The
Mountains to Sea Trail
The Mountains to Sea Trail (Mountains to Sea Trail) of North
Carolina is a 900+ mile trail consisting of footpaths, roads,
and state bike routes. This trail started in 1973 when the North
Carolina General Assembly passed the North Carolina Trails System
Act.
North Carolina's Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) stretches from
Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to
Jockey's Ridge State Park by the Atlantic Ocean. The mainline
distance is 908 miles and if an alternate section is followed
it is 925 miles. With Ferry Rides, spur trails to scenic overlooks,
and side trails to campsites, the adventurous journey is nearly
1000 miles. It’s western terminus at Clingman's Dome is 6643
feet in elevation. Its eastern terminus, after reaching sea
level, is in Jockey's Ridge State Park's on the highest sand
dune (140 feet elevation) of the nation's East Coast.
As of June of 2005, The Blue Ridge
Parkway sections of the Mountains to Sea Trail are now officially
recognized as a National Recreation Trail (NRT).
This guide includes most completed
trail sections in the mountains, from the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park to Hanging Rock State Park. Complete & up-to-date
information can be found at www.ncmst.org/
Section 1
(27.2 miles) |
Clingmans Dome on the Appalachian Trail (north)
in Great Smoky Mountains National Park 3.5 miles to junction
right with spur trail for connection to Fork Ridge Trail
to Ocanaluftee River and western terminus of Blue Ridge
Parkway milepost 469.1 (Swain County)
This is an excellent weekend hiking trip! The Mountains
to Sea Trail signs are very easy to follow in the Smokys.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has the Mountains
to Sea Trail highlighted in purple on their trail map. |
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Section
4
(24.2 miles) |
Balsam Gap (South), Blue
Ridge Parkway milepost 443.1 (US-23/74) to Bear Pen Gap (Wet Pen Gap, USFS) Blue
Ridge Parkway milepost 427.6 (Jackson County)
The Mountains to Sea Trail ascends into the Nantahala National
Forest and at times follows old forest roads. |
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Section
5
(8.5 miles)
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Bear Pen Gap (Wet Camp Gap)
Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 427.6 to Beech Gap (NC-215) Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 423.2 (Jackson and Haywood Counties)
A very scenic section of the Mountains to Sea Trail and
remains at an elevation of 1 mile above sea level for
the entire 8.5 miles. This section is an excellent day
hike! Since this area is a wilderness area, no white blazes
are allowed in this area.
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Section
6
(21.4 miles)
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(21.2 miles main white-blazed
route) (37.7 mi alternate blue-blazed route) Beech Gap
(NC-215) Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 423.2 to Pisgah Inn at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost
408.6 (Haywood and Transylvania Counties)
After junctioning with the
Art Loeb trail the Mountains to Sea Trail enters Graveyard
Fields and Looking Glass Falls.
The Mountains to Sea Trail and the alternate Art Loeb
trail make for a nice 3-4 day loop backpacking trip. |
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Section
7
(32.0 miles)
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Pisgah Inn, Blue Ridge Parkway
milepost 408.6 to Folk Art Center Blue Ridge Parkway milepost
382 (Transylvania, Henderson, and Buncombe Counties)
The MOUNTAINS TO SEA TRAIL follows the Shut-In trail down
into the North Carolina Arboretum. After crossing the French
Broad river the Mountains to Sea Trail parallels the Blue
Ridge Parkway through Asheville and to the Folk Art Center. |
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Section
8
(22.0 miles)
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Folk Art Center- Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 382 to Balsam Gap (North) at
Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 359.8 (Buncombe County)
The Mountains to Sea Trail ascends up to Rattlesnake Lodge
and then into Craggy Gardens before reaching Balsam Gap.
This section could be called the "roller coaster",
for its elevation change. |
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Section
9
(14.5 miles)
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Balsam Gap (North) at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 359.8
to Black Mountain Recreation Area by South Toe River (Yancey
County). This section includes Mt. Mitchell State Park for
a great view of the Black Mountains. |
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Section 10
(7.7 miles) |
Black
Mountain Recreation Area by South Toe River in Pisgah
NF to Buck Gap at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 344.1 (NC-80)
(Yancey County)
The
Mountains to Sea Trail continues to parallel the Blue
Ridge Parkway and offers scenic views; an excellent day
hike adventure. |
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Section
11
(13.2 miles)
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From
Buck Gap at Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 344.1 (NC-80)
to Woodlawn Park (US-221) (McDowell County)
The
Mountains to Sea Trail leaves the Blue Ridge Parkway here
and doesn't return to it until Grandfather Mountain. Parts
of this section follow old US Forest Service Roads to
Hwy 221. |
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Section
12
(34 miles) |
Woodlawn Park at Hwy 221 to NC-181. This section would make
a good 3-4 day backpacking trip, and a very strenuous one
at that (34.0 miles). This section of the Mountains
to Sea Trail is the most remote and
scenic through the Linville Gorge. You will need to cross
the North Fork of the Catawba and the Linville River (no
bridges), which can be dangerous during high water. Climbing
up Bald Knob with 37 switchbacks with views of Shortoff
Mountain and Table Rock is a challenge with a full backpack.
You will then descend down into the Linville Gorge, cross
the river and ascend sharply for about 2 miles to the top
of Shortoff Mountain. Campsites are available on the top
of Shortoff (there is a seasonal spring there). The Mountains
to Sea Trail
will then take you to Table Rock parking area at mile 23.0
and descend down into Steels Creek area for scenic waterfalls.
