Gingercake Mountain & Raspberry Ridge via Jonas Ridge Trail
12.5 mi · ▲ 2,662 ft · 5 hr 30 min
Gingercake Mountain & Raspberry Ridge via Jonas Ridge Trail is a 12.5-mile out-and-back in Linville Gorge Wilderness near Cold Springs, NC. The route reaches Gingercake Mountain at the turnaround, 6.3 miles in. It climbs 2,662 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade. It scores 48/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Gingercake Mountain & Raspberry Ridge via Jonas Ridge Trail
12.5 mi · ▲ 2,662 ft · 5 hr 30 min
Elevation 2,457–4,163 ft
Out & Back · Linville Gorge Wilderness
Trailhead: Upper Creek Falls Trail · 35.96014, -81.86104
Weather Sep 5: sunrise 7:03 AM · sunset 7:51 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 right onto Steels Creek Trail, heading SW.
- 2 miTurn right onto Raspberry Ridge, heading SE.
- 1.2 miBear left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Jonas Ridge Trail, heading W.
- 0.5 miReach Gingercake Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Raspberry Ridge, heading NE.
- 1.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 1.9 miContinue straight onto Steels Creek Trail, heading E.
- 300 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.9 miBear right, heading NW.
- 0.7 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 6.2 mi in (~203 min). Leave by 4:08 PM for the 7:51 PM sunset. Back at your car by 11:02 PM, 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
- South Harper Creek Falls Overlook–Greentown Trail, 3 sights 15.7 mi · ▲ 2,839 ft
- Devil's Hole Trail & Lettered Rock via Linville Gorge Trail 16 mi · ▲ 4,342 ft
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