Uwharrie Mountains - Member Hike

Hike Name:	Uwharrie Mountains
Country:	United States
State:	North Carolina
Nearby Town:	Troy
Rating:
Directions:	From Greensboro: Take Interstate 73 south/US 220 south until you get to the NC 24/27 exit. Make right and follow until you reach the Uwharrie National Forest.
Total Hike Distance:	22.00 miles
Hike Difficulty:	Moderate to Difficult
Permit Required:	No
Hike Type:	Roundtrip, Loop Hike
Hike Starts/Ends:	Highway 24/27
Trails Used:	Dutchman's Creek trail and Uwharrie Trail
Backcountry Campsites:	Yes
Backcountry Water Sources:	Streams
Management:	U.S. Forest Service
Contact Information:	Uwharrie National Forest, 789 NC Hwy 24/27 East, Troy, NC 27371, (910) 576-6391 http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/uwharrie/
Best Season:	Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Users:	Hikers, Dogs
Road Conditions:	Maintained Gravel or Dirt Roads
Hike Summary:	The Uwharrie Mountains are supposedly one the oldest mountain ranges in North America. The peaks range from 600 feet to 800 feet in height. I did this hike in February when the leaves were off the trees. It was a beautiful and strenuous hike. The trails were well marked, which was good because there were other trails that cut in and out of the trails we were following. Dutchman's Creek was almost straight up at times and very difficult, but had great views of other mountain peaks (Morrow Mountain for one) and a few lakes (Lake Tillery and Badin Lake) through the bare trees. There were plenty of streams to get water from and plenty of uphill battles. It wasn't as populated as the Uwharrie Trail, so we seldomly ran into people. The two trails form a figure eight which creates different lengths and diffuclties for hikers. We chose the 22 mile version, which is the entire length of Dutchman's Creek Trail (12 miles to Yates Place campground) and the bottom half of the Uwharrie Trail (10 miles to parking area). Yates Place campground was easy to find (and free of charge!) with help from markers on the trail, but was littered with drive-up campers. There were picnic tables and an outhouse-style bathroom, but no running water. Allen DeHarts guidebook of NC trails was a good companion, but may have been a little outdated. Some landmarks went unnoticed or were removed from the park. Overall, I enjoyed this trip a great deal. There were plenty of sights to keep you interested and difficult areas to climb. Allen DeHarts guidebook of NC trails was somewhat helpful, but seemed to be a little old when I used it. Some landmarks were missing-like the old rusty car in one section?!