Best trails in Barnardsville, North Carolina

The road to the trailhead may be closed during the wintertime and alternate routes may require 4wd vehicles. Craggy Pinnacle Trail is one of the most beautiful trails to hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway when the Rhododendrons are blooming forming a canopy of magenta and purple color against the greenery and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Your trail hike starts in the parking lot. Then continue to the upper parking lot where you will see the parkway sign "Craggy Dome" the trail head is just on the other side indicated by a sign. The first part of the trail is covered by color as the plants create a canopy in which you walk under on the trail. The first part of the journey is a gradual climb; then you reach a bend and a nice elevated rock with a view. The trail then leans more upward until it reaches a fork to the right where there is a plateau and many scenic overlooks. As you loop back around the trail with a sign states left to the upper lookout and right to the lower lookout. The lower lookout just allows you to see the visitor center and the mountains in the distance about a 180 degree view. If you want to feel like you are on top of the world take the upper lookout trail until you reach the rock wall with stairs. As you emerge from the stairs you will see a 360 degree lookout with a beautiful scenic landscape of the Blue Ridge mountains, the Asheville watershed lake, and more. What goes up must come down as the walk down the mountain trail is a lot more easier than going up.Show more

Please note, in the wintertime the parking area closes for this trail which adds an additional half mile each way to the trip. This trail is off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Craggy Gardens and has great mountain views.Show more

Big Ivy Road is seasonally closed to motor vehicles. For more information, please see https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nfsnc/alerts-notices/?cid=fseprd529172 The trail is narrow and challenging but if you’re used to hiking this area it’s not as hard as many others. The creek and waterfall are beautiful!Show more

Ridge Views, Fall Colors, Good Exercise The trail is a generally ascending, descending ridge-line walk, with some outstanding views of the Mt. Mitchell Range. Fall would probably be the best time for this hike , when the leaves turn to their Autumn colors. There are a couple of pretty steep climbs, going out from the low gap to Little Butt, and returning from the low gap to Point Misery 22 switchbacks, Well Named. There is no water on this trail bring plenty.Show more

Note: this site is open to the public although it is on privately owned land. If using a GPS to reach this trailhead, please note that due to a difference in road databases, the GPS will not take you directly to the trailhead. We have added a waypoint on this map to help you located the actual trailhead. When driving on Big Ivy Road, take a left onto Lower Staire Road. Do not turn onto Walker Creek Road. Please verify your directions before visiting. Show more

This route along the Snowball Trail leads to Hawkbill Rock located between Snowball and Little Snowball Mountains.Show more