Our Favorite Hiking Places Near Black Mountain, NC
Black Mountain is perfect for setting your inner explorer free and taking in the scenic beauty that is surrounded by mountains and laced with trails.
Some of our favorite places are:
DuPont State Forest Waterfalls
Enjoy three waterfalls on a three-mile hike in DuPont State Recreational Forest, with Hooker, Triple and High Falls. There are 6 waterfalls and 3 lakes in total. You may see some familiar sites from the Hunger Games movie release in 2012 while you are at Hooker and Triple Falls.
Moderate hike along the scenic Catawba River for a 4 mile round trip hike to the beautiful 100ft cascading waterfall! You will see a few historic buildings scattered along the trail, remnants of the 1920’s hydropower dam that provided power for the town of Old Fort. This hike does require several stream crossings, so come prepared with solid foot gear to prevent from slipping and getting wet!
Mount Mitchell State Park was the genesis of North Carolina’s state parks system in 1915. At 6,684 feet, Mount Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi River, and an observation deck provides breathtaking mountain views on a clear day. Mount Mitchell State Park is home to several trails from easy to strenuous and from .5 mile to over 22 miles (one way).
Most favorited are:
- Mountains-to-Sea State Trail in the Black Mountains 22.9 miles one way
- Black Mountain Crest Trail 11.3 miles one way
- Mount Mitchell Trail 5.6 miles one way
- Old Mitchell Trail 2 miles one way
- Balsam Nature Loop / K.I.P. Track Trail .7-mile loop
- Camp Alice Trail .5-mile one way
Located on the edge of the Hickory Nut Gorge, around the monolithic rock formation which gives the area its name. The hike to the top of Chimney Rock is 3.9 miles round trip and provides amazing views of the surrounding mountains. This loop is the most strenuous trail in the park as the trail is steep, narrow it does not accommodate strollers. There are other trails in the park and the 0.6 mi Great Woodland Adventure trail has a natural surface with gentle climbs and is also perfect for kids.
Think mile-high peaks, cascading waterfalls, and heavily forested slopes. Comprised of over 500,000 acres, the Pisgah is primarily a hardwood forest with whitewater rivers, waterfalls and hundreds of miles of trails. This national forest is home of the first tract of land purchased under the Weeks Act of 1911 which led to the creation of the national forests in the eastern United States.
All Trails has a list of 54 trails that ,are marked as easier for the whole family to enjoy the park. Trails range up to 8,559 feet in elevation gain so if your feeling more adventurous you are covered!
Check out our local events happening in and around Black Mountain!
