Bent Creek Trail–Natural Garden Trail, 7 sights

7.8 mi · ▲ 1,261 ft · 3 hr 14 min

Bent Creek Trail–Natural Garden Trail, 7 sights is a 7.8-mile out-and-back near Bent Creek, NC. It climbs 1,261 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade. It scores 19/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi2,011 – 2,569 ft · steepest grade: 19%8.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Shut-In Trail 35.50105, -82.59406
Nearest town Bent Creek, NC

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Bent Creek Trail–Natural Garden Trail, 7 sights

7.8 mi · ▲ 1,261 ft · 3 hr 14 min

Elevation 2,012–2,568 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Shut-In Trail · 35.50105, -82.59406

Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 94°F / low 70° · precip 21% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 7:06 AM · sunset 7:54 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Shut-In Trail, heading W.
  2. 1.4 miTurn right, heading SW.
  3. 0.2 miSharp right onto Hard Times Road, heading N.
  4. 0.3 miTurn right onto Owl Ridge Trail, heading NE.
  5. 100 ftTurn left onto Hard Times Road, heading N.
  6. 0.7 miSharp left onto Old Mill Trail, heading NW.
  7. 0.3 miSharp right onto Bent Creek Trail, heading S.
  8. 250 ftReach Shut-In Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  9. 150 ftSharp right onto Wesley Branch Trail, heading NW.
  10. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Natural Garden Trail, heading W.
  11. 0.4 miTurn left, heading NW.
  12. 50 ftTurn left onto Running Cedar Road, heading NW.
  13. 0.1 miTurn right onto Bent Creek Trail, heading S.
  14. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Rocky Cove Road, heading NW.
  15. 0.4 miContinue straight onto ferngully, heading SE.
  16. 50 ftTurn left onto Rocky Cove Road, heading SE.
  17. 0.8 miBear left onto Hard Times Road, heading SE.
  18. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Shut-In Trail, heading NE.
  19. 100 ftContinue straight onto Hard Times Road, heading NE.
  20. 200 ftContinue straight onto Shut-In Trail, heading NE.
  21. 0.6 miTurn right, heading E.
  22. 1.4 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

52% dirt45% gravel3% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 94°F70°
Precip21%Wind2 mphUV7Humidity86%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
95°70° 1 AM: 2% rain10 AM: 1% rain11 AM: 1% rain12 PM: 1% rain1 PM: 1% rain2 PM: 6% rain3 PM: 12% rain4 PM: 10% rain5 PM: 18% rain6 PM: 21% rain7 PM: 6% rain8 PM: 8% rain9 PM: 5% rain10 PM: 8% rain11 PM: 11% rain
Sunrise 7:06 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:54 PM
Sun 87°68° 66%
Mon 78°65° 49%
Tue 83°59°
Wed 88°58°
Thu 89°62° 18%
Fri 87°65° 39%

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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