Day Hike 4: Trout Lake to Thunder Hill Overlook
A Proper Ramble
Distance: 7.5 miles, plus 0.3-mile connector trail
- Difficulty: Easy. All downhill on carriage trail.
- Camping: No.
- Land manager: National Park Service.
- Volunteer Task Force Leader: Randy Johnson, ranjohns@aol.com.
- Piggyback trail: Watkin Road, Cone Estate carriage trail
- Connecting trails: Black Bottom Road and Deer Park Road, Cone Estate carriage trails.
From Flat Top Manor at Moses Cone Memorial Park it’s a long downhill ramble on carriage trail.
Imagine the plight of a wealthy industrialist looking for a little weekend R&R from the work-a-day world. What would you do if money wasn’t a concern?
Something to think about as you head down the steps of Flat Top Manor at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and hit the 25 miles of carriage trail that the wealthy industrialist in question, textile mogul Moses H. Cone, built as part of his 3,516-acre getaway from Greensboro. Cone and wife Bertha — with the help of many others, from the 30 tenant farmers who worked the grounds to Pennsylvania governor and noted conservationist Gifford Pinchot — fashioned this stunning turn-of-the-20th-century preserve that remains today, as part of the National Park Service, a lovely place for a walk.
Especially lovely for the recalcitrant rambler who wants to sample the MST. After a mile-and-a-quarter climb from Trout Lake up to Cone Manor, there’s miles of gradual downhill on a foot-friendly, crushed gravel surface. At Black Bottom Road, another carriage trail, you have the option of continuing on the MST or taking Black Bottom for a return trip on carriage trail to the manor house on one of several carriage paths.
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.
