The community situated in the Hickory Nut Gorge is named after a nearby cave. According to the Nature Conservancy’s website, Bat Cave is the largest known granite fissure cave in North America. It is not open to the public and tours are not offered due to its protected status with the Conservancy as well as concerns over White Nose Syndrome, a disease that can be deadly to bats.

The most famous landmark in the Hickory Nut Gorge is Chimney Rock. This 315-foot granite formation juts out from the mountain at an elevation of more than 2,200 feet above sea level. From the valley floor it’s hard to miss the rock and the large American flag flying high above it. Chimney Rock has been the center of tourism in the gorge since the early 1900s when it was purchased by Dr. Lucius Morse and his brothers. It remained in private hands until 2006 when it became part of the North Carolina State Park system.

At the entrance to the park, stone walls on each side of the road perfectly frame Chimney Rock and the mountain rising behind it. The road winds up the mountain for a few miles before ending at a parking lot at the base of the monolith.

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Hickory Nut Gorge runs from Bearwallow Mountain in the northwest to Lake Lure southeast. Included in its 10-mile length are majestic cliffs of granite, inspiring waterfalls and scenic wilderness that beckons to the explorer in you. Chimney Rock State Park, Florence Nature Preserve and Rumbling Bald all offer excellent hiking within the gorge. Up in the northwest corner is a lesser known area called Hickory Nut Forest with trails that follow Hickory Nut Creek to Cascade Falls, and then on up Little Bearwallow Mountain to a tall bluff with a precipitous slide waterfall. Bearwallow Mountain, on the eastern Continental Divide, is a short drive away with spectacular views in every direction. Make a day of hiking enjoyment by combining these two trails. This hike occurred on Friday, November 9, 2012 from 10:30am to 2:30pm. My plan was to take the Creekside Trail in Hickory Nut Forest to Cascade Falls and beyond to Little Bearwallow Falls, then drive to the Bearwallow Mountain Trail for a hike to the summit.

When I was looking for trail maps in Hickory Nut Gorge, I just happened upon this one in an area called Hickory Nut Forest. I’d never heard of it before, and since I was back to hiking solo for this week, I thought I’d give it a try.

Parking for this trail is the same place as for the Florence Nature Preserve. However, the trail is on the opposite side of Hwy 74A from the parking. There is a driveway there, and a small apple orchard called Honey Bear, but no marked trailhead. It seemed odd to walk across private property, but heading through the orchard seemed the only way to get to the sounds of the creek. If anyone reading this knows how to get to the Creekside Trailhead without walking through Honey Bear Orchard, please leave a comment below.

On the south side of the orchard is the well-marked Creekside Trail. Soon after, you’ll come to a split where the Creekside Trail goes left and another trail goes to the Laughing Waters eco-community. Stay left and cross a wooden footbridge over Hickory Nut Creek, then head in a westerly direction. This is a narrow trail made all the more difficult to follow because all the leaves have recently fallen from the trees. It was fortunate for me that there are frequent bright yellow blazes to mark the path through the dense forest.

There isn’t much water in the creek this time of year, but I imagine this to be a refreshing scene in spring. There was considerable blow down across the trail, a problem that would continue to get worse the farther up the mountain I went. There were two places I had to leave the trail to go around thick branches of downed trees. A lot of this seemed fairly recent, perhaps from the heavy wind we received from superstorm Sandy, so trail maintenance will be quite the task going forward.

About a quarter mile up the trail you’ll see the Laughing Waters Retreat Center and an old grist mill on the other side of the creek. Be sure to stay on trail, as the rest is private property. Another quarter mile afterward I came to a particularly difficult downed tree that I had to go over, under and around to reach Cascade Falls. Though not particularly large, Cascade Falls is appropriately named as it has multiple tiers.

The lower cascade is reached with a bit of rock scrambling that is becoming more and more difficult as I continue to have birthdays. I just tell myself not to be in any hurry. Care and caution before excitement. I’ve taken my share of slips and falls in creeks and I much prefer to remain upright. And so I did on this day.

The upper cascade is wider with a nice pool below and a rope swing across it for doing the Tarzan thing. Obviously the eco-community folks know how to have fun. I definitely want to take a look at this area again when there is more water in the creek.

The trail onward is a touch difficult beyond the falls as there has been some erosion exacerbated by all the fallen leaves. It continues up and to the left through a rhododendron canopy. Keep your eyes peeled for the yellow blaze marks. From here on it begins to climb in earnest.

You’ll pass through a series of small switchbacks that help to moderate the ascent, then you will reach the junction with the Trail to Cliffs about a quarter mile beyond Cascade Falls. Blaze markings are now blue. There is a short dip in the trail, then the climbing begins again, now in a southerly direction.

