Craggy Gardens Trail–Hawksbill Creek Road, 5 sights is a 12-mile out-and-back in Craggy Mountain Wilderness Study Area near Blackberry Inn, NC. It climbs 3,397 ft, with sections as steep as 43% grade. It scores 64/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi3,051 – 5,489 ft · steepest grade: 43%12.2 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Craggy Gardens Trail 35.69940, -82.38008
Nearest town Blackberry Inn, NC
Directions
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Craggy Gardens Trail–Hawksbill Creek Road, 5 sights
12 mi · ▲ 3,397 ft · 5 hr 42 min
Elevation 3,052–5,488 ft
Out & Back · Craggy Mountain Wilderness Study Area
Trailhead: Craggy Gardens Trail · 35.69940, -82.38008
Weather Sep 4: Partly cloudy, high 75°F / low 61° · precip 21% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 7:05 AM · sunset 7:54 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Craggy Gardens Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Stoney Fork Road, heading NW.
- 3.9 miBear left onto Hawksbill Creek Road, heading NW.
- 1.7 miContinue straight onto Snowball Trail, heading NW.
- 4.2 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading SE.
- 400 ftContinue straight onto Stoney Fork Road, heading NE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading NE.
- 0.6 miBear right onto Craggy Gardens Trail, heading SE.
- 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
35% gravel8% dirt57% unspecified
Weather
Partly cloudyTemperature 75°F61°
Precip21%Wind6 mphUV7Humidity77%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
75°60°
Sunrise 7:05 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:54 PM
Sat
74°63°
Sun
71°57°
57%
Mon
66°54°
32%
Tue
68°50°
Wed
75°51°
Thu
76°57°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.0 mi in (~1 min). Leave by 7:34 PM for the 7:54 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:11 PM — 10 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Craggy Gardens Trail Trailhead
- Mountains-to-Sea Trail 1.9 mi · ▲ 474 ft
- Craggy Gardens Trail via Mountains-to-Sea Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 632 ft
- Craggy Dome Scenic Overlook (MP 364.5) & Mountains-to-Sea Trail 2.8 mi · ▲ 770 ft
- Graybeard Mountain View (MP 363.4) & Douglas Falls Trail 4.5 mi · ▲ 1,012 ft
- Craggy Dome Scenic Overlook (MP 364.5)–Big Ivy Road, 3 sights 9.5 mi · ▲ 1,923 ft
- Big Ivy Road & Douglas Falls Trail 14.2 mi · ▲ 2,478 ft
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