Tanawha Trail is a 7.1-mile out-and-back near Grandfather, NC. It climbs 1,507 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi4,170 – 4,679 ft · steepest grade: 16%7.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 36.08162, -81.83196
Nearest town Grandfather, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Tanawha Trail
7.1 mi · ▲ 1,507 ft · 3 hr 7 min
Elevation 4,170–4,678 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 36.08162, -81.83196
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 at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading NE.
- 500 ftBear left onto Beacon Heights Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Tanawha Trail, heading NE.
- 1.4 miBear left, heading E.
- 100 ftBear right, heading E.
- 2.1 miReach Tanawha Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 2.1 miTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftBear left, heading S.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Beacon Heights Trail, heading S.
- 500 ftBear right onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
- 50 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
83% dirt5% paved1% boardwalk1% gravel10% 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 0.1 mi in (~3 min). Leave by 7:30 PM for the 7:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:10 PM — 9 min before dark.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Tanawha Viewpoint & Tanawha Trail 3.4 mi · ▲ 605 ft
- Mountains-to-Sea Trail–Roseboro Gragg Road, 4 sights 8.3 mi · ▲ 1,685 ft
- Marks Mountain Trail–Mountains-to-Sea Trail, 4 sights 13.1 mi · ▲ 2,279 ft
- Mountains-to-Sea Trail–Old House Gap Road, 3 sights 16 mi · ▲ 2,947 ft
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Hikes near Grandfather, North Carolina