Lovers of nature, unite! The weather is perfect this time of year for a hike ... so lace up your boots, grab your kids and your dogs, and hit the trails.

Last weekend we had our first fall family hike at Harris Lake County Park. The park is located near Progress Energy's Sharon Harris reservoir, but it's one of the Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces. Convenient to us in western Wake County, it's one of my family's favorite places to hike, picnic and ride the trails. The trails are peppered with an interesting array of flora, and I like to quiz my 11 year old on the names of the trees and plants we see as we amble along. His memory is pretty good, though his favorite tree to point out is the sassafras--mostly because he loves root beer. But his specialty is the rocks.

Another favorite hike in the Triangle is at Crabtree Lake, and we enter on the Aviation Parkway side. When we're in the mood for a picnic, we head over to Umstead, and when we're in the mood for traipsing through puddles with our Beagle, the great Magnolia May, we head over to the Eno River State Park.

We're pretty game to try any hiking trails, and I love the time spent with my husband and son, laughing and telling tales and sharing the events of the work and school week. Our dog loves the fresh air and stretching her legs. We've been all over the Piedmont region and parts of the Appalachian Trail hiking and cycling, but there are bound to be tons of great spots we haven't discovered.

NC Natural has a great listing of hiking trails, which include Umstead Park, Crabtree Lake Park, Hemlock Bluffs, and Falls Lake Trail. The NC Department of Transportation also has a comprehensive listing of trails for walking or cycling, and it also offers suggestions for safe routes and events. And then there's the Sickles de facto standard, Trails of the Triangle book, published in 1997, with information on 200 trails around the Triangle. We gave this book to my husband eight years ago while he was recovering from knee surgery. It gave him something fun to focus on, and by starting with the easier hikes listed, he was able to work his way back up to the more challenging trails.

• What is your favorite hiking trail in the Triangle?
  
• Do you prefer to hike with or without your dog?