Mountains-to-Sea Trail–Old House Gap Road, 3 sights is a 16-mile out-and-back in Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area near Grandfather, NC. The route reaches Old House Gap. It climbs 2,947 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 65/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi1,700 – 4,311 ft · steepest grade: 19%16.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Beacon Heights Trail 36.08391, -81.83018
Nearest town Grandfather, NC
Directions
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Mountains-to-Sea Trail–Old House Gap Road, 3 sights
16 mi · ▲ 2,947 ft · 6 hr 48 min
Elevation 1,698–4,312 ft
Out & Back · Lost Cove Wilderness Study Area
Trailhead: Beacon Heights Trail · 36.08391, -81.83018
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 81°F / low 62° · precip 14% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 7:02 AM · sunset 7:53 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Beacon Heights Trail, heading E.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading SW.
- 2.6 miTurn right onto Old House Gap Road, heading SE.
- 50 ftPass Old House Gap.
- 3 miTurn left, heading S.
- 150 ftBear left onto Lost Cove Loop Trail, heading S.
- 2.2 miReach Mountains-to-Sea Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 2.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 2.3 miContinue straight onto Old House Gap Road, heading N.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading NE.
- 2.6 miBear left onto Beacon Heights Trail, heading NW.
- 500 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
73% dirt27% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 81°F62°
Precip14%Wind3 mphUV7Humidity84%
Hourly temperature
85°60°
Sunrise 7:02 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:53 PM
Sat
80°63°
17%
Sun
79°60°
69%
Mon
67°55°
49%
Tue
71°52°
Wed
77°55°
Thu
79°60°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.2 mi in (~7 min). Leave by 7:26 PM for the 7:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:11 PM — 7 min before dark.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Beacon Heights Trail Trailhead
- Tanawha Viewpoint & Tanawha Trail 3.4 mi · ▲ 605 ft
- Tanawha Trail 7.1 mi · ▲ 1,507 ft
- Mountains-to-Sea Trail–Roseboro Gragg Road, 4 sights 8.3 mi · ▲ 1,685 ft
- Beacon Heights–Beacon Heights Viewpoint, 5 sights 11.7 mi · ▲ 2,431 ft
- Marks Mountain Trail–Mountains-to-Sea Trail, 4 sights 13.1 mi · ▲ 2,279 ft
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Hikes near Grandfather, North Carolina