Hiking suggestions?

I am coming to the Triangle for a 4 day weekend this weekend. I%26#39;m looking to enjoy the fall foliage, perhaps waterfalls is possible. Any suggestions for what is in the area? I%26#39;m coming from the midwest where everything is flat, so I%26#39;m looking for some interesting landscapes that have some elevation to them.

Thanks!

Hiking suggestions?

Well, the Triangle is kinda flat too...we%26#39;re closer to the coast than the hills. I%26#39;m at a loss for any waterfalls around here. When people thik North Carolina %26amp; waterfalls, they usually think of the western mountains and foothills of the state.

As for hiking and foliage, we do have that in the Triangle. Keep in mind though our foliage isn%26#39;t the best this year since we%26#39;re coming through one of the worst droughts in recorded history. But some recent rains may have helped, especially since we usually hit ';peak'; around Halloween. Thankfully maples, which are some of the most colorful trees around here, are also some of the more drought-tolerant.

I%26#39;d check out either Umstead State Park, which is between Raleigh and Durham, or Eno River State Park, which is between Durham and Hillsborough. The latter may prove to be more interesting to you....it may not be waterfalls, but it does have some small ';rapids'; along the river.

Hiking suggestions?

Not sure what your weekend plans are, but if you really want to catch some natural beauty, consider taking ~ 4 hour drive west of Raleigh on I-40 and head to Pisgah National Forest. Fall colors are just about ripe there now, and waterfalls galore!!! I moved here from Chicago 2 years ago and went to see the falls last year -- WELL WORTH the trip!!! (parks around Raleigh area are nice, but don%26#39;t compare to the land of waterfalls)

http://www.visitwaterfalls.com/

RaleighRob has good suggestions for around Raleigh. There is also Blue Jay Point near Falls Lake in North Raleigh, which has several miles of trails along the Falls Lake shoreline. Because of the warm weather, the fall foliage hasn%26#39;t yet appeared in Raleigh. Still, getting out and about the woods is always nice.

If you really want hills, you need to head west toward the mountains. One reasonably close option is Hanging Rock, which is north of Winston Salem. It will take 2 to 2.5 hours to reach that. Farther is the Blue Ridge Parkway, with one of the closer options near Boone and Blowing Rock at 3 hours away. Even farther are the areas near Asheville that DaMetermaid describes. Any of these would be preferable to what is available immediately around Raleigh, but all are a pretty good drive to reach.