Montreat, North Carolina Oct 2022 - 35.jpg
Wesley Fryer · CC BY 2.0

Shelter View–Rainbow Gap, 3 saddles is a 4.7-mile out-and-back near Montreat, NC. The route passes Rainbow Gap before reaching Shelter View at the turnaround, 2.3 miles in. It climbs 707 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 37/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.

Elevation

0 mi2,809 – 3,491 ft5.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Old Mitchell Toll Road 35.62976, -82.29759
Nearest town Montreat, NC

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Shelter View–Rainbow Gap, 3 saddles

4.7 mi · ▲ 707 ft · 1 hr 55 min

Elevation 2,810–3,490 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

  1. Start on Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading NE.
  2. 1.5 miBear right onto Old Trestle Road, heading E.
  3. 50 ftPass Rainbow Gap.
  4. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading E.
  5. 50 ftSharp left onto Lookout Trail, heading E.
  6. 50 ftBear right onto Old Trestle Road, heading E.
  7. 0.8 miTurn right onto Buck Gap Trail, heading NE.
  8. 50 ftReach Shelter View, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  9. 50 ftTurn left onto Old Trestle Road, heading NE.
  10. 0.7 miBear left onto Lookout Trail, heading W.
  11. 50 ftSharp right onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading W.
  12. 50 ftContinue straight onto Old Trestle Road, heading W.
  13. 0.1 miBear left onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading S.
  14. 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° 12 PM: 1% rain1 PM: 4% rain2 PM: 11% rain3 PM: 20% rain4 PM: 25% rain5 PM: 24% rain6 PM: 10% rain7 PM: 5% rain8 PM: 3% rain
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 2.1 mi in (~70 min). Leave by 6:24 PM for the 7:54 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:01 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Dogs allowed on leash

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