Cedar Rock Mountain–Brevard Music Center Lake, 7 sights is an 8.7-mile out-and-back in Bracken Preserve near Laurel Falls, NC. The route passes Brevard Music Center Lake and Sandy Gap before reaching Cedar Rock Mountain at the turnaround, 4.3 miles in. It climbs 2,393 ft, with sections as steep as 34% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 65/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi2,435 – 4,055 ft · steepest grade: 34%8.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Bracken Mountain Trail 35.24081, -82.75617
Nearest town Laurel Falls, NC
Directions
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Cedar Rock Mountain–Brevard Music Center Lake, 7 sights
8.7 mi · ▲ 2,393 ft · 4 hr 6 min
Elevation 2,433–4,054 ft
Out & Back · Bracken Preserve
Trailhead: Bracken Mountain Trail · 35.24081, -82.75617
Weather Sep 4: Mostly clear, high 87°F / low 68° · precip 16% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 7:07 AM · sunset 7:56 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Bracken Mountain Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Brevard Music Center Lake.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Mackey Ridge Trail, heading W.
- 400 ftBear right onto Brushy Creek, heading N.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto 475C, heading NW.
- 2.3 miTurn left onto Art Loeb Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miPass Sandy Gap.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Cedar Rock Mountain Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miReach Cedar Rock Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Art Loeb Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 1.2 miContinue straight onto 475C, heading E.
- 1.2 miContinue straight onto Brushy Creek, heading E.
- 200 ftBear left onto Mackey Ridge Trail, heading SW.
- 450 ftContinue straight onto Bracken Mountain Trail, heading SE.
- 1.4 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
100% dirt
Weather
Mostly clearTemperature 87°F68°
Precip16%Wind5 mphUV7Humidity70%
Rained 0.3″ 7 days ago
Hourly temperatureRain chance
90°65°
Sunrise 7:07 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:56 PM
Sat
90°71°
Sun
87°67°
61%
Mon
73°65°
43%
Tue
76°60°
Wed
84°61°
Thu
91°65°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.3 mi in (~157 min). Leave by 4:59 PM for the 7:56 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:03 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Bracken Mountain Trail Trailhead
- Brevard Music Center Lake & Bracken Mountain Trail 2.8 mi · ▲ 628 ft
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