Spider Web Lake James SP 20250402 211342398.jpg
bobistraveling · CC BY 2.0

Lake James & South Wimba Trail is a 7.7-mile out-and-back in Lake James State Park near Longtown, NC. The route reaches Lake James. It climbs 637 ft. It scores 70/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi1,194 – 1,358 ft7.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Fonta Flora Trail 35.76238, -81.87844
Nearest town Longtown, NC

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Lake James & South Wimba Trail

7.7 mi · ▲ 637 ft · 2 hr 53 min

Elevation 1,194–1,357 ft

Out & Back · Lake James State Park

Trailhead: Fonta Flora Trail · 35.76238, -81.87844

Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 97°F / low 71° · precip 10% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 7:03 AM · sunset 7:51 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Fonta Flora Trail, heading NE.
  2. 50 ftPass Lake James.
  3. 0.2 miBear right onto South Wimba Trail, heading N.
  4. 150 ftContinue straight onto Fonta Flora Trail, heading NE.
  5. 0.1 miSharp right, heading N.
  6. 0.7 miTurn right, heading NE.
  7. 0.8 miBear left, heading SE.
  8. 0.7 miBear left, heading SE.
  9. 1.3 miReach Lake James, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  10. 1.3 miBear right, heading NW.
  11. 0.7 miBear right, heading NW.
  12. 0.8 miTurn left, heading NE.
  13. 0.8 miContinue straight onto South Wimba Trail, heading W.
  14. 150 ftBear left onto Fonta Flora Trail, heading SE.
  15. 0.1 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

40% gravel34% dirt6% paved1% boardwalk19% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 97°F71°
Precip10%Wind3 mphUV7Humidity91%
Hourly temperature
100°70°
Sunrise 7:03 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:51 PM
Sun 87°71° 73%
Mon 79°69° 73%
Tue 86°61°
Wed 90°63°
Thu 94°68°
Fri 89°67° 28%

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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