Craggy Gardens Viewpoint & Douglas Falls Trail is a 4.9-mile out-and-back in Craggy Mountain Wilderness Study Area near Dillingham, NC. The route reaches Craggy Gardens Viewpoint at the turnaround, 2.5 miles in. It climbs 1,206 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade. It scores 13/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Craggy Gardens Viewpoint & Douglas Falls Trail
4.9 mi · ▲ 1,206 ft · 2 hr 14 min
Elevation 5,268–5,680 ft
Out & Back · Craggy Mountain Wilderness Study Area
Trailhead: Mountains-to-Sea Trail · 35.71079, -82.36446
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 74°F / low 60° · precip 20% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 7:05 AM · sunset 7:54 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading SW.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 1 miBear right onto Douglas Falls Trail, heading N.
- 150 ftBear right onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading W.
- 0.9 miBear right, heading SW.
- 200 ftBear right onto Craggy Gardens Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Craggy Gardens Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 400 ftReach Craggy Gardens Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 300 ftBear right, heading W.
- 100 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Craggy Gardens Trail, heading SE.
- 100 ftBear left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear right, heading W.
- 0.9 miBear left onto Douglas Falls Trail, heading N.
- 100 ftBear left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading N.
- 1 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.2 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
Weather
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 Mountains-to-Sea Trail Trailhead
- Craggy Dome Scenic Overlook (MP 364.5) & Douglas Falls Trail 4.2 mi · ▲ 1,041 ft
- Graybeard Mountain View (MP 363.4) & Mountains-to-Sea Trail 4.6 mi · ▲ 956 ft
- Big Ivy Road & Douglas Falls Trail 10.2 mi · ▲ 1,870 ft
- Douglas Falls Trail & Stoney Fork Road 14.3 mi · ▲ 3,392 ft
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