Bridge over the French Broad River.jpg
Hot Springs Tourism & Welcome Center · CC BY-SA 4.0

Lover's Leap–Pump Gap, 5 sights is a 6.6-mile out-and-back near Hot Springs, NC. The route passes Lover's Leap and Pump Gap. It climbs 1,846 ft, with sections as steep as 26% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 39/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.

Elevation

0 mi1,322 – 2,412 ft · steepest grade: 26%6.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Appalachian Trail 35.89235, -82.82152
Nearest town Hot Springs, NC

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Lover's Leap–Pump Gap, 5 sights

6.6 mi · ▲ 1,846 ft · 3 hr 7 min

Elevation 1,322–2,411 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Appalachian Trail · 35.89235, -82.82152

Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 92°F / low 71° · precip 7% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 7:06 AM · sunset 7:56 PM

Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Appalachian Trail, heading S.
  2. 0.7 miPass Lover's Leap.
  3. 1.9 miPass Pump Gap.
  4. 50 ftTurn right onto Pump Gap Loop, heading NE.
  5. 50 ftTurn left onto Appalachian Trail, heading NE.
  6. 0.9 miContinue straight onto Pump Gap Loop, heading NW.
  7. 2.1 miTurn right onto Lover's Leap Trail, heading NW.
  8. 0.3 miBear right onto Appalachian Trail, heading NW.
  9. 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

92% dirt8% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 92°F71°
Feels like88°Precip7%Wind4 mphUV7Humidity76%
Hourly temperature
95°70°
Sunrise 7:06 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:56 PM
Sat 96°75° 27%
Sun 86°71° 30%
Mon 81°66°
Tue 88°63°
Wed 88°63°
Thu 90°67° 22%

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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