Lower Falls Viewpoint–Big East Fork Trail, 3 sights is a 13.3-mile out-and-back in Shining Rock Wilderness near Big East Fork, NC. The route reaches Lower Falls Viewpoint at the turnaround, 6.7 miles in. It climbs 2,340 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 26/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi3,376 – 5,023 ft · steepest grade: 25%13.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Big East Fork Trail 35.36462, -82.81682
Nearest town Big East Fork, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Lower Falls Viewpoint–Big East Fork Trail, 3 sights
13.3 mi · ▲ 2,340 ft · 5 hr 36 min
Elevation 3,375–5,024 ft
Out & Back · Shining Rock Wilderness
Trailhead: Big East Fork Trail · 35.36462, -82.81682
Weather Sep 4: Partly cloudy, high 83°F / low 67° · precip 20% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 7:07 AM · sunset 7:56 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Big East Fork Trail, heading W.
- 3.4 miContinue straight onto Bridges Camp Gap Trail, heading SW.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Connector, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading W.
- 1.8 miBear left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail Connector, heading SW.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
- 150 ftReach Lower Falls Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading NE.
- 1.8 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Connector, heading E.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading NE.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Bridges Camp Gap Trail, heading NE.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto Big East Fork Trail, heading N.
- 3.3 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
78% dirt22% unspecified
Weather
Partly cloudyTemperature 83°F67°
Precip20%Wind4 mphUV7Humidity64%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
85°65°
Sunrise 7:07 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:56 PM
Sat
85°69°
Sun
80°64°
66%
Mon
69°63°
59%
Tue
75°58°
Wed
82°59°
Thu
86°62°
25%
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Big East Fork Trail Trailhead
- View Cherry Cove (MP 415.7)–Big East Fork Trail, 3 sights 11 mi · ▲ 1,878 ft
- Art Loeb Trail–Big East Fork Trail, 3 sights 13.1 mi · ▲ 2,936 ft
- Art Loeb Trail–Big East Fork Trail, 3 sights 13.9 mi · ▲ 3,073 ft
- Shining Rock–Big East Fork Trail, 4 sights 15.4 mi · ▲ 3,363 ft
- Grassy Cove Top–Shining Rock, 7 sights 15.9 mi · ▲ 5,032 ft
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Hikes near Big East Fork, North Carolina