North Carolina Hiking Trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway
| Milepost | Milepost numbers increase as you go South on the Parkway. |
Miles*
|
Difficulty |
| 217.5 | Cumberland Knob Trail (ideal lazy-day walk) MAP |
0.5 | Easy |
| 217.5 | Gully Creek Trail (rewarding loop that meanders by stream) MAP | 2 | Strenuous |
| 218.6 | Fox Hunters Paradise Trail (view) | 0.2 | Easy |
| 230.1 | Little Glade Millpons (easy loop stroll around pond) | 0.4 | Easy |
| 238.5 | Cedar Ridge Trail (great for day hike; vistas and forests) MAP | 4.2 | Moderate |
| 238.5 | Bluff Mountain Trail (parallels Parkway to Milepost 244.7) MAP | 7.5 | Moderate |
| 241 | Fodder Stack Trail great variety of plants) MAP | 1 | Moderate |
| 241 | Bluff Ridge Trail (primitive trail with steep slopes) MAP | 2.89 | Strenous |
| 243.7 | Grassy Gap Fire Road (wide enough for side-by-side hiking) MAP | 6.5 | Moderate |
| 243.7 | Basin Creek Trail (access from back-country campground) MAP | 3.3 | Moderate |
| 244.7 | Flat Rock Ridge Trail (forest path with vistas) MAP | 5 | Moderate |
| 260.3 | Jumpingoff Rocks Trail (forest path to vista) | 1 | Easy |
| 264.4 | The Lump Trail (to hilltop view) | 0.3 | Easy |
| 271.9 | Cascades Trail (self-guiding loop to view of falls) | 0.5 | Moderate |
| 272.5 | Tompkins Knob Trail (to Jesse Brown Cabin) | 0.6 | Easy |
| 294 | Rich Mountain Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail MAP | 3 | Moderate |
| 294 | Flat Top Mountain Carriage, Horse & Hiking Trail MAP | 3 | Moderate |
| 294 | Watkins Carriage, Horse & Hiking Trail MAP | 3.3 | Easy/Moderate |
| 294 | Black Bottom Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail MAP | 0.5 | Easy |
| 294 | Bass Lake Carriage, Horse & Hiking Trail MAP | 1.7 | Easy |
| 294 | Deer Park Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail MAP | 0.8 | Moderate |
| 294 | Maze Carriage Horse & Hiking Trail MAP | 2.3 | Moderate |
| 294 | Duncan Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail MAP | 2.5 | Moderate |
| 294 | Rock Creek Bridge Carriage, Horse, & Hiking Trail | 1 | Easy |
| 294.1 | Figure 8 Trail (short, self-guiding loop nature trail) MAP | 0.7 | Easy |
| 294.6 | Trout Lake Hiking & Horse Trail (loop) | 1 | Easy |
| 295.9 | Green Knob Trail (to Green Knob) MAP | 2.3 | Moderate/Strenuous |
| 296.5 | Boone Fork Trail (stream, forest, and meadows) MAP | 4.9 | Moderate/Strenuous |
| 297 | Price Lake Loop Trail (loop around Price Lake) MAP | 2.3 | Moderate |
| 304.4 | Linn Cove Viaduct Access Trail | 0.16 | Easy |
| 305.2 | Beacon Heights Trail (10 minutes to view) MAP | 0.22 | Moderate |
| 305.5 | Tanawha Trail (diverse biological and geological features) MAP 1, MAP 2 |
13.5 | Easy/Moderate |
| 308.2 | Flat Rock Trail (self-guidling loop) | 0.63 | Easy |
| 315.5 | Camp Creek Trail (leg stretcher throught laurel and rhododendron) | 0.1 | Easy |
| 316.4 | Linville Falls Trail (view of upper Falls) MAP | 0.8 | Moderate |
| 316.4 | Linville Gorge Trail (view of lower Falls) MAP | 0.5 | Strenuous |
| 316.4 | Duggers Creek Trail (loop to view of Duggers Falls) MAP | 0.25 | Easy |
| 316.5 | Linville River Bridge Trail (leg stretcher to view of unusual bridge) | 0.1 | Easy |
| 320.8 | Chestoa View Trail (30-minute loop to vista) | 0.63 | Easy |
| 339.5 | Crabtree Falls Loop Trail (loop to view of Falls) MAP | 2 | Strenuous |
| 344.1 | Woods Mountain Trail (USFS) |
2 | Moderate |
| 350.4 | Lost Cove Ridge Trail (USFS) | 0.6 | Moderate |
| 351.9 | Deep Gap Trail (USFS) | 0.2 | Easy |
| 355 | Bald Knob Ridge Trail (USFS) | 0.1 | Easy |
