed Harvest stream. The state stocks 17,735 trout along 4.75 miles of East Fork Rd. downstream of the Glady Fork...

Explore Lake James

Explore Lake James: Large lakes with expansive mountain views are hard to come by in the Asheville area. However, just 40 miles east is the 6500 acre Lake James with 150 miles of shoreline and sweet views of the Black Mountain Range and the nearby Linville Gorge. Your best bet for...

Graybeard Trail

Montreat Hiking Trails (Asheville)

Montreat Trails: The trail system above Montreat College boasts over 20 miles of hiking trails on 2500 pristine acres. With so many trails to choose from we suggest stopping at the Montreat Conference Center to pick up a trail map or view it online by clicking the image below. A suggested...

Looking Glass Rock Boulders

Looking Glass Boulders (Brevard)

North Side Boulders At Looking Glass Rock: Tucked away beneath the 500-foot-tall North Face of Looking Glass Rock are a handful of classic boulder problems well worth a visit. Thanks to the blocky granite of Looking Glass, the boulders have a unique style unlike most other areas in WNC...

Boone Cross Country Skiing

Cross Country Ski The Viaduct

Cross Country Ski The Viaduct (Boone Winter Adventures; Blue Ridge Parkway): In the winter, when snow blankets the mountains and valleys of the High Country, there are few places more beautiful to take in the view than the Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain. What makes the...

Rocky Knob Mountain Biking Park

Rocky Knob Mountain Biking Park (Boone Mountain Biking): Nestled in the picturesque landscapes of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Boone, North Carolina, Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park offers a thrilling and accessible escape for mountain biking enthusiasts of all levels. Whether you’re...

Charleston Magnolia Plantation

Audobon Swamp Garden

Audubon Swamp Garden (Magnolia Plantation and Gardens): By the time most visitors to Magnolia Plantation have walked the ornate gardens, navigated the topiary maze, and played in the petting zoo, they breeze by the Audubon Swamp Garden on their way out the gate. But the 60-acre...

Botany Bay Edisto Beach

Edisto Beach State Park

Edisto Beach State Park (Edisto Island): Perhaps S.C.’s finest coastal state park, trails at Edisto include a 1.7 mile walk to Spanish Mount, a Native American shell mound dated to 2,000 B.C. Half-mile loops circle the maritime forest and marshland, where deer, osprey, and bobcat abound...

Hike to Crabtree Falls

Hike To Crabtree Falls

Hike To Crabtree Falls: Hikers and waterfall lovers wanting a moderate to strenous hike should add the beautiful 2.5-mile Crabtree Falls hike to their list. This is a fairly difficult hike with some sections featuring steep inclines and rocky terrain. Generally speaking, most hikers...

Wilson Creek Trails

Wilson Creek Trails

Wilson Creek Trails: Part of the 500,000-acre Pisgah National Forest, the Wilson Creek area is a destination unto itself for outdoor adventure sports. With fantastic vistas, ridges more than 4000 feet high, whitewater rapids and trails that travel to spectacular waterfalls, Wilson Creek...

Bent Creek

Bent Creek Mountain Bike Trails

Bent Creek Mountain Bike Trails: Over 30 miles of mountain bike trails make Bent Creek the go-to spot for Asheville locals looking to get in some fun, flowy miles during the work week or on weekends. Whether looking for long gravel routes for training or seeking out steep technical...

I'on Swamp Trail Francis Marion Forest

I’on Swamp Trail

I’on Swamp Trail (Francis Marion National Forest): This easy, 2 mile loop follows the abandoned rice-field dykes along the remnants of Witheywood Plantation. The narrow causeways pass through bald cypress wetlands and swamp, providing close sightings of alligators and a multitude of...

Foster Falls Sequatchie River

Canoe The Sequatchie

Canoe the Sequatchie (Sequatchie Valley): About 30 miles north of Chattanooga is the gentle Sequatchie River. The river winds southward through the valley, criss-crossed by old bridges and lined with hardwood stands. For a gentle float with plenty of opportunities to get wet, we suggest...

Kitsuma Trail

Kitsuma Mountain Bike Trail

Kitsuma Mountain Bike Trail: Kitsuma in the Pisgah National Forest is one of the more “famous” mountain bike trails in the Asheville area. So famous in fact Litespeed named one of their bikes after this trail. The suggested ride is a 10-mile loop with close to 2,200 feet of elevation...

River & Paddling Adventures

The Waterfalls of DuPont

The Waterfalls of DuPont (Cedar Rock): When it comes to outdoor recreation in the Brevard area, there are few things more enticing than going to explore one of the many beautiful waterfalls found in the region. In fact, there are few places anywhere with more amazing waterfalls...

School House Falls Pantertown

Panthertown Fly Fishing

Panthertown Fly Fishing: Wild streams like Courthouse Creek or the streams of Panthertown Valley offer some of the best native Southern Appalachian Brook trout fishing in the region. The fish are small in size, but their beautiful colors more than make up for it. These small streams often...

Wadmalaw Island

Ride 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...

James Island Biking

James Island Biking

Ride Between Civil War Battlefields (James Island): Not much remains of Fort Lamar on James Island, site of the Battle of Secessionville, save a few earthen mounds and an excellent views. Begin at the fort and pedal back towards Folly Rd. Take a left on Old Military Rd. and follow to...

Swamp Fox Trail

Ride The Swamp Fox Passage

Swamp Fox Passage of the Palmetto Trail (Francis Marion National Forest): Revolutionary War General Francis Marion earned his “Swamp Fox” nickname by attacking British soldiers and then retreating into the wetlands and coastal pine forests. Mountain bikers can follow in his footsteps...

Upper Creek Falls

Upper Creek Falls

Upper Creek Falls: Known as one of the most unique and popular swimming holes in the area, Upper Creek Falls is a must for all explorers who like the thrill of natural waterslides. The trail begins on the left side of the parking lot and descends into the gorge by way of a series of...

Run The West Ashley Trail

Run the West Ashley Greenway

Run the West Ashley Greenway (West Ashley): Paralleling Highway 17 but far enough away to escape the noise, this 10.5 mile hard-packed dirt path begins at the Ashley River and continues to the Stono River at John’s Island. You’ll pass through neighborhoods and parks as the route...

Run Ravenal Bridge

Run the Ravenel Bridge

Climb the Ravenel Bridge and Boat Back (Downtown Charleston): With its 575 feet of elevation gain, the Ravenel Bridge is the closest thing to running up a mountain in the Lowcountry. The annual Cooper River Bridge Run is among the nation’s premiere races, but runners can enjoy the...

Fish Downtown Chattanooga

Some quality fishing can be found right in downtown Chattanooga. Fishing around the docks and the Rip Rap can produce some quality bass. For canoe and kayak access, head to Coolidge Park to launch your boat underneath the Market St. Bridge. Directions from Chattanooga: From I-24, take 27...

Hike The Palmetto Trail

Awendaw Passage of the Palmetto Trail (Francis Marion National Forest): The Palmetto Trail, signature project of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, crosses the state from the mountains to the sea with the Awendaw Passage its coastal terminus. The 7 mile Awendaw Passage passes through...

Chattanooga Paddling Adventures

Paddle The Tennessee (Chattanooga)

Stand Up Paddle Boarding on the Tennessee River: Paddlers looking to get in a great workout while having a blast can rent a stand up paddle board before heading out on a variety of adventures near Chattanooga. The primitive, secluded beaches of Edward’s Island make for a great afternoon...

Francis Beidler Forest Charleston

Explore A Low Country Swamp

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...

Lake Moultrie

Bike 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 a great family ride for all levels of riders. The final 3 miles at...