Boyd Branch Road–Grassy Knob Trail, 3 sights
5.5 mi · ▲ 918 ft · 2 hr 18 min
Boyd Branch Road–Grassy Knob Trail, 3 sights is a 5.5-mile out-and-back near Avery Creek, NC. It climbs 918 ft, with sections as steep as 23% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 63/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi2,195 – 2,940 ft · steepest grade: 23%5.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Shut-In Trail 35.46595, -82.62912
Nearest town Avery Creek, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Boyd Branch Road–Grassy Knob Trail, 3 sights
5.5 mi · ▲ 918 ft · 2 hr 18 min
Elevation 2,194–2,940 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Shut-In Trail · 35.46595, -82.62912
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 90°F / low 69° · precip 19% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 7:07 AM · sunset 7:54 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Shut-In Trail, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn left onto Grassy Knob Trail, heading NW.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Stairs (Upper), heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Stairs (Lower), heading NW.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Pine Tree Loop, heading NW.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Pine Tree Connector, heading W.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Explorer Loop, heading SW.
- 500 ftContinue straight onto Explorer Loop Connector, heading NW.
- 450 ftTurn right onto Bent Creek Gap Road, heading NW.
- 0.3 miBear left onto Boyd Branch Road, heading NW.
- 0.8 miReach Grassy Knob Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.8 miBear right onto Bent Creek Gap Road, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Explorer Loop Connector, heading SW.
- 450 ftContinue straight onto Explorer Loop, heading SE.
- 500 ftTurn left onto Pine Tree Connector, heading SE.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Pine Tree Loop, heading SE.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Stairs (Lower), heading NE.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Stairs (Upper), heading E.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Grassy Knob Trail, heading N.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Shut-In Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 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
63% dirt10% gravel27% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 90°F69°
Precip19%Wind3 mphUV7Humidity79%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
90°65°
Sunrise 7:07 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:54 PM
Sun
83°66°
68%
Mon
74°62°
54%
Tue
79°57°
Wed
85°57°
Thu
87°60°
19%
Fri
83°63°
40%
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Shut-In Trail Trailhead
- Bent Creek Gap Road–Grassy Knob Trail, 3 sights 6.3 mi · ▲ 1,050 ft
- Grassy Knob Trail–Laurel Branch Road, 4 sights 6.9 mi · ▲ 1,448 ft
- Ingles Fields Gap–Boyd Branch Trail, 6 sights 8.8 mi · ▲ 1,675 ft
- View Chesnut Cove–Bent Creek Gap Road, 5 sights 12.9 mi · ▲ 1,859 ft
- Big Ridge Overlook (MP 403.6)–Beaver Dam Gap Overlook (MP 401.7), 5 viewpoints 14.3 mi · ▲ 3,383 ft
- Yellow Gap–Grassy Knob Trail, 7 sights 15.5 mi · ▲ 3,781 ft
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Hikes near Avery Creek, North Carolina