|
The Hiking pages simply list trails from the various sites on these pages that are generally 5 miles or longer. We've provided links to maps and some additional information where it's available. Trail names, lengths (one-way) and difficulty levels may differ among publications. Check at park offices or ranger stations for maps and guides. For the definitive guide to hiking in North Carolina, we recommend "North Carolina Hiking Trails" by Allen de Hart, which is a source for some of the information below.
Also, Joe Miller, the former outdoors/fitness reporter for The News & Observer in Raleigh, has published "100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina" and "Backpacking North Carolina."
Mountains-to-Sea TrailThe ongoing Mountains-to-Sea Trail project is to eventually extend across the state for approximately 1,000 miles from Clingmans Dome in the mountains to Jockey's Ridge on the Outer Banks. More than half of it have been completed. MST directions run west-to-east, then south-to-north on the coast. The following is from the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Web site (linked above). Not all of the planned segments have been completed. Difficulty is not provided, but expect mountain trails to be strenuous with difficulty decreasing toward eastern, flatter parts of the state. The Friends site has more thorough descriptions of each section, as well as trail updates and notes about available camping.
|
Section 1: Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Swain County. 27 miles.
Section 2 - 3: Great Smoky Mountain National Park through the Cherokee Reservation to Balsam Gap (South) (BRP MP 443.1) in Jackson County. 30 miles.
Section 4: Balsam Gap (South) at BRP MP 443.1 (U.S. 23/74) to Bear Pen Gap (BRP MP 427.6) in Jackson County. 23.3 miles.
Section 5: Bear Pen Gap (BRP MP 427.6) to Beech Gap (BRP MP 423.2 and N.C. 215) in Haywood County. 8.2 miles. This very scenic section is an excellent day hike, says the Friends site.
Section 6: Beech Gap (BRP MP 423.2 and N.C. 215) to Pisgah Inn (BRP MP 408.6) in Transylvania County. 20.4 miles. Section goes through Parkway's Graveyard Fields and past Looking Glass Falls.
Section 7: Pisgah Inn (BRP MP 408.6) to Folk Art Center (BRP MP 382) in Buncombe County. 31.1 miles. Parallels BRP through Asheville.
Section 8: Folk Art Center (BRP MP 382) to Balsam Gap (North) (BRP MP 359.8) in Buncombe County. 21.7 miles. Through Craggy Gardens on BRP.
Section 9: Balsam Gap (North) (BRP MP 359.8) to Buck Creek Gap (BRP MP 344.1) in Yancey County. 22.1 miles. Includes Mount Mitchell State Park.
Section 10: Buck Creek Gap (BRP MP 344.1 and N.C. 80) to Woodlawn Park (U.S. 221) in Yancey and McDowell counties. 13 miles. Leaves the BRP.
Section 11: Woodlawn Park (U.S. 221) to Ripshin Ridge (N.C. 181) 34 miles. Includes the Linville Gorge area, one of the most scenic parts of the MST, and views from Shortoff Mountain and Table Rock. The trail also requires wading to ford the Linville River and three smaller creeks.
Section 12: Ripshin Ridge in Burke County (N.C. 181) to Beacon Heights (BRP 305.3) in Avery County. 23.2 miles. Scenic waterfalls.
Section 13: Beacon Heights (BRP MP 305.3) near Grandfather Mountain to Moses Cone Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Blowing Rock. 25 miles. Follows the Tanawha Trail under Linn Cove Viaduct, the Boone Fork Trail at Price Park, and carriage trails at Moses Cone.
Section 14: Blowing Rock at U.S. 321 to Deep Gap at U.S. 421 in Watauga County. 16 miles.
Section 15: Deep Gap (U.S. 421) to Horse Gap (BRP MP 261.2). Frequent crossings of the Parkway and about 3 miles through E.B. Jeffress Park. 16 miles.
Section 16: Horse Gap (BRP MP 261.2) to Laurel Springs (N.C. 18) in Ashe, Avery and Wilkes counties. 15.2 miles.
