Hiking in Western North Carolina

Welcome to the Appalachian mountain region of Western North Carolina - a haven in the Land of Sky for enthusiasts of outdoor recreation!

HikeWNC.info is your on-line hiking guide for North Carolina's Appalachian mountain region, containing all of the information you need to make your next trip complete. We aim to provide guidebook quality information that you can use in your outdoor pursuits. Have fun browsing and hiking!

What's On This Site

Why take an expensive vacation thousands of miles away when a world-renowned outdoor playground is right next door?

Some of the highest peaks in the East, surrounded by vast areas of wilderness and miles and miles of trails, invite visitors from all over the world. And even locals looking for an easy day hike find the area irresistible.

Tropical Storm Helene Note: Many recreation areas across the mountains were heavily impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Helene in late September, 2024. Roads, trails, bridges, and parking lots were flooded and washed out, landslides and debris flows destroyed infrastructure, and vast numbers of trees and power lines were downed. Many areas will remain closed for the foreseeable future while recovery efforts continue. Please have a Plan A, a Plan B, and a Plan C if you choose to visit.

• Do not bypass closure signs or orders.
• Use extreme caution on open trails as new hazards may exist. Many things have changed, and areas you were once familiar with may now be completely unrecognizable. Treat every trip as if it's the first time you've been on that trail.
• Emergency services are stretched thin and still have difficulty accessing some areas. Be extra cautious so as not to put yourself in a position of needing rescue.
• Areas that remain open may be extremely crowded. If the parking area for your planned outing is full or overflowing when you arrive, go to the next plan.
• Avoid our Best Hikes on weekends and perhaps try exploring some lesser-known trails.
• We cannot keep a running tally of everything that's open or closed from week to week, so please check with the land managers to ascertain exactly what's available before you head out.

More and more recreation areas are opening back up for everyone to enjoy safely, but it will be a long time before the recovery can be marked as complete!

Our Information

Trailheads

Our Trailheads are hubs where several trails and hikes are clustered together or in a network. Each represents an area where you could spend a day or more hiking, without driving too far - or at all!

Featured Trailheads: Pisgah National Forest, Blue Ridge Parkway, DuPont State Forest, Catawba Falls, Bearwallow Mountain

Trails

The Trails section of our site is the gateway to information about individual trails in Western North Carolina. Search for a trail by name; each trail has its own page with all the details, a map (where available), and a place to leave ratings and comments.

Featured Trails: Estatoe, Elk Knob, Commissary, Bald Knob Ridge, Harper Creek, Snowball...

Best Hikes

Your guide to the Best Hikes in Western North Carolina, combining individual trails into a fully guided experience. We feel like these trips are most representative of the great hiking that Western North Carolina has to offer!

Featured Hikes: Toms Creek Falls, Firescald Knob, Rattlesnake Lodge, Hikes for Kids and Families...

Maps

This section covers all of the maps we have available for you to view, download, and purchase, including maps of the Trailheads and Best Hikes above, and interactive Google Maps with downloadable GPS data.

Featured Maps: Interactive Map of Trailheads, USGS Topographic Maps, Nat. Geo Trails Illustrated™ Series...

Photo Gallery

Browse through photos of the trails, views, waterfalls, and mountains in the region. Links to these galleries are provided from Trailheads and Hikes as well.

Featured Galleries: Looking Glass Rock, Sam Knob, Whiteside Mountain, Panthertown Valley, Crabtree Falls...

Area Information

Get general area information to round out your trip, including things to consider when planning a hike, information about places to stay and outfitters, and ways to get involved in the area's hiking community.

Area Information Pages: General Considerations, Camping/Lodging, Hiking Outfitters, Weather/Climate, Clubs and Organizations...

Site Updates & News

Archived news and more articles are on the WNCOutdoors.info Blog.