Mountains-to-Sea Trail–Old House Gap Road, 4 sights is a 13.2-mile out-and-back in Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area near Grandfather, NC. The route reaches Old House Gap. It climbs 2,691 ft, with sections as steep as 20% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 50/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi2,113 – 4,311 ft · steepest grade: 20%13.6 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 36.08896, -81.82232
Nearest town Grandfather, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Mountains-to-Sea Trail–Old House Gap Road, 4 sights
13.2 mi · ▲ 2,691 ft · 5 hr 45 min
Elevation 2,115–4,312 ft
Out & Back · Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area
Trailhead: 36.08896, -81.82232
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 80°F / low 64° · precip 14% · wind 1 mph · sunrise 7:02 AM · sunset 7:53 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Tanawha Trail, heading SW.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Beacon Heights Trail, heading SW.
- 500 ftBear right onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading SW.
- 2.6 miPass Old House Gap.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Old House Gap Road, heading SE.
- 3 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Lost Cove Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftReach Tanawha Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 2.3 miContinue straight onto Old House Gap Road, heading N.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading NE.
- 2.6 miBear left onto Beacon Heights Trail, heading NW.
- 500 ftContinue straight onto Tanawha Trail, heading W.
- 0.8 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
100% dirt
Weather
OvercastTemperature 80°F64°
Precip14%Wind1 mphUV7Humidity92%
Hourly temperature
80°60°
Sunrise 7:02 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:53 PM
Sat
80°67°
15%
Sun
79°60°
69%
Mon
67°55°
49%
Tue
71°52°
Wed
77°55°
Thu
79°60°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.0 mi in (~28 min). Leave by 7:05 PM for the 7:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:35 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Beacon Heights Viewpoint–Mountains-to-Sea Viewpoint, 3 viewpoints 1.9 mi · ▲ 322 ft
- Beacon Heights & Tanawha Trail 1.9 mi · ▲ 322 ft
- BRP Trace via Tanawha Trail 4.4 mi · ▲ 961 ft
- Tanawha Viewpoint via Tanawha Trail 4.5 mi · ▲ 1,002 ft
- Tanawha Trail 5.1 mi · ▲ 1,203 ft
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Hikes near Grandfather, North Carolina