North Harper Shortcut Trail
At A Glance
1 mi one-way
Difficulty Rating: 1 
Steepness: Climbs Moderately
Tread Condition: Some Obstacles
Trail Number: 266A
Description
This trail is co-signed as the Mountains to Sea Trail. It's a shortcut from FS 464, Pineola Road, down to a beautiful section of the North Harper Creek trail about a half mile above Bard Falls. This trail is the easiest way to the falls, but it's a pleasant trail by itself. The well-constructed path winds in and out of the coves, crossing some tiny tributaries, as it gently descends through varying mixed-hardwood and cove forests, with nice wildflower displays in spring.
Intersecting Trails
This trail is located in the Wilson Creek Area area. For a list of all the trails in that area, see the Wilson Creek Area trails list page.
All Photos from the Trail
GPS Map
Map Information
Download GPS Data
Click on a route, trail, or point on the map and select the GPS Data tab to download its data.
Data Formats
KML (Google Earth)
KML is the main file type used by Google Earth. If you have Google Earth installed, clicking the KML link should open the trail or point directly in Google Earth for viewing. This is the native file format used by Google Earth, but many other map applications can use and understand KML as well, so if you're not sure which one to download, KML is a good bet.
GPX
The GPX format stands for GPS Exchange - a free, open, XML format for exchanging GPS and map data. GPX is compatible with Google Earth, many other mapping programs, and most GPS devices (such as Garmin). Load the file directly into your GPS to help find your way on your next trip!
GeoJSON
GeoJSON is a newer, lightweight data exchange format which can be used to quickly share map data and may have a smaller size than KML or GPX. Many professional mapping and GIS applications support the GeoJSON format.
About the Map
Copyright
Base Layers
Base layers provided by OpenStreetMap, the US Geological Survey, the US Forest Service, and NC OneMap. Base layer images are subject to the respective copyright policies of their owners. Base layers may not be available at all times due to system maintenance or outages.
WNCOutdoors Base Layer
The WNCOutdoors Base layer is provided by WNCOutdoors.info. It is licensed by Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.
Trail and Marker Overlays
Trail layers and downloadable data are all original works created by WNCOutdoors with guidance from a variety of sources, including ensembles of our own GPS tracks, user contributed GPS tracks, official maps and GIS data from government agencies, and field observations. WNCOutdoors data is made freely available under the Open Database License - you are free to copy and use it for any purpose under the terms of that license (summary).
Tips
- Hover over a trail to see it highlighted. Helps to see start and end points for an individual trail.
- Scroll and zoom the map before printing, and that view will persist into the printed image.
- Click a trail for more details and to download it individually.
Feedback
Ratings
Average Rating: 4.0 (rated 2 times)
Rate It Now:
[Site Admin] Jordan M. said: Yes - that'd be Bard Falls, and it's a good one!
Adam F. said: we hiked this trail on July 10, 2015 with three young kids (12, 11 and 7) and two dogs! Takes about an hour to get the creek. Turn left when you hit the trail at the bottom to get to scenic parts of the creek. We found a great area to have lunch and swim in a waterfall. highly recommended.