Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area

Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail & Lost Cove Loop Trail

16.1 mi · ▲ 4,038 ft · 7 hr 23 min

Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail & Lost Cove Loop Trail is a 16.1-mile out-and-back in Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area near Kawana, NC. It climbs 4,038 ft, with sections as steep as 28% grade. It scores 81/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi2,057 – 3,767 ft · steepest grade: 28%16.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Harper Creek Road 36.00842, -81.85310
Nearest town Kawana, NC

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail & Lost Cove Loop Trail

16.1 mi · ▲ 4,038 ft · 7 hr 23 min

Elevation 2,058–3,766 ft

Out & Back · Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area

Trailhead: Harper Creek Road · 36.00842, -81.85310

Weather Sep 5: Mostly clear, high 85°F / low 69° · precip 17% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 7:03 AM · sunset 7:51 PM

  1. Start on Harper Creek Road, heading N.
  2. 50 ftBear right onto Old Mortimer Road, heading N.
  3. 450 ftSharp left, heading SW.
  4. 0.9 miBear left, heading E.
  5. 50 ftContinue straight onto Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail, heading E.
  6. 2.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  7. 0.1 miTurn left, heading NE.
  8. 1.6 miTurn left onto Lost Cove Loop Trail, heading NW.
  9. 3.2 miContinue straight onto Lost Cove Trail, heading NE.
  10. 50 ftReach Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  11. 50 ftContinue straight onto Lost Cove Loop Trail, heading NE.
  12. 3.2 miTurn right, heading SW.
  13. 1.6 miTurn right, heading SW.
  14. 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
  15. 0.7 miContinue straight onto Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail, heading W.
  16. 1.5 miContinue straight onto Old Mortimer Road, heading SE.
  17. 50 ftBear left, heading E.
  18. 1 miBear left onto Harper Creek Road, heading SE.
  19. 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% unspecified

Weather

Mostly clearTemperature 85°F69°
Precip17%Wind6 mphUV7Humidity74%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
85°65° 3 AM: 1% rain6 AM: 1% rain7 AM: 1% rain8 AM: 1% rain9 AM: 1% rain10 AM: 1% rain11 AM: 1% rain12 PM: 2% rain1 PM: 5% rain2 PM: 11% rain3 PM: 9% rain4 PM: 17% rain5 PM: 12% rain6 PM: 13% rain7 PM: 12% rain8 PM: 12% rain9 PM: 9% rain10 PM: 8% rain11 PM: 9% rain
Sunrise 7:03 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:51 PM
Sun 79°63° 81%
Mon 72°60° 74%
Tue 78°55°
Wed 83°59°
Thu 86°64°
Fri 78°62° 32%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.0 mi in (~67 min). Leave by 6:24 PM for the 7:51 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:56 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

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