| 359.8 | Big Butt Trail (USFS) (trail continues on USFS lands) | 0.2 | Strenuous |
| 361.2 | Glassmine Falls (view of Falls) | 0.05 | Moderate |
| 364.2 | Craggy Pinnacle Trail (to panoramic view) MAP | 0.73 | Moderate |
| 364.2 | Craggy Gardens Trail (first portion is self-guiding nature trail) | 0.84 | Moderate |
| 374.4 | Rattlesnake Lodge Trail (woodland walk) | 0.5 | Moderate |
| 382 | Mountain-to-Sea Trail/MTS Trail (from Folk Art Center to Milepost 365; spring wildflowers and views; parallels parkway; many accesses) | 7.5 | Moderate |
| 393.7 | Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Bent Creek-Walnut Cove) | 3.1 | Strenuous |
| 396.4 | Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Walnut Cove-Sleepy Gap) | 1.7 | Moderate |
| 397.3 | Grassy Knob Trail (steep trail to USFS area) | 0.9 | Strenuous |
| 397.3 | Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Sleepy Gap-Chestnut Cove) | 0.7 | Moderate |
| 398.3 | Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Chestnut Cove-Bent Creek Gap) | 2.8 | Strenuous |
| 400.3 | Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Bent Creek Gap-Beaver Dam Gap) | 1.9 | Moderate |
| 401.7 | Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Beaver Dam Gap-Stoney Bald) | 0.9 | Moderate |
| 402.6 | Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Stoney Bald-Big Ridge) | 1.2 | Strenuous |
| 403.6 | Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Big Ridge-Mills River Valley) | 1.2 | Moderate/Strenuous |
| 404.5 | Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Mills River Valley-Elk Pasture Gap) | 1.2 | Moderate/Strenuous |
| 405.5 | Shut-In Trail/MTS Trail (Elk Pasture Gap-Mt. Pisgah) | 1.7 | Strenuous |
| 407.6 | Mt. Pisgah Trail (summit view) MAP | 1.26 | Moderate/Strenuous |
| 407.6 | Buck Springs Trail (Pisgah Lodge to view) | 1.06 | Easy/Moderate |
| 408.5 | Frying Pan Mountain Trail MAP | 1.65 | Moderate/Strenuous |
| 417 | East Fork Trail (USFS, access to Shining Rock Trail System) | 0.1 | Easy/Moderate |
| 418.8 | Graveyard Fields Loop Trail (loop by a stream) | 2.29 | Moderate |
| 419.4 | John Rock Trail (leg stretcher to view) | 0.1 | Easy |
| 422.4 | Devil's Courthouse Trail (panoramic summit view) | 0.42 | Moderate/Strenuous |
| 427.6 | Bear Pen Gap Trail (access to Mountains-to-Sea Trail) | 0.22 | Easy |
| 431 | Richland Balsam Trail (self-guiding loop through spruce-fir forest) | 1.47 | Moderate |
| 433.8 | Toy Taylor Overlook Trail (paved trail to overlook) | 0.1 | Easy |
| 451.2 | Waterrock Knob Trail (summit view) | 1.18 | Moderate/Strenuous |
*Mileage indicated length of trail one-way unless otherwise noted
|
217.5 |
Gully Creek Trail (rewarding loop that meanders by stream) |
2 |
Strenuous |
At the lowest elevation along the Parkway, visitors can hike, camp, fish, have a picnic, and see restored Battery Creek Lock from the Kanawha Canal.
The 64th edition of the Blue Ridge Parkway Directory & Travel Planner is here! Explore area lodging and attractions, Parkway maps, services and more.
From fine arts to fun, experience the best places and activities to enhance your visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway region.
Camping is one way visitors traveling through the Blue Ridge Parkway can spend the night under the stars in one of America’s most beautiful natural settings.
Don't forget your cameras and binoculars when visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway! Learn when and where to see blooms along your journey.
A journey on the Blue Ridge Parkway offers motorists spectacular views of Southern Appalachia’s diverse beauty for 469.1 uninterrupted miles.
