Buck Spring Viewpoint–Buck Spring Trail, 4 sights is a 14.4-mile out-and-back near Stony Fork, NC. The route reaches Buck Spring Viewpoint. It climbs 4,607 ft, with sections as steep as 29% grade. It scores 29/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi2,736 – 5,279 ft · steepest grade: 29%14.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 35.45399, -82.74121
Nearest town Stony Fork, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Buck Spring Viewpoint–Buck Spring Trail, 4 sights
14.4 mi · ▲ 4,607 ft · 7 hr 6 min
Elevation 2,737–5,279 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 35.45399, -82.74121
Weather Sep 4: Partly cloudy, high 88°F / low 70° · precip 17% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 7:06 AM · sunset 7:56 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.9 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto 151 dh, heading S.
- 1.2 miSharp right onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading W.
- 1.2 miBear left onto Buck Spring Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Old 151 Buck Springs Entrance Drive, heading SW.
- 300 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 100 ftPass Buck Spring Viewpoint.
- 100 ftTurn right onto Buck Spring Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Little Bald Mountain Trail, heading S.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Laurel Mountain, heading NE.
- 1.1 miTurn right onto Slate Rock Connector, heading NE.
- 0.5 miSharp right onto Slate Rock Creek Trail, heading S.
- 0.4 miReach Buck Spring Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Slate Rock Connector, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn left onto Laurel Mountain, heading N.
- 1.1 miBear right onto Little Bald Mountain Trail, heading SW.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading NW.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Buck Spring Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Old 151 Buck Springs Entrance Drive, heading NW.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto Buck Spring Trail, heading N.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading NE.
- 1.2 miSharp left onto 151 dh, heading N.
- 1.2 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.9 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
56% dirt22% gravel22% unspecified
Weather
Partly cloudyTemperature 88°F70°
Precip17%Wind5 mphUV7Humidity67%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
90°70°
Sunrise 7:06 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:56 PM
Sat
89°72°
Sun
84°67°
66%
Mon
73°65°
57%
Tue
80°59°
Wed
84°60°
Thu
88°64°
23%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.5 mi in (~159 min). Leave by 4:57 PM for the 7:56 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:35 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
More from this trailhead
- Mountains-to-Sea Viewpoint–Buck Spring Viewpoint, 4 sights 9.9 mi · ▲ 3,184 ft
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