Rainbow Gap & Lookout Trail via Old Mitchell Toll Road is a 3.9-mile out-and-back near Montreat, NC. The route reaches Rainbow Gap. It climbs 839 ft, with sections as steep as 23% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 30/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi2,809 – 3,320 ft · steepest grade: 23%4.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Old Mitchell Toll Road 35.62976, -82.29759
Nearest town Montreat, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Rainbow Gap & Lookout Trail via Old Mitchell Toll Road
3.9 mi · ▲ 839 ft · 1 hr 43 min
Elevation 2,810–3,319 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Old Mitchell Toll Road · 35.62976, -82.29759
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 88°F / low 66° · precip 25% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 7:04 AM · sunset 7:54 PM
Dogs allowed on leash
- Start on Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading NE.
- 1.5 miBear right onto Old Trestle Road, heading E.
- 50 ftPass Rainbow Gap.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading E.
- 50 ftSharp left onto Lookout Trail, heading E.
- 0.3 miReach Rainbow Gap, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miSharp right onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Old Trestle Road, heading SW.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading W.
- 1.5 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
99% dirt1% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 88°F66°
Precip25%Wind3 mphUV7Humidity72%
Hourly temperatureRain chance
90°65°
Sunrise 7:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:54 PM
Sat
90°68°
Sun
87°66°
68%
Mon
72°64°
53%
Tue
75°58°
Wed
84°61°
Thu
86°66°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.0 mi in (~30 min). Leave by 7:04 PM for the 7:54 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:32 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Trailhead visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Dogs allowed on leash
More from Old Mitchell Toll Road Trailhead
- Old Mitchell Toll Road 3.6 mi · ▲ 494 ft
- Shelter View–Rainbow Gap, 3 saddles 4.7 mi · ▲ 707 ft
- Rainbow Mountain Trail via Old Mitchell Toll Road 5 mi · ▲ 1,331 ft
- Boggs Bunion–Shelter View, 6 saddles 5.5 mi · ▲ 934 ft
- Rocky Head–Rocky Knob, 11 saddles 15.4 mi · ▲ 3,468 ft
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