Devil's Cellar Overlook–Lettered Rock, 4 sights is a 16-mile out-and-back in Linville Gorge Wilderness near Cold Springs, NC. The route reaches Devil's Cellar Overlook at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 4,027 ft, with sections as steep as 29% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 60/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi1,978 – 3,655 ft · steepest grade: 29%16.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Upper Creek Falls Trail 35.96014, -81.86104
Nearest town Cold Springs, NC
Directions
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Devil's Cellar Overlook–Lettered Rock, 4 sights
16 mi · ▲ 4,027 ft · 7 hr 21 min
Elevation 1,979–3,656 ft
Out & Back · Linville Gorge Wilderness
Trailhead: Upper Creek Falls Trail · 35.96014, -81.86104
Weather Sep 5: sunrise 7:02 AM · sunset 7:53 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 0.8 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.9 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Steels Creek Trail, heading SE.
- 1.4 miTurn right onto Lettered Rock, heading S.
- 2.2 miSharp left, heading W.
- 1 miBear right onto Table Rock Gap Trail, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail/ Table Rock Gap, heading SE.
- 1 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 150 ftReach Devil's Cellar Overlook, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1 miTurn left onto Table Rock Gap Trail, heading W.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading NE.
- 1 miSharp right onto Lettered Rock, heading N.
- 2.2 miTurn left onto Steels Creek Trail, heading E.
- 1.4 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.9 miBear right, heading NW.
- 0.8 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
67% dirt17% gravel16% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 7:02 AMSunset 7:53 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 7.7 mi in (~244 min). Leave by 3:29 PM for the 7:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 12:08 AM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Upper Creek Falls Trail Trailhead
- Steels Creek Trail 4.2 mi · ▲ 842 ft
- Steels Creek Trail 7 mi · ▲ 1,283 ft
- Steels Creek Trail 8.1 mi · ▲ 1,452 ft
- Beehive Trl. & Greentown Shortcut via Greentown Trail 11.5 mi · ▲ 2,576 ft
- Gingercake Mountain & Raspberry Ridge via Jonas Ridge Trail 12.5 mi · ▲ 2,662 ft
- South Harper Creek Falls Overlook–Greentown Trail, 3 sights 15.7 mi · ▲ 2,839 ft
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