July 4th weekend, four friends and I went to Turtleback Falls in Western North Carolina near the Gorges State Park. It is a really cool spot about 4 and a half hours west of Raleigh. We drove out that Saturday morning along with 4 dogs, the ReMeow, the Minibus, and a lot of donuts. One of the dogs is old so his owner carried him the whole way. Needless to say, we got some funny looks from that.
We began by hiking 2-3 miles, where we then set up camp. We got really lucky that there was a site open next to the river. It was a very relaxing environment. After setting up camp, we hiked up the river and explored the surrounding areas. We came across a small swimming hole, where we also encountered a couple of snakes. The next day we set out again, and hiked up about 2 miles to Turtleback Falls. Along the way we also passed some other gorgeous waterfalls. Turtleback Falls is a swimming hole where you can slide down a waterfall that then drops you about 8 feet into a big pool of water.
Unfortunately, while we were there it rained multiple times. The minibus did a great job keeping everything inside the tent nice and dry! There was also plenty of room, and I never felt squished. I took the ReMeow to compare it to the Cats’ Meow that I have at home. It was a nice sleeping bag, and I mostly slept on top of it because of the heat, but my Cat’s Meow is a bit more comfortable so I will bring that one next time.
We spent two nights there, both of which I was exhausted and passed out before dark. It was a great place to camp and spend a summer weekend. It is a fairly easy hike, so a great beginners backpacking trip. The dogs also seemed to have a great time and were exhausted.
Melinda Freeman
TNF Raleigh
Never Stop Exploring
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