Section 17: Laurel Springs (N.C. 18) to to Devils Garden Overlook (BRP MP 235.7) in Ashe, Avery and Wilkes counties. 13.7 miles. Passes through Doughton Park. Also incorporates the Bluff Mountain Trail, which on clear days affords views of Mt. Rogers (elv. 5,729 feet), the highest peak in Virginia.
Section 18: Devils Garden Overlook (BRP MP 235.7) to Stone Mountain State Park headquarters (Roaring Gap) in Wilkes County. 9.5 miles.
Section 19: Stone Mountain State Park to I-77 in Wilkes County. 20 miles.
Piedmont
Section 20: North Trace Bike Route 4 through Surry County. 24 miles.
Section 21: From Surry County boundary through Stokes County, the section includes the Sauratown Trail connecting Pilot Mountain to Hanging Rock, and 7 miles of trails in Hanging Rock State Park. 22 miles. Also used as a bridle trail.
Section 22: Hanging Rock State Park to Walnut Cove in Stokes County. 16 miles.
Section 23: Walnut Cove in Stokes County to Summerfield in Guilford County. 20 miles. This section follows a country road through Stokesdale and Summerfield, and passes Belews Lake.
Section 24: Summerfield Road at U.S. 220 to Bryan Park (off Lee's Chapel Road and Southshore Road) in Greensboro in Guilford County. 20.6 miles. This section includes six trails, including the Owl's Roost Trail, bordering three lakes, including Lake Brandt and Lake Townsend.
Section 25: Bryan Park in Greensboro to West Point on the Eno park in Durham. 57 miles. Trail construction continues to move this section from country roads to wooded areas.
Section 26: West Point on the Eno in Durham to the Shinleaf Recreation Area of Falls Lake State Recreation Area in Raleigh.
Section 27: Shinleaf Recreation Area campground at Falls Lake State Recreation Area to Falls Lake Dam on Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh. 21.7 miles.
Section 28: Falls Lake Dam in Raleigh to the Neuse River near Clayton in Johnston County. 28 miles. The section is under construction, with various legs opening as they are completed, toward a target of the end of 2012 for completion. A 6.5 mile section of the Upper Neuse River Greenway Trail in Raleigh and a 5-mile stretch in Clayton opened in fall 2011.
Section 29: Follows N.C. Bike Route 2 through Franklin, Nash and Wilson counties. 32 miles.
Section 30: Follows N.C. Bike Route 7 through Wilson and Wayne counties. 22 miles.
Section 31: Follows N.C. Bike Route 7 from Wayne to Greene and Lenoir counties. 22 miles.
Section 32: LaGrange to Albrittons Crossroads in Lenoir County via N.C. Bike Routes 7 and 40. 14 miles.
Section 33: Albrittons Crossroads in Lenoir County to Sunset Boulevard in Cove City in Craven County. 24 miles.
Coast
Section 34: Craven County to Bridgenton. 21 miles. Includes historic New Bern.
Section 35: Bridgeton in Craven County to the Ferry Landing at Minnesott Beach on the Neuse River. 23 miles.
Section 36: Minnesott Beach Ferry Landing at Cherry Branch to the Newport River at Oyster Point campground near Newport in Croatan National Forest. The bulk of the trail is the Neusiok Trail, which starts at Pine Cliff Recreation Area, about 1.5 miles from the ferry landing off N.C. 306 north of Havelock. 25 miles.
Section 37: Mill Creek in Pamlico Island to the Cedar Island/Ocracoke Ferry via N.C. Bike Route 7. 47 miles.
Section 38: Cedar Island Ferry to Cape Hatteras National Seashore, to Jockeys Ridge State Park in Nags Head (N.C. 12 on Bodie Island) in Dare County. 82 miles (and a 31-mile ferry ride). This section includes the Cape Hatteras Beach Trail.
Visit Our Sister Sites
Carolina Music Festivals The Medium, The Message
Search Carolina Outdoors Guide by a trail's or park's name for additional information and our latest updates:
Return to Top of Hiking Mountains-to-Sea Trail