Day Hike 1: Beacon Heights to Boone Fork Parking Area
At the Foot of Grandfather (Mountain)
Distance: 7.2 miles
- Difficulty: Moderate. Rocky terrain in spots.
- Camping: Sites located in Grandfather Mountain State Park off Nuwati Trail, 6.9 miles into the hike. Permit required; call 1-877-722-6762 or visit www.reserveamerica.com and search for Grandfather Mtn. State Park.
- Land managers: N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, National Park Service.
- Volunteer Task Force Leader: Randy Johnson, ranjohns@aol.com.
- Piggyback trail: Tanawha Trail.
- Connecting trails: Daniel Boone Scout Trail, Nuwati Trail.
The Tanawha Trail, upon which the MST piggybacks from Beacon Heights to Price Lake, passes under the Linn Cove Viaduct.
What’s the difference between the top of Grandfather Mountain and its southeastern flank along the Blue Ridge Parkway? A lot during a “weather event.”
When weather moves into the region from the west, it moves in with a vengeance atop Grandfather, where the official wind gust record (sustained for three seconds) is 114.7 miles per hour, where 24 inches of snow have fallen in a 24-hour period, and where the temperature has dipped to 32 below and is typically 10 to 20 degrees cooler than the countryside below. Yet on its leeward southeastern flank, where the Mountains-to-Sea Trail rises from the Wilson Creek area back to the Blue Ridge Parkway, the weather can be civil even when it’s surly up top. And you’ll be able to enjoy a sampling of the rugged, rocky territory that dominates Grandfather’s crest. From Beacon Heights to Price Park, the MST piggybacks on the Tanawha Trail, which does a good job of taming the terrain with stone steps, artful bridges over dodgy creeks and the occasional ladder.
Plan to spend time in the Rough Ridge area, where the trail emerges into a fragile, exposed alpine environment (stay on the trail), offering some of the best 360-degree views on this stretch of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
For detailed hiking directions and parking information, download the Segment 5 guide from our Trail Guides page, using the “Primary Trailheads” section to pinpoint the location. You can also visualize the route on our interactive map; click “Day Hikes” to view the endpoints.