After a relatively steep climb through a forest of tall and old hardwoods you will reach a boulder field. These car-sized fallen granite boulders are moss covered and helpful as landmarks. The trail takes a sharp left turn just before the boulders. Watch for the blue trail markings. Don’t cross through the boulders.

Soon after, you’ll come to the junction with the Cliffs Trail. That’s a trail for another day, but for this hike I wanted to continue straight ahead to Little Bearwallow Falls. It’s a little confusing because both have blue blazes, but the Cliffs Trail goes west and the waterfall trail continues south.

The final 150 yards to the falls is a pretty tough scramble over rocks and fallen branches. Add to that another 75 feet or so of elevation gain and I was pretty winded when I reached the base of the falls. Especially with the fatigue, it was an anti-climax. This is a slide waterfall plunging nearly 100 feet over a sheer cliff face… but there was little to no water! Again, I just so happened to find this area for my first visit at the wrong time of the year.

I took off my pack to rest, setup the tripod for some pictures, and pulled out a sandwich for some energy. As I walked around the base of the falls looking for ideal angles for photographs, I discovered it’s pretty treacherous stepping. What little water there is tunnels its way under leaves and loose rocks making for unstable footing, as well as holes to step in and get your foot caught. Between that and downed trees, getting around was difficult. Just an advisory. Beware of the loose rock in this area. It’s very easy to turn an ankle, or worse. Please be careful.

The cliff face continues to the west. Presumably that is the path the Cliffs Trail takes. Half a mile west is a place called Wildcat Rock, and then it’s another 1/2 mile to Little Bearwallow Mountain Meadow. The Cliffs Trail then goes down the mountain and ends up back at Hwy 74A, albeit a good mile or more northwest of the old stone chimney parking.

One advantage of the leafless trees was I could see across the gorge to similar cliffs on the other side in Florence Nature Preserve. That view would not be available except in late fall and winter. So there are trade-offs. If you want water on the waterfall then you won’t be able to see the surrounding gorge.

My return to the car was uneventful. With stops for pictures and lunch, the 2.2 mile hike took just beyond two hours to complete.

After returning to the parking area at the stone chimney, it’s a short mile drive to the Gerton Community Center and just beyond to Bearwallow Mountain Road. The road climbs through old rustic barns and farm houses, then changes to gravel for a rough but navigable track. Near the top you’ll reach the high rent district as the homes become more distinguished and the views become longer. When you again reach pavement, it’s time to park.

The Bearwallow Mountain Trailhead is just behind a rusty gate on the service road that goes to the communications towers on the top of the mountain. I like to come back down that way, but hike up the trail that was recently built by the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. It was kinda buried in leaves on this day, but I simply followed the white blaze markers.

The first couple hundred yards are the steepest part of the trek, so it’s nice to get that out of the way early. I found that as I got higher, the trail was less leaf covered making it easier to follow. One of the interesting things about this hike is the ledges you can see in the granite as you make switchback turns back and forth. I’ve been here in the dead of winter when the granite ledges are covered in ice — making it very attractive — but also making the trail very treacherous. The CMLC trail builders did a nice job of creating stairways out of stone and log to make these ledges easier to navigate.

As you continue to climb, the view is mainly to the east, and to the Black Mountains far in the distance to the north. After a mile of climbing, the trail pops out on the very long double summit. To your right will be the western bald pasture, and to your left will be the top of the mountain with all its communications and fire towers. The mountain sits atop the eastern Continental Divide and makes the northwestern rim of Hickory Nut Gorge.

On this day I headed first across the pasture to the southern side for a look at King’s Mountain and on toward the South Carolina Upstate. Below is the town of Hendersonville. Walking then toward the western end of the pasture, you can see the imposing Mt. Pisgah far in the distance with the massive TV tower on its summit. Watch out for the cow pies on the grassy top as this is still an active pasture during certain times of the year.

The longest views are from this western end as you can see the ranges of the high country more than 40 miles away. Some of the peaks in the Great Balsams are over 6000 feet. Although I haven’t yet been there at sunset, this particular spot is a haven for photographers at dusk as it offers clear views of the western sun setting over those awesome mountains.

Crossing the pasture back to the east, I reached the service road for the final climb to the summit. It’s about another quarter mile on this gradual grade of perhaps another 100 feet. In addition to a farm of communications towers and an old fire tower, the summit is capped with large granite outcroppings and the wonderful gnarly, twisted trees like you see in the photo at the top of this post. Click it for a larger image.

This side gives you the best view to the east, and down Hickory Nut Gorge. The southeastern side is tree covered, so you can’t really see as far as Lake Lure — at least I haven’t been able to find it. From this summit you can also see the stunning Black Mountains away to the north, another range of 6000 foot peaks including Mt. Mitchell, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi. Asheville is to the northwest.

