AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Lake Imaging–Hickory Mountain Road, 5 sights

8.7 mi · ▲ 1,196 ft · 3 hr 30 min

Lake Imaging–Hickory Mountain Road, 5 sights is an 8.7-mile out-and-back near Hamilton Estates, NC. The route reaches Lake Imaging. It climbs 1,196 ft. It scores 76/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi2,326 – 3,068 ft8.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Lake Imaging Road 35.20924, -82.61376
Nearest town Hamilton Estates, NC
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Lake Imaging–Hickory Mountain Road, 5 sights

8.7 mi · ▲ 1,196 ft · 3 hr 30 min

Elevation 2,326–3,066 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Lake Imaging Road · 35.20924, -82.61376

Weather Sep 4: Partly cloudy, high 88°F / low 68° · precip 17% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 7:06 AM · sunset 7:55 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Ridgeline Trail, heading E.
  2. 50 ftPass Lake Imaging.
  3. 1.4 miTurn right onto Hickory Mountain Road, heading S.
  4. 0.5 miSharp left onto Guion Trail, heading NE.
  5. 200 ftSharp right onto Rifle Trail, heading SE.
  6. 0.3 miTurn left onto Ruffed Grouse Trail, heading NE.
  7. 1.5 miTurn left onto Switchback Trail, heading E.
  8. 0.7 miReach Lake Imaging, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  9. 0.7 miTurn right onto Rocky Ridge Trail, heading SW.
  10. 1.4 miBear right onto Ruffed Grouse Trail, heading W.
  11. 0.1 miTurn right onto Rifle Trail, heading W.
  12. 0.3 miSharp left onto Guion Trail, heading SW.
  13. 200 ftSharp right onto Hickory Mountain Road, heading W.
  14. 0.5 miTurn left onto Ridgeline Trail, heading SW.
  15. 1.4 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/lake-imaging-lake-imaging-out-back-6-sights-14-km

Weather

Partly cloudyTemperature 88°F68°
Precip17%Wind3 mphUV7Humidity82%
Rained 0.1″ 7 days ago
Hourly temperatureRain chance
90°65° 1 PM: 1% rain2 PM: 5% rain3 PM: 15% rain4 PM: 15% rain5 PM: 17% rain6 PM: 9% rain7 PM: 3% rain8 PM: 2% rain9 PM: 1% rain
Sunrise 7:06 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:55 PM
Sat 92°70° 19%
Sun 87°67° 57%
Mon 74°66° 44%
Tue 78°60°
Wed 85°61°
Thu 92°65°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.8 mi in (~119 min). Leave by 5:35 PM for the 7:55 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:49 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Lake Imaging Road Trailhead

Hikes near Hamilton Estates, North Carolina