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Hello everyone I came across this board a while back and was impressed by feedback others had received. I am currently living in Denver, CO and have recently been offered a job in Raleigh, NC. I did grow up on the east coast, but have been in Colorado for a while and become accustomed to the western climate. I have not yet decided on the position, but had hoped this would be a good resource to get some local insight on the area.
I love the active lifestyle and many outdoor sports that Colorado has to offer, but have heard that North Carolina also has much of the same and wonders how it may compare. If anyone has had a similar experience moving from the Colorado area to NC or can provide any other feedback on the lifestyle in the Raleigh area it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. John
You can pretty much do anything in NC, well maybe not in the immediate area. We have the piedmont, coastal plain, and mountain regions. Durham is in central NC, piedmonts. That's one of the things I like about this area. You can take easy trips to the beach or the mountains. There are tons of lakes around here and trails for hiking.
Hopefully, you will like it here. I visited Denver for the first time about 2 years ago. It was very nice in February and surprisingly not as cold as I thought it would be.
While we have snow skiing, you spend more time getting your boots and bindings on than you do on the actual run. We have more "large hills" than mountains. But of course you can't really surf in CO, and if you try hard enough you can manage that in NC.
Went to school in CO and spent a lot of time in Ft. Collins (wife and family) and the Rockies. It's just not the same here. That's not to say it's bad, just different. Don't expect good (good is a relative word) skiing, snowshoeing, rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, etc. locally without a long drive. There just aren't any mountains here, not even large hills. But, if you're outdoor inclined, you'll find other things here that you'll like, such as kayaking. So there are opportunities, just not what you're probably used to, and not as close.
As for the "outdoor lifestyle", the Triangle has it's pockets of people, but it isn't as pervasive as it is in CO. But that's fine. There are Sierra Club sections here, as well as an REI in Cary, Raleigh and Durham. The REIs have bulletin boards in them with notices of events and activities, and the staff themselves will be able to educate you about what to do in the area.
This area does have a wonderful greenway system of connecting trails for walking/running/biking, in nice wooded settings. And Umstead park is nice for the short 1-2 mile nature walks.
If you come here with no expectations and an open mind, you'll find your opportunities and you won't be dissapointed. Good luck with the move.
I think you would be able to find many things to do in the area. Locally, you can investigate one of the largest parks in Raleigh/Cary where you can mountain bike, hike or just take in nature. There is roughly 20 miles of biking trails in this park TriangleMTB.com, your source for mountain biking in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill . Then you can venture to the coast of Wilmington (about 2 hour drive) to go deep sea fishing or investigate different aspects of NC. Then there are the mountains. About a 4 hour drive and maybe more what you are used to with some other great national parks (Grandfather mountain), skiing (not too challenging and unpredictable because of weather). Or perhaps you like water skiing, there are some great lakes for that locally- to name a few (Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, and White Lake (2 hrs away). You can also canoe at Falls Lake Falls Lake or if you want a more challenging expierence, try Cape Fear River. I would be inclined to believe you would find something that fits your lifestyle here.
PDXMom is correct about the mountains, I've been to Asheville and Boone of course and visited the National Park in CO as well. There is a definite difference but as she said, you get the beach here too. If skiing is your thing you'll need to take a drive to VA. and West VA.
The other thing you might be happy about (I was), we got Fat Tire here about 2 months ago! You can't find it in many places these days!
I grew up here, but spent a few years out in Flagstaff & Ft. Collins. It was quite an adjustment moving back considering that I'm an avid skier mountaineer. After a while though I settled into life back east and appreciate what we have for what it is. I love that I can go backpacking in November with ultralight 3-season gear and often still hike in shorts that time of year (I've been snowed on in August in CO). I love that I can swim in the river at my mountain cabin in April (I struggled to even go thigh deep in mountain streams in CO). I love that I can go on a multi-day sea kayak trip camping on uninhabited coastal barrier islands and have an entire 9-mile beach to myself (and yes, I swam there in April, too)! I love hiking through a hardwood forest with the sun shining through on a warm winter day. While I do miss the snow, I don't miss snow on Memorial Day weekend killing my flowers! I don't really ski much any more, however when I do I love that package deals to Austria don't cost much more than they do to Colorado!!! I miss the low humidity of Colorado and Arizona, but I don't miss the cracking skin and bloody noses that sometimes came with it. All in all, the Triangle area is a great place to live. You'll have to try a little harder for good outooor experiences, and they usually won't be as extreme as those available in Colorado, but they're still around! Good luck!
I might help us help you if you give us an idea of exactly what types of outdoor sports you really enjoy, as well as those that you can live without or don't like at all. For example, if you can't live without good skiing and you have absolutely no interest in kayaking, we'd be able to give you a perspective on that.
In the meantime, here are some items that might be of interest in the local area:
I saw this post is from 2009 and I am now in a very similar position to jaynz. I currently live in Denver and have just been offered a job in Raleigh. I'm a 26 year old single female. I love to be active in nature (ski, hike, camp, whatever). I'm open to picking up new activities as well. Although I love to ski I'd be up for picking up kyaaking or learning to surf.
So, how does Raleigh fair in terms of "stuff to do" outdoors?
Also- in addition to the question about outdoorsy stuff- is there a cool "hipstery" kind of place to live? It looks like there are a lot of malls/developments to live in in Raleigh, but I'm looking for something more like Capital Hill in Denver. For those of you not from Denver, who don't understand the reference, I'm looking for the area of town where you can walk out of your apartment and walk to off-the-beaten path bars and cafes, perhaps a bit grungy.
Hi everyone! I currently live in Denver and have just been offered a job in Raleigh. I'm a 26 year old single female. I love to be active in nature (ski, hike, camp) and am wondering what the options will be like around Raleigh. I've gotten very spoiled out here, honestly. I am open to picking up new activities. Although I love to ski I'd be up for picking up kyaaking or learning to surf, for example.
So, how does Raleigh fair in terms of "stuff to do" outdoors?
Also- in addition to the question about outdoorsy stuff- is there a cool "hipstery" kind of place to live? It looks like there are a lot of malls/developments to live in in Raleigh, but I'm looking for something more like Capital Hill in Denver. For those of you not from Denver, who don't understand the reference, I'm looking for the area of town where you can walk out of your apartment and walk to off-the-beaten path bars and cafes, perhaps a bit grungy.
Thank you!
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Denver to Raleigh
