• Walk through rhododendron thickets and open areas of wild geranium, blue bead lily and Jack-in-the-pulpit during a 3.5-mile hike Wednesday, Aug. 9, from Sheepback Knob to Hemphill Bald. Guides Jamie and Ruffin will lead this excursion, which has an elevation gain of just 344 feet, meeting at the Ghost Town parking lot at 9 a.m.

• Hike the westernmost section of the Art Loeb Trail with a challenging 11.7-mile hike Saturday, Aug. 12. Hikers will ascend the Art Loeb Trail at Camp Daniel Boone and loop back down on the Little East Fork Trail, logging 2,816 feet of elevation gain. Guides Tara and Steve will meet hikers at Jukebox Junction in Bethel at 8:30 a.m.

• Celebrate the Year of the Trail Saturday, Aug. 19, with an easy 3.2-mile hike at Bear Pen Gap, a high-elevation trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway that follows an old roadbed. This is a great location for viewing wildflowers and high-elevation birds, with a scenic bald at the end. Tara and Steve will guide this trip.

• Hike from N.C. 215 to Haywood Gap with a 5.5-mile hike Wednesday, Aug. 23, led by Kathy and Phyllis. This easy-to-moderate hike includes road walking, rock hopping across streams and several waterfalls. The group will meet at the HART Theatre in Waynesville at 9 a.m. • Take a moderately challenging 7.5-mile hike from Cataloochee Lodge to Purchase Knob Wednesday, Aug. 30. Guides Phyllis and Vickey will meet the group at Ghost Town parking lot in Maggie Valley at 9 a.m. 

Hike registration is $10. Sign up at haywoodcountync.gov/recreation .