Whiteside Mountain Trail
At A Glance
2.2 mi one-way
Difficulty Rating: 3.63 
Steepness: Hilly
Tread Condition: Moderately Rough
Lowest Elevation: 4410 ft
Highest Elevation: 4930 ft
Climb Total: 600 ft
Trail Number: 70
Hikes That Use This Trail: Whiteside Mountain
Description
A National Recreation Trail, this loop climbs an old roadbed and travels along the brink of some of the East's most spectacular cliffs. Named for these cliffs, the mountains side does look "white" from a distance with sun shining on the light gray granite. They're up to 750' high above the base and 4930' in elevation, and from the top there are fabulous long-range views into the Wilderness along the Blue Ridge Escarpment, around the Chattooga River headwaters, as well as into some of the more populated areas around Highlands and Cashiers, and even into the upstate of South Carolina on clearer days. Look for the endangered Perigrine Falcon which nests here in the cliffs.
This trail is located in the Nantahala Ranger District area. For a list of all the trails in that area, see the Nantahala Ranger District trails list page.
This trail also crosses into these trailhead areas:
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.
Trail Segments
Trails are often made up of several connecting paths which may have different characteristics, allowed uses, and seasons. This trail is divided into multiple segments as follows:
Whiteside Mountain - Parking Lot to Split
- Allowed Uses: Hiking
- Length: 451 ft
Whiteside Mountain - Woods Section
- Allowed Uses: Hiking
- Length: 0.33 mi
Whiteside Mountain - Cliff Section
- Allowed Uses: Hiking
- Length: 0.73 mi
Whiteside Mountain - Road Section
- Allowed Uses: Hiking
- Length: 0.76 mi
Total Calculated Length: 1.9 mi
This value is derived from our underlying map data, and it may not match officially published information.
Feedback
Ratings
Average Rating: 5.0 (rated 1 times)
Rate It Now:
No comments yet.