North Carolina is home to some of the most difficult, steepest trails in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We have created a bucket list of these extreme hiking challenges. Well curated trails typically have paths with switchbacks to keep grades under 15%. Sometimes peak grades can exceed 20%, but those are typically for very short distances. In rare instances, there are rugged paths in remote locations that have longer stretches of very rigorous, steep climbs. These are the trails on our list - and they have the highest vertical change over a half-mile stretch. At the end of this video we’ll summarize the length and difficulty for the entire hikes to the noted destinations. So enjoy our list of the Steepest Trails in North Carolina - the Beasts of the Southeast.
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CONTENTS
00:00 Intro & Overview
01:15 Profile Trail
03:45 Daffodil Flats Trail
06:00 Little Table Rock Trail
08:28 Old Butt Knob Trail
10:55 Pinchin Trail
13:20 Woody Ridge Trail
15:56 Trail Comparison
Profile Trail, Grandfather Mountain State Park
In the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina lies the iconic and notoriously rugged Grandfather Mountain. The use of the Profile Trail to access the mountain’s epic peaks may avoid the park’s entrance fee, but you will pay the price in sweat. The Profile Trail is steep and lengthy, sometimes stripping you of the energy needed to navigate Grandfather Trail, a route that requires the use of ladders, cables, and all-fours to traverse the rugged and sometimes unstable terrain. Throw in unpredictable weather that includes mountaintop winds that can reach up to 200 miles per hour, and you have an adventure at one of the southeast’s steepest trails.
Daffodil Flats Trail, Linville Gorge Wilderness
Within the unruly Linville Gorge Wilderness is a dirt road to an obscure trailhead that takes hikers to a special wildflower destination. But this is no walk in the park. The trail first ascends the Pinnacle before a treacherous descent into the gorge using a path steep enough to challenge the most experienced hiker. At the bottom there is a sweeping array of daffodils that are a remnant of a former homestead. During early March, the floral display is in full bloom and creates an absolutely picturesque setting. But once you get your fill of flowers, you have an incredibly formidable task to get your butt out of the gorge and back to the trailhead.
Little Table Rock Trail, Linville Gorge Wilderness
The infamous Linville Gorge also has an aggressive hike up to peaks. Park down at the Spence Ridge Trailhead and make the trek up to Table Rock and The Chimneys. This will take you up a grueling 30% grade climb to spectacular views of the Linvlle Gorge. You can follow this with a rock scramble through the Chimneys and eventually up to the distinctive Table Rock peak. This benefit of the vistas is only exceeded by the reward of tackling one of the steepest trails in the Southeast.
Old Butt Knob Trail, Shining Rock Wilderness
From the Shining Creek Trailhead you can follow a path that mates up with the Old Butt Knob Trail, one of the toughest, steepest climbs the Southeast has to offer. From Old Butt Knob, you can continue across Dog Losers Knob and make your way to Shining Rock, one of five 6,000 foot peaks in the wilderness. The Shining Rock Wilderness provides some of the region’s most rugged terrain, but for those willing to tackle it, spectacular panoramic views and diverse natural habitat await.
Pinchin Trail, Linville Gorge Wilderness
When I lived in Morganton, I was aware of the Linville Gorge’s ruggedness, including the infamous Pinchin trail. There are deeper and longer gorges in the eastern United States, but none with a terrain as steep as Linville. Pinchin is the toughest route in and out of the gorge - a trek where you will encounter stretches approaching 40% grade. That’s brutal for a hiking trail. But what do you expect from the Grand Canyon of the East?
Woody Ridge Trail, Pisgah National Forest
Through some remote backroads you can reach the base of North Carolina’s rugged Black Mountains, the tallest peaks in the Eastern United States. Although many paths to the Black Mountain Crest are tough, there is one that stands above the others - the infamous Woody Ridge Trail. This trek has a notorious reputation as being one of the toughest, steepest trails in the Appalachian Mountains, climbing 3,000 feet over a 2.8 mile stretch. This hike/scramble passes through hardwoods and spruce-firs before reaching the grassy bald at the ridge. This is the “Steepest Beast of the Southeast”!
