TrailBlazer....

BASE CAMP ASHEVILLE:
TEN VARIED HIKES ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

For some RVers, just driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway (see our feature) during the anniversary year will be enough. However, for others who yearn to step beyond the infinite trailheads, the Blue Ridge Parkway around Asheville offers an abundance of widely varied hikes for those who want to hit the trail for a mile or two (or many more).

The Asheville area (a great RVer destination in its own right) is an ideal base camp. Mount Pisgah Campground (Milepost 408.8) offers a great NPS campground (no hookups!) from spring to fall and there are also several other commercial campgrounds close to the Parkway and near Asheville. The relatively new Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at Milepost 384 is a great place to go for planning a wide array of Asheville area hikes and more--as well as must-see attractions on and near the Parkway (including Asheville’s Biltmore Estate and much more).

South of Asheville

1. Black Balsam: Milepost 420.2

This area features some of the most spectacular mountain balds in the Southern Appalachians, including Black Balsam Knob (also called Black Balsam Bald), Sam Knob, and Tennent Mountain. These treeless mountaintops in the Pisgah National Forest draw people from afar due to their sweeping views and alpine-like appearance. Almost entirely devoid of trees above 6,000 feet, the summit is more reminiscent of New England than North Carolina. In fact, you can hike almost three miles without dropping back into the trees. This is almost unheard of in this region. At 6,214 feet, Black Balsam Knob is the 23rd highest of the 40 mountains in North Carolina over 6,000 feet.

From the Blue Ridge Parkway, look for the "Black Balsam" sign near milepost 420, just south of Graveyard Fields and north of Devil's Courthouse. Drive about 8/10 of a mile down the road and look for the trail on the right, park along the road. Walk about 1/2 mile through the forest to reach the open, grassy and rocky mountain meadows. Cross Sam's Knob and continue to Black Balsam (about a mile).

2. Graveyard Fields: Milepost 418.8

Two waterfalls grace this mile-high valley filled with wildflowers and surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains with 6,000-foot peaks. The area got its name years ago from the tree stumps and surrounding trees that looked like grave stones. The trees were toppled by a huge wind several hundred years ago and in 1925 a fire burned the logged area.

An excellent loop trail (Graveyard Fields Loop) is about four miles. Start from the overlook on the Parkway and take the spur trail that leads to the waterfalls. There is a map on the sign at the parking area. Take the trail at the lower end (right side looking away from Parkway) of the parking area. This descends down a paved path through a thick patch of rhododendron, down some steps and to a bridge. Cross the bridge, turn right along the trail until you come to the first trail intersection to the right, and descend a long flight of steps to a viewing platform for Second Falls. You can get a closer look from the boulders at the base of the falls. You can even slide down a portion of the waterfall!

Return by the same route. To take the loop to Upper Falls, do not re-cross the river but continue straight ahead for one mile.

3. Devil's Courthouse: Milepost 422.4

This is a short, but strenuous, trail climbing a half-mile to the peak and affording panoramic summit views of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. The mostly paved trail starts from the overlook beside the mountain. According to the sign at the overlook: “The bare rock profile named Devil's Courthouse is sinister in appearance and legend.” Despite its name and reputation, Devil's Courthouse is home to rare and delicate high-altitude plants (stay on the trail!), including Rock Gnome Lichen and Spreading Avens. Some of these alpine species may be remnants from the last glacial period. The Devil’s Courthouse is 5,720 feet at the peak.

North of Asheville

4. Rattlesnake Lodge Trail: Milepost 375

This is both a favorite hike among locals and a trip back in time. Hike to the "ruins" of Rattlesnake Lodge (there is a photo of the lodge near the ruins), built as a summer home for Dr. Chase P. Ambler and his family in the early 1900s. It is a tragic romantic story; Dr. Chase’s wife died in 1918 and he never returned to the Lodge. It burned in 1926, most likely from a lightening strike.

At Milepost 375 there is a small parking area just before the Tanbark Ridge Tunnel – park here. Follow the trail beside the cascading stream. For a loop trail (about 1.2 miles total): After a short distance up the trail, turn left, up the steps and continue uphill for about 4/10 of a mile to the lodge site. (blue blaze) You will intersect the Mountains to Sea Trail at the lodge ruins. Turn right onto the trail and go about 1/4 mile to a rock chimney. Look for the trail to the right (blue blaze), and take this back to the parking area.

5. Craggy Pinnacle Hike: Milepost 364.4

The Great Craggy Mountains offer vistas, rocky crags, and wildflowers in spring and summer and bouquets of red berries of the mountain ash in the fall. The combination of high altitude (3,500 feet higher than Asheville – temperatures are 10-20 degrees cooler), cool weather, and exposed rocky outcrops create the necessary habitat for a number of rare and endangered plants. Craggy Gardens has been recognized by the state of North Carolina as a Natural Heritage Area and has been recommended as a National Natural Landmark.