As I mentioned above, I like to make the return trip on the service road because it’s a nice winding stroll through the woods. As it departs the summit it heads directly north so you have a great view of the Black Mountains straight ahead for the first quarter mile or so. The service road turns this circuit into a loop.

When you get back to Bearwallow Mountain Road, if you continue westerly in your vehicle you will come to Grand Highlands on Bearwallow Mountain, a lovely community of high country horse farms and high-end residential property. I come up here frequently very early in the morning to catch the post dawn sun rays as they shine on the Blue Ridge far in the distance.

In summary, Hickory Nut Forest and Bearwallow Mountain are a nice way to combine two short hikes and make a day of it. It seems to me that spring is probably the best time to check out Cascade and Little Bearwallow Falls. The water will be rushing over the waterfalls and down Hickory Nut Creek. and the wildflowers will be smiling in the forest. Bearwallow Mountain offers remarkable views no matter the season and is one that I do quite frequently.

Update September 4, 2016: Made another visit to Bearwallow Mountain. I like the short hike to the summit. It’s near my home so I can go see it on a whim. Trees that surround the summit have grown quite a bit in the four years since my initial post here. Many of the views are now obscured, including the best view of Mt. Pisgah. Perhaps winter trips will be called for in the future. Here is another photo gallery. Feel free to leave your comments below the gallery.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Donated to the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Florence in 1996, the Florence Nature Preserve is 600 acres on the slopes of Little Pisgah Mountain. With more than five miles of public hiking trails, much of them along a beautiful mountain stream, the preserve contains old growth forest, views of Hickory Nut Gorge, remnants of old cabins, and several small waterfalls. Seasonally there are a variety of rare plants including yellow lady slipper. CMLC conducts regular ecological monitoring of the preserve, implements conservation plans for habitat enhancement, and ensures that the preserve remains safely accessible for future recreational use through their trail maintenance volunteers. This hike occurred on Friday, November 18, 2011 from 11:00am to 1:45pm. My plan was simply to explore. I’d never been to the preserve before, so I took a map, and a willingness to see where the trails would lead me.

Florence Nature Preserve is private land owned by the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. I believe they are holding it as part of their master plan to turn Hickory Nut Gorge into a state park. They generously offer the preserve for public recreation, but it behooves us to be on our best behavior while enjoying the hiking trails. Hunting, fishing, trapping, wild plant collecting, overnight camping, and motorized vehicles are not allowed throughout the preserve. Mountain biking is not permitted on the Blue Trail. CMLC offers a trail map on their website that you may find more useful than the terrain map I generated above. If you take a look at their map you will see the trails are designated with colors. I spent some time on each of the colored trails.

There’s a lot to be said for hiking alone. I know, all the hiking safety suggestions recommend always having someone else along, but occasionally it is good for the spirit to get out in the forest by yourself. I always enjoy hiking with my regular companions, but on this hike they were not available, so I headed out to explore with just me, myself, and I. Because of the safety concerns, my senses were more acute. I was looking and listening for wildlife and other hikers, just to be prepared.

My hike started at an old cabin foundation with a stone chimney along Hwy 74A east of Gerton. This is presently the only public access into the Florence Nature Preserve. Apparently there used to be other trailheads, but they are all on developed private land, so the need for this public access arose. The first trail here is known as the Little Mt. Pisgah Trail and is blazed yellow. There is a sign just past the start that warns of steep, uneven terrain. I can certainly vouch for the steep. There is only 800 feet of climbing in the preserve, but 500 feet of it is in the first quarter mile on the Yellow Trail. Make it through that and the rest is a piece of cake. 15 minutes in I came upon a small log cabin with a tin roof. It seemed to be more an old shelter than a former home. From what I have learned, those who used to live on this land a century ago were farmers and loggers.

After a half mile on the Yellow Trail, it comes to a junction with the Blue Trail, and to a mountain stream that flows to the Broad River below. If you turn left and head south on the Blue Trail there are a couple of small waterfalls. I turned right and continued up the mountain.

Now that there was a water source, the rhododendron dominated the landscape. Much of the Blue Trail is under a rhododendron canopy as it follows the course of the water upstream. A further quarter mile brought me to remnants of another stone foundation that had been a log cabin in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Although a little chilly, it was a beautiful day with a cloudless azure sky. With all the leaves now off the trees, that sky became a large part of my field of vision. I paused many times to marvel at the richness of the color in contrast with the bare hardwood forest.

As the Blue Trail continues northward, there are spur trail options for reaching the Little Pisgah Mountain plateau. You can stay on the Blue Trail all the way to the mountaintop, and beyond, to a dirt road known as the Old Buncombe Turnpike. Or, there are the other options. On the left there is another yellow trail that ends up meeting the White Trail. I went past this one (because there aren’t any noted landmarks on the map) and took my left turn on the White Trail. It approaches the top of the mountain from the east. The White Trail winds itself through the center of the preserve and eventually joins the Old Buncombe Turnpike on the western side. However, I made another change, turning right onto the Red Trail.

