Wildcat Rock Preserve

Little Bearwallow Mountain & Fire Tower Road via Wildcat Rock Trail

5.6 mi · ▲ 1,190 ft · 2 hr 28 min

Little Bearwallow Mountain & Fire Tower Road via Wildcat Rock Trail is a 5.6-mile out-and-back in Wildcat Rock Preserve near Gerton, NC. The route reaches Little Bearwallow Mountain at the turnaround, 2.8 miles in. It climbs 1,190 ft. It scores 64/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi3,652 – 4,177 ft5.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Bearwallow Mountain Trail 35.46070, -82.36773
Nearest town Gerton, NC

Directions

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Little Bearwallow Mountain & Fire Tower Road via Wildcat Rock Trail

5.6 mi · ▲ 1,190 ft · 2 hr 28 min

Elevation 3,651–4,178 ft

Out & Back · Wildcat Rock Preserve

Trailhead: Bearwallow Mountain Trail · 35.46070, -82.36773

Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 85°F / low 68° · precip 16% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 7:05 AM · sunset 7:54 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Fire Tower Road, heading NE.
  2. 0.8 miSharp left onto Wildcat Rock Trail, heading E.
  3. 1.8 miSharp right, heading SW.
  4. 0.3 miReach Little Bearwallow Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  5. 2 miSharp right onto Fire Tower Road, heading NW.
  6. 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

28% gravel72% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 85°F68°
Precip16%Wind5 mphUV7Humidity67%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
85°65° 1 PM: 4% rain2 PM: 13% rain3 PM: 14% rain4 PM: 16% rain5 PM: 16% rain6 PM: 13% rain7 PM: 6% rain8 PM: 2% rain9 PM: 1% rain
Sunrise 7:05 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:54 PM
Sat 88°70°
Sun 84°62° 66%
Mon 70°61° 50%
Tue 75°56°
Wed 83°55°
Thu 84°59°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.2 mi in (~6 min). Leave by 7:28 PM for the 7:54 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:13 PM — 7 min before dark.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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