Cone Manor to Bass Lake Trail is a 6.2 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Blowing Rock, North Carolina that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
April 12, 2021Sweet
March 29, 2021Awesome trail! Loved seeing the history. We took our 6 and 9 year olds and set up a picnic along the banks of the lake. Wish we had brought our hammock!
March 12, 2021Well maintained wide gravel trail
February 8, 2021January 12, 2021Great
January 11, 2021Great winter hike. A little icy in the beginning but hard packed snow for most. Started snowing quite heavily during the hike so should be great coverage.
December 26, 2020A runner's paradise. Be courteous when passing in either direction and especially when approaching those being carried by equestrians from behind...they'll appreciate you not spooking the horse. Maybe one day they will return the consideration by putting a poo bag on so as to catch the road apples.
December 11, 2020Transformative
December 11, 2020November 6, 2020October 13, 2020Spectacular day, even if leaves were here very briefly
October 8, 2020Beautiful trail with the leaves starting to change on an absolutely lovely day! We did this trail after the Flt Top Mtn Trail & what a difference in locations. The lake was gorgeous & while there were alot of people on our return trek back, there was definitely enough distance that it wasn't a problem. Great place to take your dog(s) (Leashed of course). Will do this again, for sure.
October 4, 2020Mostly small gravel trail that is more a walk than hike. Pleasant stroll
October 1, 2020Pretty good trail
September 29, 2020Perfect way to get out and enjoy nature without the strenuous climbs involved in some mountain trails. Take it slow, or move at a runner’s pace, the wide trails provide great ability to move along at any pace.
September 28, 2020September 6, 2020Very nice grounds for a leisurely walk. Quiet woods with only the sounds of wind in the trees. Afternoon sunlight sneaking through the leaves. The horse droppings are just part of the character of the trail. Many miles of trails, this one to Bass Lake is particularly nice during the week. The grade is gentle, path is wide. Not for hiking but rather for thinking. Great for kids, especially when the cows are out. might be tricky on the gravel with a stroller. Enjoy.
September 4, 2020Love it
August 31, 2020Nice trail!
August 20, 2020August 13, 2020August 5, 2020Great trail , wide, easy on the feet, no trip hazards. There were some horse droppings but that’s ok! Lots of shade. Slight incline from the lake to the manor, just enough to make you break a sweat. Would be a great running trail. We also took the .2 mile detour to see the old Apple barn.
July 10, 2020Nice easy trail but long enough to get a nice workout. Not crowded at all and beautiful lake with benches perfect for a picnic. There were some horses but it was a dry day so the poop wasn’t stinky.
July 7, 2020A gravel road network of mostly tree covered trails. The only negative would be always having to be on the watch for horse manure.
July 3, 2020This was always a favorite hike for my family when I was a child, and now I enjoy it with friends. The trail is wide, which makes it great for small groups.
June 27, 2020Easy trail for anyone of all skill level/age. It’s on the Cone Manor property and essentially goes around the property grounds. A lot of pretty flora, streams and switchbacks that carve you down the grounds. About 2.2 miles to Bass lake. Which you can walk around. From there go to the Maze. Which is about a 2 mile switchback. And then hop back on the other side of the lake to Apple House and eventually back to where you started for the last 2. Parking can be tough at the Manor house. We ended up parking on BRP and no tickets. Trail itself is a wide carriage gravel path. Be ware of horses and horse poop.
June 13, 2020The azaleas are blooming and beautiful, but don't take a deep breath to enjoy the Mountain Air because you will likely get a whiff of horse poop. I found myself weaving through piles of poop, disgusting. The trails are nice wide and shaded. The lake, mountain views, house, forest, flowers are eye candy.
April 4, 2020I wanted to do a variation on this trail, so I started up the Deer Park Road, then turned to go by the Apple Barn. Continued up to the Manor House on the Watkins Road. It made for a very pleasant loop. Since all the trails are carriage roads, the grade is never very steep. Plus, walking in running shoes is fine, since there are very few rocks and roots to worry about. There were many people out on this beautiful spring day.
February 19, 2020Nice and simple. Not crowded on this cold day
February 2, 2020Did this one backward today (Feb 1), parking down at the Bass Lake access point since the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed for ice. It was a lovely walk in the woods through the fog and an inch or two of snow- just what I was looking for! Had the porch of the manor house to myself when we stopped for lunch. While I might have wished for more of a challenge terrain-wise in another trip, since I had a friend’s dog in addition to mine (both leashed), I appreciated the wide carriage paths this time.
