Segment 4: Gorges, Peaks & Waterfalls

Black Mountain Campground to Beacon Heights

Special Note Regarding Post-Helene Challenges

Segment 4 passes through areas that are among the most heavily damaged by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. Although most of the trail has been restored, there is still some damage in a few areas and a few sections remain closed. For the latest information, please check our website at mountainstoseatrail.org/helene and the map and table we link to on that page.

The most notable remaining issue is that the bridge across the North Fork of the Catawba River was washed away in the storm. Funds have been secured for its replacement, but it will likely be a year or more before it can be installed. Unfortunately, in this area, the river is deep and channelized, and there is no safe location to cross, nor is there a safe walking detour. Although aerial imagery from spring 2025 suggests there might be a shallow crossing a bit upstream of the bridge site, the riverbed has changed since then and crossing is impossible there. Therefore, there is currently a gap in the trail that must be driven around, from US 221 north of Marion to the west side of Linville Gorge.

To help with planning, we have divided the segment into four subsegments:

• Segment 4A spans from Black Mountain Campground to the USFS Woodlawn Work Center at US 221 (EB Miles 0.0-19.5; WB Miles 57.3-76.8)
• Segment 4B goes from US 221 to just west of the North Fork of the Catawba River and can only be hiked out-and-back (EB Miles 19.5-23.2; WB Miles 53.5-57.3)
• Segment 4C is from just east of the North Fork of the Catawba River to the Overmountain Victory Trail crossing at Forest Service Road 106 and also can only be hiked out-and-back (EB Miles 23.3-31.8; WB Miles 45.0-53.4)
• Segment 4D is from the Overmountain Victory Trail crossing to Beacon Heights (EB Miles 31.8-76.8; WB Miles 0.0-45.0)

We also provide a recommended route for the driving detour. This route, and all other possible routes, is on busy highways and winding mountain roads, and is not suitable for walking. The recommended route is about 21 miles long and takes a bit less than an hour to drive.

If you are seeking to complete the MST while the gap is in place, you are only required to complete Segments 4A and 4D. If you are a purist and want to walk every mile available, you are welcome to also hike Segments 4B and 4C, and we encourage you to return after the bridge reopens to experience this section of the trail, but we will not require it.

Above all, use caution anywhere on the trail. Although we have done our best to restore the trail to passable condition and will continue to improve it, there are still potential hazards throughout the area, especially because many trees were weakened but not immediately killed by the hurricane and the loss of trees has increased potential erosion issues. Be aware of the risks, and always have a backup plan.

By Robert Trawick and Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail

Hikers on this 77-mile segment through the Pisgah National Forest follow forest ridgelines, climb peaks to dramatic views, forge rivers, and meander along creeks that lead to stunning waterfalls and crashing whitewater. The segment is very remote, with long departures from roads and little access to amenities.

Traveling eastbound, the trail leaves Black Mountain Campground on the South Toe River and climbs gradually to the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP), at the Continental Divide to the Tennessee Valley. It travels through mostly mature forest in the Pisgah National Forest or along the BRP.

The trail then descends to the North Fork of the Catawba River, where a bridge was destroyed in Hurricane Helene making crossing impossible and leaving a gap in the trail. On the other side of the gap, the trail climbs Bald and Dobson Knobs, among the most challenging ascents on the entire MST. From these heights, hikers see some of the most spectacular views of the region, from Lake James to Little Switzerland.

The next part of the trail offers views of the impressive Linville Gorge, as it descends to the Linville River on the west side then climbs to the eastern lip of the gorge at Shortoff Mountain and follows its eastern edge. Because this popular part of the trail has had frequent forest fires, there are stretches with little water or shade from the Linville River until descending again at Table Rock.

The trail then dips into remote wild-trout waters located in areas nominated for wilderness status. It follows tributaries in the western Wilson Creek basin to the confluence of Harper and Raider Camp Creeks and then climbs along Harper Creek before hopping over a ridge to Lost Cove Creek and Gragg Prong. The trail follows these streams until it nears the BRP at Grandmother Mountain and Beacon Heights. Much of this part of the trail travels alongside crashing wild streams and rocky outcrops, which also offer picturesque cascades and waterfalls. This area was heavily timbered in the early 20th century and the trail often follows the old roads and railroad beds. One may look for traces of once vigorous human activity among the resurgent timber, in the sagging banks of these passages, and in the hints of washed-out and vanished bridges and settlements and wonder how nature has reclaimed these valleys and coves.

• Spectacular views of Linville Gorge, which drops 2,000 feet into the valleys below the ridges, as well as surrounding areas with views of Lake Tahoma, Lake James, and Pisgah National Forest
• Impressive promontories such as Dobson and Bald Knobs, the Pinnacle, the Chimneys, Shortoff Mountain, Table Rock, and Hawksbill
• Several waterfalls including Steels Creek, South Harper, Harper, Hunt Fish, and Gragg Prong Falls

Segment 4 Eastbound Elevation Profile

This blog entry has a wonderfully evocative description the author’s experience in Linville Gorge, Segment 4.