The Best Moderate Hikes in Western North Carolina
Hikes by Difficulty: Easy | Moderate | More Difficult | Most Difficult
This page includes all Moderate hikes. Click any Climb or Tread rating for details about the ratings.
Summit Trail/Rhododendron Trail
1.5mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Few Hills
- Tread Condition: Few Hills
This mountaintop self-guiding nature trail is a gem in North Carolina's northwest corner. You'll see rare Northern Red Oak forests at an elevation near 5000', as you stroll through an understory of Catawba rhododendron, which put on a showy display during June. And at one of the most spectacular of several cliff-top views, you'll find a heath bald with rare plant species, and a rare, misplaced Aspen forest!
Craggy Pinnacle
1.4mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Climbs Moderately
- Tread Condition: Climbs Moderately
This popular trail climbs a short distance from a Blue Ridge Parkway overlook to a high, rocky peak overlooking the Craggy Gardens area. Blooming rhododendrons put on a fantastic display on this trail in late June. Twisted trees grow in the high-elevation Birch forest. Spectacular 360 degree views of the Visitor Center, the North Fork Reservoir, and the sourrounding mountains and valleys reward your climb.
Sam Knob
2.2mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Climbs Moderately
- Tread Condition: Climbs Moderately
At the top of a spectacular mountain peak located at the edge of the Shining Rock Wilderness, spectacular views await! A surprisingly nice, easy trail wraps around this mountain to its grassy, partly bald summit. Hike in the late summer and enjoy a snack of mountain blueberries along the way. Any time of year, enjoy one of the finest short hikes and easiest true "summit" trails in the mountains!
Linville Falls - Erwin's View
1.5mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Few Hills
- Tread Condition: Few Hills
This trail passes through a majestic forest of old-growth hemlock and white pines, to spectacular cliff-top views of one of the most photographed waterfalls in the East. Linville Falls has two mail trails: Erwin's view and Plunge Basin. Erwin's view is the easier of the two, and stops at three main overlooks: Upper Falls, Chimney View, and Erwin's View. Spectacular views of the falls, the surrounding mountains, and the Linville Gorge await.
Graveyard Fields
3.2mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Hilly
- Tread Condition: Hilly
An excellent loop trail winds through this high-elevation, flat valley, with two spurs to some of the most photographed and enjoyed waterfalls in the state! You'll pass through alpine-like meadows, stands of Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron, and beside the lazy section of the river between the falls. This is a truly unique and highly recommended hike!
Pink Beds Loop
4.3mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Few Hills
- Tread Condition: Few Hills
This unique hike loops you around a flat, high-elevation valley. You'll see rare mountain bogs, including glimpses of some rare and endangered species of plants. Pass through a forest in transition as beavers have dammed the South Fork Mills River to form their ponds. You'll also find crystal clear brooks, wildlife meadows and scenic fern-filled woods. This forest is one of the first to ever be managed through modern forestry techniques, earning in the nickname "The Cradle of Forestry in America."
Rattlesnake Lodge
2.6mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Climbs Moderately
- Tread Condition: Climbs Moderately
This pleasant trail, a section of the Mountains to Sea Trail, is close to Asheville, making it a nice option if you're in the city and don't have a lot of drive time. A well-designed trail starts through a multitude of switchbacks, following an old wagon route. The wagon route was built to reach a historic private lodge, the remains of which you'll find at the end of this hike. Explore the old toolshed, the tennis courts, or the water supply pond, now long since grown over with thick Appalachian forests.
Potato Knob Fields
2mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Climbs Moderately
- Tread Condition: Climbs Moderately
This rocky, prominent peak is visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway and is a well-known landmark. This spectacular section of the Mountains to Sea Trail travels to some scenic meadows below the summit. You'll go thorough a pleasant spruce-fir forest, some of which was planted as a reforestation effort after the mountains were logged. The trail itself is a marvel, as gigantic rocks have been moved to form the trail surface.
Crabtree Falls
2.5mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Few Hills
- Tread Condition: Few Hills
This popular, short loop descends moderately to a majestic 70' waterfall, which has been touted as one of the most photogenic in the area. You'll climb steeply up the opposite ridge for a short distance, then hike a wide, smooth trail beside the stream. Many very large trees grace the forest in this area. Finish out the loop by climbing gently through a beautiful hardwood forest. Can you find the Fraser Magnolia, which has the largest leaves of any tree in the woods? Starts in a Blue Ridge Parkway campground which makes a good base camp for further explorations into the area.
Whiteside Mountain
2.5mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Hilly
- Tread Condition: Hilly
This excellent loop hike climbs to the top of Whiteside Mountain, with its spectacular 700' high cliff walls lofting the hiker for amazing views. Take a camera, as the cliff-top views are lined with beautiful mountain laurel which blooms in mid-june. See relics from the past, when Whiteside Mountain was a tourist attraction. You'll pass through some pleasant woods along the way.
Mount Pisgah
3mi, Moderate
- Climbing: Climbs Moderately
- Tread Condition: Climbs Moderately
A classic Blue Ridge Parkway hike, this trail continues onto National Forest land to climb to the summit of one of the area's most well-known peaks. Easily visible from most of downtown Asheville, Mount Pisgah's 5721' peak supports the transmission tower for WLOS-TV, channel 13, in Asheville. The trail itself is a rocky, steep climb through Northern hardwood forests and rhododendron and mountain laurel tunnels to the summit, where 360 degree views await!
