The Chimneys–Mountains-to-Sea Viewpoint, 7 sights is a 16.1-mile out-and-back in Linville Gorge Wilderness near Cold Springs, NC. The route passes Mountains-to-Sea Viewpoint and The Chimneys. It climbs 4,348 ft, with sections as steep as 38% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 76/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi1,978 – 3,612 ft · steepest grade: 38%16.6 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 35.94715, -81.85554
Nearest town Cold Springs, NC
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
The Chimneys–Mountains-to-Sea Viewpoint, 7 sights
16.1 mi · ▲ 4,348 ft · 7 hr 32 min
Elevation 1,979–3,611 ft
Out & Back · Linville Gorge Wilderness
Trailhead: 35.94715, -81.85554
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 89°F / low 72° · precip 14% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 7:02 AM · sunset 7:53 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Steels Creek Trail, heading E.
- 1.4 miTurn right onto Lettered Rock, heading SW.
- 2.2 miSharp left, heading S.
- 1 miBear right onto Table Rock Gap Trail, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail/ Table Rock Gap, heading SE.
- 1 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miPass Mountains-to-Sea Viewpoint.
- 0.9 miPass The Chimneys.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Amphitheater, heading S.
- 0.3 miReach The Chimneys, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail, heading E.
- 1.2 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Mountains-to-Sea Trail/ Table Rock Gap, heading E.
- 1 miTurn left onto Table Rock Gap Trail, heading NE.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading NW.
- 1 miSharp right onto Lettered Rock, heading NW.
- 2.2 miTurn left onto Steels Creek Trail, heading E.
- 1.4 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 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
88% dirt12% gravel
Weather
OvercastTemperature 89°F72°
Precip14%Wind4 mphUV7Humidity60%
Rained 0.1″ 6 days ago
Hourly temperature
90°70°
Sunrise 7:02 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:53 PM
Sun
82°66°
82%
Mon
74°63°
74%
Tue
78°59°
Wed
86°61°
Thu
87°65°
Fri
83°64°
31%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 6.0 mi in (~201 min). Leave by 4:11 PM for the 7:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 11:08 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Steels Creek Trail 3.7 mi · ▲ 641 ft
- Windling Stair Knob 3.9 mi · ▲ 760 ft
- Steels Creek Trail 4.8 mi · ▲ 792 ft
- Hawksbill Mountain–Hawksbill Viewpoint, 4 sights 10 mi · ▲ 2,837 ft
- Devil's Cliff & Raspberry Ridge via Jonas Ridge Trail 10.1 mi · ▲ 2,484 ft
- Gingercake Mountain–Lettered Rock, 4 sights 11.1 mi · ▲ 2,543 ft
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Hikes near Cold Springs, North Carolina