Lookout Mountain–Shelter View, 9 sights is a 7.2-mile out-and-back near Montreat, NC. The route passes Rainbow Gap, Lookout Mountain, Buck Gap and Shelter View. It climbs 2,452 ft, with sections as steep as 39% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 50/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi2,500 – 3,790 ft · steepest grade: 39%7.5 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Rainbow Mountain Trail 35.63870, -82.31097
Nearest town Montreat, NC
Directions
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Lookout Mountain–Shelter View, 9 sights
7.2 mi · ▲ 2,452 ft · 3 hr 38 min
Elevation 2,499–3,790 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Rainbow Mountain Trail · 35.63870, -82.31097
Weather Sep 4: Partly cloudy, high 89°F / low 66° · precip 25% · wind 1 mph · sunrise 7:04 AM · sunset 7:54 PM
Dogs allowed on leash · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Rainbow Mountain Trail, heading S.
- 0.7 miBear right onto Rainbow Road, heading E.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading E.
- 100 ftPass Rainbow Gap.
- 50 ftBear right onto Old Trestle Road, heading NE.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading E.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Lookout Trail, heading E.
- 0.3 miPass Lookout Mountain.
- 100 ftTurn right onto Hickory Ridge Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miSharp left onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading S.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Rhododendron Ridge Trail, heading SE.
- 0.6 miSharp left onto Adventure Trail, heading SE.
- 1.3 miSharp right onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading NW.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto East Ridge Trail, heading N.
- 250 ftPass Buck Gap.
- 150 ftBear left onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Buck Gap Trail, heading NW.
- 300 ftPass Shelter View.
- 200 ftTurn left onto Old Trestle Road, heading NW.
- 0.8 miSharp right onto Lookout Trail, heading NW.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Rainbow Road, heading E.
- 1.2 miSharp right onto Rainbow Mountain Trail, heading W.
- 0.6 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
90% dirt10% unspecified
Weather
Partly cloudyTemperature 89°F66°
Precip25%Wind1 mphUV7Humidity69%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
90°65°
Sunrise 7:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:54 PM
Sat
92°69°
Sun
88°67°
66%
Mon
73°65°
47%
Tue
76°59°
Wed
85°62°
Thu
86°67°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.5 mi in (~75 min). Leave by 6:19 PM for the 7:54 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:49 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Dogs allowed on leash
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Rainbow Mountain Trail Trailhead
- Rainbow Gap–Lookout Trail, 4 sights 3.3 mi · ▲ 1,277 ft
- Copperhead Mountain–Lookout Mountain, 4 summits 3.5 mi · ▲ 1,726 ft
- Rattlesnake Mountain–Lookout Mountain, 4 summits 3.7 mi · ▲ 1,819 ft
- Boggs Bunion–Shelter View, 7 sights 4.6 mi · ▲ 1,464 ft
- Rocky Head–Shelter View, 10 saddles 10.7 mi · ▲ 3,549 ft
- Graybeard Falls–Rocky Head, 10 saddles 10.9 mi · ▲ 3,029 ft
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