A Great Place to Hike in North Carolina: Grandfather Mountain
Grandfather Mountain is a spectacle of its own. Settled in the Appalachian mountains, the four peaks on the primary ridge resemble the face of a sleeping “grandfather” from a distance (I wish I had a picture).
The park also hosts the “mile-high” swinging bridge- at 5,946 feet!
Getting There
Grandfather Mountain is located on the Eastern side of the state. It’s 1.5 hours from Asheville, and 2 hours from Charlotte and Winston Salem; but the views on this hike make any travel worthwhile!
We took the route that comes past Sugar Mountain. You have to book and pay for tickets in advance! If you do hike from the State Park Parking lot, there are trails ranging in difficulty. There are options for easy nature walks, and challenging hikes (like the one we did!).
If you want to hike for free, there are two other trailheads on the backside of the mountain just off of the Blue Ridge Parkway or the N.C. 105
The Grandfather Mountain Trail Trailhead
Grandfather Trail
This hike is not for the faint at heart. There are ladders, tough rock scrambles, and areas that you have to use a cable to get up the rock face. The distances on the map look short, but due to the difficulty of the trail it takes a significant amount of time.
Our first stop was McRae Peak! (.9 miles from trailhead)
A view of MacRae Peak from earlier on the trail
We then hiked to Calloway Peak! (2.4 miles from trailhead)
Calloway Peak from MacRae Peak
Small plane crash site. (~.5 miles from Calloway Peak)
The Cessna 182Q was crashed in 1978- the single pilot did not survive.
We missed the crash site the first time we walked by, it’s on the left side of the trail about 50 yards off! Keep an eye out!
The Mile-High Swinging Bridge
After hiking back to the trailhead, we visited the mile-high swinging bridge! The bridge was built in 1952 and refurbished in 1999. It is 225 feet long and reaches across an 80-foot chasm.
The bridge was very busy, but seeing the 360 degree views of Grandfather Mountain were worth it!
On the other side of the bridge there is a peak that looks out at the Appalachian Mountains!
More photos from the hike!
I would suggest this hike to anyone looking for a challenge. The trail is so much fun and the views are amazing!
If you’re looking for other things to do in or around Asheville, check out a few of my other posts:
20 Things to Do in Asheville, North Carolina
Craggy Pinnacle: an Relaxing Hike near Asheville
A Guide to the River Arts District
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