GetHiking! An MST Birthday Season Hike at Falls Lake

This September, the statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail celebrates its 42nd birthday. And while we'll be celebrating with hikes galore the first weekend of September — more on that soon — when it comes to birthdays, we've always been a fan not just of the birth "day," but of the birthday season as well. And for the MST's 42nd, we're declaring that its birthday season start this Saturday — with a hike on the MST at Falls Lake.

If you're not familiar with the MST, this work-in-progress trail will on day link Clingman's Dome atop the Great Smokies on the Tennessee line with Jockey's Ridge on the lip of the Atlantic, a distance of about 1,175 miles. Right now, about 680 miles of the trail is complete, including the 5.2-mile stretch along Falls Lake from the Shinleaf Recreation Area to the Barton Creek Boat Ramp. The trail here is flat only momentarily; otherwise, it rolls in and out of small coves along the fingers of Falls Lake. It's well-shaded, includes no breath-taking climbs and is ideal for a summer's hike — provided you come prepared, which in this case means bringing two bottles of water, wearing sturdy hiking shoes and being mentally ready to embrace a little sweat. Frozen concoctions that are not Popsicles but bear a shrinking resemblance await hikers at trail's end.

Note that this hike is limited to 20 hikers. Registered hikers will receive a reminder the Friday before the hike that will include a weather report.