Cedar Rock Mountain–Cat Gap, 6 sights is a 12.6-mile out-and-back near Ecusta, NC. The route passes Cat Gap and Sandy Gap before reaching Cedar Rock Mountain at the turnaround, 6.3 miles in. It climbs 3,031 ft, with sections as steep as 34% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 48/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi2,142 – 4,055 ft · steepest grade: 34%12.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Art Loeb Trail 35.28184, -82.72053
Nearest town Ecusta, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Cedar Rock Mountain–Cat Gap, 6 sights
12.6 mi · ▲ 3,031 ft · 5 hr 43 min
Elevation 2,143–4,054 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Art Loeb Trail · 35.28184, -82.72053
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 92°F / low 69° · precip 16% · wind 1 mph · sunrise 7:07 AM · sunset 7:54 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 350 ftTurn left onto Job Corp bridge, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.7 miBear right onto Riverbend Loop, heading NW.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto North Slope Trail, heading W.
- 1.1 miTurn right onto North Slope Connector Trail, heading SE.
- 0.9 miBear right onto Art Loeb Trail, heading SW.
- 2.3 miContinue straight onto Cat Gap Loop Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Cat Gap.
- 50 ftBear left onto Art Loeb Trail, heading W.
- 0.6 miPass Sandy Gap.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Cedar Rock Mountain Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miReach Cedar Rock Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Art Loeb Trail, heading E.
- 0.6 miBear right onto Cat Gap Loop Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Art Loeb Trail, heading NE.
- 2.3 miBear left onto North Slope Connector Trail, heading E.
- 0.9 miTurn left onto North Slope Trail, heading NE.
- 1.3 miContinue straight onto Riverbend Loop, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Job Corp bridge, heading SE.
- 100 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 250 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
98% dirt1% paved1% gravel
Weather
OvercastTemperature 92°F69°
Precip16%Wind1 mphUV7Humidity83%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
95°65°
Sunrise 7:07 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:54 PM
Sun
86°68°
65%
Mon
75°66°
56%
Tue
80°61°
15%
Wed
87°62°
Thu
90°66°
20%
Fri
85°67°
41%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 6.3 mi in (~219 min). Leave by 3:55 PM for the 7:54 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:57 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Art Loeb Trail Trailhead
- Sycamore Cove 2.1 mi · ▲ 289 ft
- North Slope Trail 2.5 mi · ▲ 56 ft
- Sycamore Cove 2.7 mi · ▲ 452 ft
- Sycamore Cove 2.9 mi · ▲ 451 ft
- Grassy Road Trail via Sycamore Cove 3.2 mi · ▲ 452 ft
- Sycamore Cove 4 mi · ▲ 798 ft
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Hikes near Ecusta, North Carolina