People ask me all the time which hike or which trail is my favorite in North Carolina, since my black Lab, Shelby, and I wrote a book about hiking all over North Carolina.

I still can't pick one singular favorite, but I have a couple of places very, very close and dear and special to my heart. If you live in Western North Carolina or have ever been here, it's almost impossible to pick only one — it's just a smorgasbord of outdoors wonders.

But, now we can get it all out there in the open. Land for Tomorrow, a coalition dedicated to supporting the preservation of North Carolina’s land, water and historic places, is holding a contest to pick North Carolina's Top 10 Natural Wonders.

They are now taking online nominations through Thursday (May 6). You can find out more by going to the Land for Tomorrow Facebook page at www.facebook.com/L4TNC or www.landfortomorrow.org.

You can nominate any landscape, natural feature, wildlife or plant life that is unique to North Carolina and should be considered among the state’s greatest natural wonders.

The contest is part of Land for Tomorrow’s effort to highlight past generations’ conservation successes and urge North Carolina lawmakers to continue supporting conservation in our state.
Former Governors Jim Hunt and James Holshouser and an expert panel of North Carolinians will help pick the Top 10.

Panelists include Former Governor Jim Hunt, Charles Frazier, author of "Cold Mountain" and "Thirteen Moons" (and an Asheville resident), and Tift Merritt, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, among others.

“Many of North Carolina’s greatest natural wonders are here for us to enjoy because of previous generations’ commitment to conservation,” said Katherine Skinner, steering committee member of Land for Tomorrow and Executive Director for the Nature Conservancy in North Carolina. “We believe that this
contest will show that North Carolinians today still have passion for the state’s natural beauty and want the state to continue protecting new areas.”

The general public has until May 6 to nominate their favorite North Carolina natural wonders for consideration in the contest. Then, the expert panel will narrow down the nominations to a group of finalists. Popular vote online will determine “North Carolina’s Ten Natural Wonders.”

And, as an added bonus, prizes from vendors across North Carolina, including fine art, outdoors equipment and music, will be awarded to participants each weekday of the contest. The grand prize will be awarded on May 18 when the winners are announced.

For more information about Land for Tomorrow, visit www.landfortomorrow.org or www.facebook.com/L4TNC.