From the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center, drive north through a short tunnel and pull into the next parking area on the left. The Craggy Pinnacle Trail begins here. It's a 1.5-mile roundtrip hike to the top. This exceptional trail goes through tunnels of rhododendron, gnarled sweet birch trees, and wildflowers. The exceptional panoramic views are hard to top in Western North Carolina.

6. Mount Mitchell: Milepost 355 (Hwy 128)

Mount Mitchell (elevation 6,684 feet) is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. This 1,855-acre North Carolina State Park is part of the Black Mountain range, formed more than a billion years ago. Six peaks in the small range are among the ten highest in the eastern United States.

Deep Gap Trail begins at the picnic area near the beginning of the summit parking area. This is a two-mile roundtrip hike through a Canadian-like forest. You will descend Mitchell and climb to the peak of Mt. Craig. The hike includes a good bit of climbing, but it is not overly strenuous. Your reward is outstanding views of Mount Mitchell from Mount Craig (6,645 feet, the second highest peak in the eastern United States). If you want to go farther, Deep Gap Trail continues for another 3.5 miles and crosses three more peaks above 6,000 feet.

7. Crabtree Falls: Milepost 339.5

Located in the Crabtree Meadows Recreation Area, Crabtree Falls is accessed by a 2.5 mile moderate loop hiking trail. The wooded hike is gorgeous. The 70-foot waterfall is definitely worth the trip! Crabtree Meadows marks the last stretch of the Parkway through the Blue Ridge Mountains before it turns westward into the Blacks, Craggies, Pisgahs and Balsams before entering Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In the early summer, the Meadows becomes a showplace of wildflowers, including the hawthorne, beard tongue, mountain laurel, and gentian.

To access the hiking trail, watch for signs for the Crabtree Meadows Camping area. Near the entrance is a gift shop and restaurant, along with helpful workers if you have questions. Follow the road into the campground about 1/4 mile. Just past a small info booth, you will see a parking lot on the right with a sign for the Crabtree Falls Trailhead.

A bridge over the creek in front of the falls offers great views. There are even better views on the other side of the creek. You can either return on the same trail or complete the loop (adds an extra half-mile) by climbing the stairs across Big Crabtree Creek and continuing up and along the creek for the 1.6-mile hike back to the parking area.

8. Linville Falls: Milepost 316.4

Linville is probably the most photographed waterfall in North Carolina. The Falls drops 90 feet into the 12-mile long Linville Gorge. Enjoy spectacular views of the waterfall surrounded by the steep walls of the gorge. The forest includes virgin hemlock mixed with other familiar trees such as white pine, oaks, hickory, and birch. A colorful and varied display of wildflowers decorates the trails in the spring. Red and golden leaves in fall beautifully contrast with the soothing green of hemlocks. The National Park Service provides a campground and picnic area for those who plan to stay and enjoy the view.

You can hike to five viewpoints on two trails that leave the Visitors Center (1.5 miles from the Parkway) that offers restrooms and an information center (open May-October and weekends in April). Only one of the trails is strenuous and you can hike to all five viewpoints with a four mile hike.

9. Beacon Heights: Milepost 305.2

This is a short one-mile roundtrip hike with a big pay-off - spectacular views, including Grandfather Mountain, one of the highest peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountain range (elevation 5,946 ft).

The trailhead at this parking area crosses a small road and then heads up the mountain to Beacon Heights. About 2/10 mile up the trail, it forks to the left as the Tanawha Trail and represents the starting point of this 13-mile trail to the Linn Cove Viaduct and beyond. Turn right to reach the top of Beacon Heights. Near the summit, the trail splits again. To the right, the trail leads you to the south-facing rock face with plenty of room to sit on the smooth rock face and enjoy the beautiful views of multiple mountain ranges. To the left, the trail climbs a bit to another rock dome with great views of Grandfather Mountain to the west and more peaks to the north and east. Elevation at the top is around 4,340 feet.

10. Rough Ridge: Milepost 302.8

This is a quick hike (1/3 mile) in the Pisgah National Forest with great views of Grandfather Mountain, Linn Cove Viaduct and multiple mountain ranges in several directions. This is a great stop if you have some non-hikers along for the ride. They can enjoy the creek cascading down the mountainside at the overlook. The trail includes a wooden boardwalk atop the rocky mountain that protects fragile vegetation from hikers. There are several benches where you can relax and enjoy the view.

Park at the overlook and take the trail to the right. Soon, you will reach an intersection with the Tanawha Trail. Turn left on the trail, following the directions on the sign toward Linn Cove. You take a bridge across the tumbling creek and climb through woodlands to the dramatic expansive views via the boardwalk. The climb is a bit strenuous, but it's brief. The actual summit of Rough Ridge is another 1/3-mile up the trail. But the views at the boardwalk are just as good. Elevation at the overlook is 4,293 feet. The summit is about 480 feet higher.

RESOURCES

See our general Blue Ridge Parkway feature’s “Resources” for great planning tools. Asheville’s www.exploreasheville.com and www.romanticasheville.com will also be quite helpful.