Craggy Gardens Viewpoint & Douglas Falls Trail is a 7.9-mile out-and-back in Craggy Mountain Wilderness Study Area near Dillingham, NC. The route reaches Craggy Gardens Viewpoint at the turnaround, 3.9 miles in. It climbs 1,906 ft, with sections as steep as 22% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 27/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi4,200 – 5,679 ft · steepest grade: 22%8.2 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Big Ivy Road 35.72862, -82.37439
Nearest town Dillingham, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Craggy Gardens Viewpoint & Douglas Falls Trail
7.9 mi · ▲ 1,906 ft · 3 hr 35 min
Elevation 4,201–5,680 ft
Out & Back · Craggy Mountain Wilderness Study Area
Trailhead: Big Ivy Road · 35.72862, -82.37439
Weather Sep 5: sunrise 7:05 AM · sunset 7:54 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Douglas Falls Trail, heading S.
- 2.7 miBear right onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading NW.
- 0.9 miBear right, heading SW.
- 200 ftBear right onto Craggy Gardens Trail, heading SW.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Craggy Gardens Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftBear left, heading W.
- 400 ftReach Craggy Gardens Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 300 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Craggy Gardens Trail, heading W.
- 100 ftBear left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading NW.
- 150 ftBear right, heading E.
- 0.9 miBear left onto Douglas Falls Trail, heading W.
- 2.7 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
69% dirt31% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 7:05 AMSunset 7:54 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 7:34 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:54 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 8:20 PM.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Big Ivy Road Trailhead
- Big Ivy Road 2.3 mi · ▲ 142 ft
- Craggy Gardens Trail & Douglas Falls Trail 8.5 mi · ▲ 1,889 ft
- Bear Pen Trail–Big Ivy Road, 8 sights 16 mi · ▲ 2,553 ft
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