Parking is available at NC-181. Topo maps are a must for
this area along with Allen de Harts guidebook descriptions.
As long as you are in US Forest property you may
camp where you like. |
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Section
13
(24.2 miles) |
Ripshin
Ridge (NC-181) to Beacon Heights Blue Ridge Parkway 305.3
(Burke and Avery Counties) (Complete) (Designated by DPR)
The Mountains to Sea Trail passes the highest waterfalls
of its entire route.
If
pools of water and secnic waterfalls are what you want
then this is the place to get what you want on this section
of the Mountains to Sea Trail. |
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Section 14
25.0 miles |
Beacon Heights to Blowing Rock at HW-321. The Mountains
to Sea Trail follows the exceptionally scenic Tanawha, Boone
Fork and Rich Mountain trails through this area. This area
is extremely scenic in the fall with Grandfather Mountain
in the background. The only campground is J. Price Park
along the Mountains to Sea Trail for $14.00 per night at
mile 13.5. The Cone Manner is a historic place you may want
to stop before reaching Blowing Rock at HW-321. Going unde
the Lynn Cove viaduct and sights of Grandfather Mountain
make this area a great hike in the fall. Mountains to Sea
Trail white blazes will soon be painted along this section. |
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Section 15
(15.5 miles) |
Blowing Rock (US-321) near Blue Ridge Parkway milepost
291.9 to Deep Gap (US-421) Blue Ridge Parkway milepost
276.4 (Watauga County) (Incomplete, must hike Blue Ridge
Parkway shoulder) |
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Section 16
(15.2 miles) |
Deep Gap (US-421) Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 276.4 to
Horse Gap (NC-16) (Watauga, Wilkes, and Ashe Counties) Incomplete
as of January 2006 |
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Section 17
(25.5 miles) |
Horse Gap (NC-16) Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 261.2
to Devils Garden Overlook Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 235.7
- The Mountains to Sea Trail follows the Bluff Mountain
Trail through Doughton Park where you can camp. The Mountains
to Sea Trail has been completed from Hwy 18 to Devils Garden
overlook as a natural surface trail. On clear days you can
see all the way to Mt. Rodgers in Virginia. This section
is 14 miles long and you could extend your trip into Stone
Mountain State Park after leaving Devils Garden overlook.
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Section 18
(9.5 miles) |
Devils Garden Overlook Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 235.7
through Stone Mountain State Park to its headquarters parking
area. (Wilkes County) Follows some named trails, but other
trails are to be selected by Stone Mountain State Park.
Some of the Mountains to Sea Trail follows old Forest Service
Roads. For a routing update please call Stone Mt. State
Park and speak with Ed Farr at (336) 957-8185. |
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| Sections 19 & 20 |
Largely follow roads- refer to http://www.ncmst.org/
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Section
21
(35.7 miles)
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From
Surry County boundary through Stokes County. (This section
includes 7 miles of trails in Hanging Rock State Park.)
The Sauratown Trail that connects Pilot Mountain to Hanging
Rock has been designated by DRP. The Sauratown Trail is
a horse and hiking trail. Major road crossings are NC-66,
NC-8/89, and US-311; towns are Danbury and Walnut Cove.
Leave bike route #4 in Danbury and follow NC-89 to Walnut
Cove, but NC-55 into Forsyth County.
The
Sauratown Trail offers 22 miles of hiking or horse back
riding on the Mountains to Sea Trail to Troy's Den at
Hanging Rock State Park. |
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Sauratown
Trail |
Sauratown Trail - A Segment of the Mountains to Sea
Trail
The Sauratown Trail (ST) is a unique 21.70 mile trail that
begins at the Tories Den parking area of Hanging Rock State
Park and runs in a general WSW direction to the Surry County
Line parking area of Pilot Mt. State Park. The Sauratown
Trail was built, and is maintained, by the volunteer efforts
of the Sauratown Trails Association (www.sauratowntrails.org), an equestrian
group. They also maintain: three loop trails which branch
off of the Sauratown Trail, a trail center, and three parking
areas spaced at intervals along the trail. The two parking
areas that anchor each end of the Sauratown Trail are maintained
by the N.C. Park service. The total STA trail system exceeds
35 miles, and is connected to dozens of miles of park trails
at each end. One can now hike from the Dan River to the
Yadkin River, a distance of nearly forty miles. For directions
to parking areas, and links to the two state parks (with
download-able maps), or to purchase the official Sauratown
Trail map, visit the STA website (www.sauratowntrails.org). The Sauratown Trail is well designed,
with many switchbacks, so that even the steeper sections
are not too strenuous, even for casual hikers. Numerous
combinations of short hikes are available, so that one can
make as much or as little of an outing as desired. |
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More of the Mountains to Sea trail-
For the Piedmont and Coastal trail descriptions, visit
www.ncmst.org |
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Books:
Hiking North Carolina's Mountains-to-Sea Trail by Allen
de Hart 384 pp., 61/8 x 91/4, 28 illus., 79 maps, appends.,
index $18.95 paper, IBN 0-8078-4887-5 (available at outfitters
statewide)
Order straight from the UNC website at : http://uncpress.unc.edu/books /T-5156.html
The Mountains to Sea Trail: Western North Carolina's Majestic
Rival to the Appalachian Trail, Authors Donald E. Dossey
and John I. Hillyer
Trail Profiles - The Mountains to Sea Trail, From Beech
Gap to Black Mountain Campground; Author Walt Weber for
the Carolina Mountain Club; Orders for this book can
be placed with the Carolina Mountain Club on their website at:
www.carolinamtnclub.com |
