North Carolina's Underrated Town Outside Of Charlotte Is Near Walkable Trails And Has Historic Charm

Nestled up to one of America's oldest mountain ranges are the quiet, charming streets of Mount Gilead, North Carolina. Located in Montgomery County 57 miles north of Charlotte and 65 miles south of Greensboro, Mount Gilead is surrounded by trees stretching for miles into the horizon. It's also home to unique historical sites and independent, locally owned stores.

Incorporated in 1899, Mount Gilead began as an agricultural community built around cotton farming. In the 1930s, it transformed into an industrial town fueled by the textile industry. Mount Gilead's downtown area joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, and you can take a stroll there to learn more about the history of this underrated southern town. The Charlotte Douglas International Airport is about 70 miles away and takes approximately an hour and 20 minutes by car.

Like any quintessential small town, Mount Gilead holds several parades and festivals throughout the year, including a May Day Parade on the first Saturday in May, and a Fall Festival on the third Saturday of October. There aren't many options for staying in Mount Gilead, but 16 miles outside of town there's the 1891 Inn Bed and Breakfast in Albemarle. If you want to camp, there are several sites within Uwharrie National Forest. Norwood Campground along Lake Tillery is 10 miles away, and there are further camping options in Morrow Mountain State Park, about a 20-minute drive from town.

North Carolina's oldest historic site is just five miles from Mount Gilead. The Town Creek Indian Mound area has been inhabited by various Native American tribes for 12,000 years, but the historical focus of this site is mostly on the Pee Dee group, who were Native American farmers that occupied this territory about 1,000 years ago from roughly 1100 AD until 1400 AD. They built a village there, and for hundreds of years it was a site of trade, celebration, and community life. You can visit a reconstructed version of the village on site. 

As the name suggests, this area is characterized by a large mound dug into the earth, which historians believe was used for ceremonies and burials. Originally, there was a temple on top of the mound, and approximately 500 people have been buried in the mound over the years. Excavations of the mound have found numerous objects of deep historical importance — including copper figurines — and you can learn more about this and Pee Dee culture more generally at Town Creek's on-site museum. 

The historic site is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's closed on Sundays and Mondays.  It's free to visit, and you there are $2 guided tours available. There is also a short circular path that you can walk around the area to take in the scenery. For a different type of history, travel 110 miles to visit the historic site of surrender in the Civil War.

Mount Gilead sits right at the foot of an expansive green belt full of hiking trails and camping opportunities. Uwharrie National Forest is just eight miles away, and it contains 50,000 acres of trails for hiking, horse riding, mountain biking, and ATV off-roading.

Popular walking routes within the forest include the 5.4-mile Badin Lake Trail, which is rated as moderate on AllTrails. This route takes you through a shady forest, past wildflowers and mushrooms, and gives you some lovely views of the lake. The trail also takes you past several campsites, so you can incorporate it as part of a multi-day adventure. 

The Uwharrie Trail: Jumping Off Rock to King Mountain is a steep, 8.4-mile hike through the trees and up Little Long Mountain with sweeping views of the Uwharrie range. This is part of the 20-mile Uwharrie Trail, which takes you into the center of the woods and offers different paths with various difficulty ratings. If you're up for a challenge, the Uwharrie and Dutchman's Creek Loop is a 16.5-mile hike which is rated hard on AllTrails, although some reviewers describe it as mostly easy with a couple strenuous ascents. For more incredible mountain views, visit North Carolina's "basecamp to the Blue Ridge."