Registration

2023 Reach the Peaks Challenge
Saturday, October 21, 2023

The Reach the Peaks Challenge is the premier single day hiking and trail running challenge in North Carolina. 2023 will celebrate the 11th year of the event as well as support the NC Year of the Trail, the largest statewide celebration of trails and outdoor recreation in North Carolina’s history. Reach the Peaks 2023 will offer a strenuous 10.93 mile route on the Mountains to Sea Trail as it passes through Stokes County’s Hanging Rock State Park, beginning at the Tory’s Den parking lot and finishing at The Green Heron Alehouse / Dan River Company.

Net proceeds from the Reach the Peaks Challenge support annual Arts Education Touring Programs in Stokes County Schools, including those by the Winston-Salem Symphony, Piedmont Opera, UNCG Theatre for Young People, UNCG Opera, UNC School of the Arts, Carolina Music Ways, Columbia Marionette Theatre, Shared Radiance Shakespeare, Mike Wiley Productions, Bailey Mountain Cloggers, and others.

Thank you for supporting the 2023 Reach the Peaks Challenge!

REGISTRATION
The 2023 Reach the Peaks Challenge will take place on Saturday, October 21. Advanced
Registration is strongly encouraged. The deadline for participants to receive an event T-shirt and Farm to Feet sock swag is Friday, October 6 at 5pm. Advanced Registration fees are $30 per person for adults and $20 for youth age 18 and under. Day of Registration fee is $35 for both adult and youth, but no swag is guaranteed.
Dogs are welcome! Well behaved dogs on a maximum 6-foot leash are welcome to
participate with you in the challenge at no additional cost.
 Determining whether your dog is healthy enough to participate is at your own discretion.

ADVANCED PARTICIPANT SWAG PICKUP
Advanced Swag pickup will be available at The Arts Place of Stokes located at 502 N. Main St., Danbury, NC 27016. This year’s swag will include an event t-shirt and Farm to Feet Apollo hiking socks. Swag may be picked up in advance of the challenge on Thursday or Friday, Oct. 19 / 20, at The Arts Place between the hours of 10am and 5pm, or may be picked up at the time of check-in on the day of the event.

DAY OF THE EVENT CHECK-IN
ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST CHECK-IN AT THE ARTS PLACE OF STOKES, 502 MAIN STREET IN DANBURY PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE CHALLENGE.

Participants will check-in between 7am – 9:30am on the day of the challenge, Oct. 21, to sign a liability waiver, receive your participant number, pick up swag and map. After checking-in,
participants will be shuttled to the starting line located at the Tory’s Den Parking Lot.

TRAIL ROUTE
The 2023 Reach the Peaks Challenge begins at the Tory’s Den Parking Lot and follows the Mountains to Sea Trail route through Hanging Rock State Park, with a total distance of 10.93 miles. The Trail Route will be marked. Participants will hike the Tory’s Den Trail to the intersection with the Moore’s Knob Loop Trail, turn left and hike to the Moore’s Knob Tower, follow the Moore’s Knob Loop Trail down through the Hanging Rock State Park campground past the Lake Bathhouse, continue through the Visitor’s Center Parking Lot onto the Indian Creek Trail, down the entire length of the Indian Creek Trail to Flinchum Road, concluding at The Green Heron Alehouse / Dan River Company. Safety and sweep teams will be on the route throughout the day to assist participants, if needed, but there will be no staff located at this year’s only peak, Moore’s Knob. A water / comfort station will be located at the Historic Lake Bathhouse, where there are also bathroooms. After reaching the Moore’s Knob Peak, the challenge is mostly down-hill.

FINISHING THE CHALLENGE
Upon completing the 2023 Reach the Peaks Challenge, participants may purchase a beverage at The Green Heron Alehouse or enjoy Korean Barbecue by Johnny Lee before taking the shuttle back to The Arts Place to receive the finisher’s commemorative patch and a special treat from Rocky’s Coffee & Ice Cream. In case of emergency on the trail, participants should call 911 (and may contact park staff at the Hanging Rock State Park Visitor Center at 336-593-8480). Cell phone coverage is not guaranteed throughout the state park.

Please do not underestimate the challenge of this event; we encourage you to evaluate your health and safety needs and plan accordingly.  

What to Expect at Reach the Peaks 2023:

  • THE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE RAIN OR SHINE (Unless Directed by Stokes Emergency Services to cancel due to natural disaster).
  • The Challenge distance is 10.93 miles.
  • Water / Comfort Station will be located at the Historic Bathhouse. In case of emergency, call 911 and park staff at the Hanging Rock State Park Visitor Center at 336-593-8480 (cell service may not be available throughout the park).
  • Food and Beverages will be available for purchase at trails end located at The Green Heron Alehouse / Dan River Company.
  • Feel free to take photos at each peak to share with us and your friends! 
  • We expect you to respect the state park, the trail, wildlife, other challenge participants and hikers who may not be participating in the challenge. Pack out what you pack in and adhere to all state park rules. 
  • This is a hiking/trail running CHALLENGE. It will not be easy, but it will be FUN!

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