Shelter View–Rainbow Gap, 4 sights is a 3.8-mile out-and-back near Montreat, NC. The route passes Shelter View before reaching Rainbow Gap at the turnaround, 1.9 miles in. It climbs 874 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 59/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi3,179 – 3,622 ft · steepest grade: 21%4.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Appalachian Way 35.64986, -82.29298
Nearest town Montreat, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Shelter View–Rainbow Gap, 4 sights
3.8 mi · ▲ 874 ft · 1 hr 42 min
Elevation 3,180–3,623 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Appalachian Way · 35.64986, -82.29298
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 86°F / low 70° · precip 23% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 7:04 AM · sunset 7:54 PM
Dogs allowed on leash
- Start on Appalachian Way, heading NE.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Old Trestle Road, heading SE.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Buck Gap Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Old Trestle Road, heading S.
- 50 ftPass Shelter View.
- 0.8 miBear left onto Lookout Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftSharp right onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Old Trestle Road, heading SW.
- 0.1 miPass Rainbow Gap.
- 50 ftReach Shelter View, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Old Mitchell Toll Road, heading SW.
- 50 ftSharp left onto Lookout Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftBear right onto Old Trestle Road, heading NE.
- 0.7 miTurn right onto Buck Gap Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Old Trestle Road, heading NW.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Appalachian Way, heading N.
- 0.4 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
78% dirt21% gravel1% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 86°F70°
Precip23%Wind5 mphUV7Humidity69%
Rained 0.1″ 4 days ago
Hourly temperatureRain chance
90°70°
Sunrise 7:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:54 PM
Sat
88°71°
Sun
86°65°
68%
Mon
71°62°
52%
Tue
74°57°
Wed
83°60°
Thu
84°65°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.2 mi in (~42 min). Leave by 6:52 PM for the 7:54 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:43 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Trailhead visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Dogs allowed on leash
More from Appalachian Way Trailhead
- Rocky Head–Shelter View, 7 saddles 3.7 mi · ▲ 1,151 ft
- Copperhead Mountain–Lookout Mountain, 5 summits 4 mi · ▲ 1,583 ft
- Shelter View–Sourwood Gap, 6 saddles 6.9 mi · ▲ 1,800 ft
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