Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area

Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail & Timber Ridge Trail via Lost Cove Loop Trail

14.7 mi · ▲ 4,160 ft · 6 hr 59 min

Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail & Timber Ridge Trail via Lost Cove Loop Trail is a 14.7-mile out-and-back in Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area near Pineola, NC. It climbs 4,160 ft, with sections as steep as 30% grade. It scores 84/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi1,706 – 3,767 ft · steepest grade: 30%14.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Old Mortimer Road 36.01218, -81.85875
Nearest town Pineola, NC

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail & Timber Ridge Trail via Lost Cove Loop Trail

14.7 mi · ▲ 4,160 ft · 6 hr 59 min

Elevation 1,705–3,766 ft

Out & Back · Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area

Trailhead: Old Mortimer Road · 36.01218, -81.85875

Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 82°F / low 67° · precip 21% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 7:02 AM · sunset 7:53 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 50 ftContinue straight onto Old Mortimer Road, heading E.
  3. 50 ftBear left, heading E.
  4. 50 ftContinue straight onto Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail, heading E.
  5. 2.1 miTurn left, heading SW.
  6. 0.1 miTurn left, heading NE.
  7. 1.6 miTurn left onto Lost Cove Loop Trail, heading NE.
  8. 2 miTurn left onto Timber Ridge Trail, heading E.
  9. 1.5 miContinue straight onto Lost Cove Loop Trail, heading SE.
  10. 50 ftReach Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  11. 50 ftContinue straight onto Timber Ridge Trail, heading SE.
  12. 1.5 miTurn right onto Lost Cove Loop Trail, heading N.
  13. 2 miTurn right, heading SW.
  14. 1.6 miTurn right, heading W.
  15. 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
  16. 0.7 miContinue straight onto Big Lost Cove Cliffs Trail, heading W.
  17. 1.5 miContinue straight onto Old Mortimer Road, heading SE.
  18. 50 ftBear left, 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

OvercastTemperature 82°F67°
Precip21%Wind2 mphUV7Humidity83%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
85°65° 1 PM: 4% rain2 PM: 12% rain3 PM: 21% rain4 PM: 20% rain5 PM: 8% rain6 PM: 8% rain7 PM: 4% rain8 PM: 2% rain9 PM: 1% rain10 PM: 3% rain11 PM: 4% rain
Sunrise 7:02 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:53 PM
Sat 84°68° 16%
Sun 85°63° 74%
Mon 69°61° 52%
Tue 75°55°
Wed 80°58°
Thu 82°62°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.0 mi in (~33 min). Leave by 6:59 PM for the 7:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:33 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Old Mortimer Road Trailhead