Top 10 hiking trails in North Carolina

Just in time to get out on the trail for the summer, a list of the top 10 hiking trails in the state of North Carolina has been released.

Just in time to get out on the trail for the summer, a list of the top 10 hiking trails in the state of North Carolina has been released. All of these trails claim spots among the top 100 most popular hiking trails in the nation, and 4 of them sit in the top 10 in the nation. Tripleblaze compiles the best hiking trails list based on visitors’ ratings and reviews that have been collected continuously since 2005.

This list shows a clear favoritism toward the western half of the state, with 9 out of 10 trails located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Raleigh area did receive a shout-out with Duke Forest coming in at number 8 on the listโ€”the wide gravel paths and family friendly terrain in the forest make this a popular destination.

The surrounding Ashville area boasted the most trails, with twoโ€”Pisgah National Forest and Dupont State Forest– just south of town near Brevard. Most of these trails offer beautiful outlooks and cascading waterfalls to enjoy. Chimney Rock State Park claims overlooks like Devils Head, Opera Box, and Exclamation Point, which is the highest peak in the park. Dry Falls is a short hike to a gorgeous waterfall, and the path allows hikers to enjoy the view from behind the waterfall. And if you’re looking for serious adventure, Daniel Boone Scout Trail actually has ropes and ladders that are necessary to summit and take in the views.

A majority of these trails are located within state or national parks, with only one trail located on private property.

Pisgah National Forest: Brevard โ€“ Brevard, NC
Appalachian Trail: NC โ€“ Franklin, NC
Chimney Rock State Park โ€“ Chimney Rock, NC
Daniel Boone Scout Trail โ€“ Blowing Rock, NC
Great Smokey Mountains National Park: NC โ€“ Cherokee, NC
Dupont State Forest โ€“ Brevard, NC
Dry Falls โ€“ Highlands, NC
Duke Forest โ€“ Durham, NC
Table Rock โ€“ Linville, NC
Linville Falls Trail โ€“ Crossnore, NC

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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