Going south, or left, on the Red Trail is a means of turning this hike into a loop. It goes to the southwestern corner of the preserve, then turns abruptly east where it meets the southerly end of the Blue Trail. I believe the Red Trail is also known as the Hickory Nut Gorge Trail. It is difficult to tell because there are signs with trail names, but they seem to go with old trails that are no longer in use. Stick with the colored blazes and you’ll be fine. That loop will be another hike for another day. On this day, I turned right on the Red Trail and followed the Little Pisgah Mountain plateau.

The Red Trail is a beautiful stroll on flat terrain through a forest mixed with saplings and old hulking greybeards. My every step rustled the fallen leaves. I found myself pausing frequently to let the camera capture the moment. The leaves on the ground were mostly brown now; all the trees were bare; there was the occasional green of a rhododendron or out-of-place conifer. Fortunately for my allergies most of the ragweed tops were gone, but a few still remained. Then the trail came to my destination — the mountain meadow.

The meadow isn’t large, perhaps the size of a Little League baseball field. This time of year it was covered in dying tall grasses and briar thickets. It seems the Convervancy is doing some habitat enhancement in this meadow. There are several chicken wire cylinders protecting some form of plantings they have done. It was difficult to tell what the plants are. Perhaps in the green season it would be easier. There was also a lone spruce tree in the meadow. Perhaps 12 feet tall, it’s pictured at the top of this post. I felt a kind of bond with this spruce — all alone in a mountain meadow without a care in the world. It was soothing.

At the north end of the meadow are trail options as the Red Trail meets the Blue trail. A left turn goes to the far northern boundary of the preserve where it meets the Buncombe Turnpike. I turned right across a surprising concrete bridge that must have been left from the days the turnpike was still in use. The Blue Trail begins going slightly downward until in short order it reaches a junction with the Orange Trail on the left. This is a dead end spur trail that goes through the forest to a rock outcrop sitting on a ledge of the mountain… a perfect spot for lunch and pictures.

The outcropping isn’t large and it isn’t an overlook, but it is a very nice place to sit for awhile. I took the pack off to rest my shoulders and pulled out my sandwich and fruit. Because the leaves were off the trees, I had somewhat of a view of Shumont Mountain overlooking the Hickory Nut Gorge to the east. To the south I could make out the large granite cliffs that comprise the southern wall of the gorge. I suspect you would never know they were there in the summer. The forest would be full and this outcrop would be nothing more than a good spot to rest and contemplate. There are advantages to continued hiking in the late fall and winter.

The forest was quiet, but filled with sound. This is why it is nice to occasionally get out on the trail alone. I could hear every bough creak from the light, wispy breeze. I listened and watched carefully for critters of some kind — but to no avail — this time. There were a few birds above me, no doubt complaining to their mates about my presence. The air had that essence of dried leaves that I’ve come to know in Novembers past. There was moss on the rock; velvety to the touch. All that, and the succulent taste of a scrumptious Henderson County cameo apple from Grandad’s.

Returning on the Orange Trail, when I got back to the Blue Trail I turned left this time to begin going back down the mountain. There is one short stretch before returning to the junction where I took the White Trail on the way up. The remainder of the hike was simply downward the way I had come on the Blue Trail, and then a left turn back onto the Yellow Trail. I know, easy for me to say, but it really is easy. Just look at the map.

I’m glad I discovered the Florence Nature Preserve. I have my Mom to thank for that. She saw it mentioned in something she read and called it to my attention. This is easily a four season hike. There’s nothing that would be especially dangerous in the snow and ice of winter, and the only thing that might slow you down during the warm seasons is sweat from that initial climb. I will return to explore more of the Red Trail and the waterfalls on the southern end of the Blue Trail. If you go, enjoy, but remember that the Conservancy will appreciate it if you leave it as you found it.

Update In December 2011, CMLC began construction on a new section of hiking trail that connects CMLC’s newly opened trailhead on Highway 74A to the 600-acre Florence Nature Preserve (FNP). Located in the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge near the hamlet of Gerton, the new section of trail will replace a steep and eroded trail that currently accesses the FNP. This new, sustainable trail will feature multiple switchbacks to improve the grade of the ascent to FNP. The new route, open to foot traffic only, will also incorporate multiple natural and cultural points of interest as it accesses the Preserve and its five-mile hiking trail network on the slopes of Little Pisgah Mountain. The existing trail will be closed following construction of the new access trail. Construction of this trail re-route is scheduled to be completed in January 2012. — CMLC news release 12/14/2011

Updated March 20, 2014: My regular hiking companion and I made another visit to Florence Nature Preserve to see for ourselves the trail improvements that have been made in the last two and a half years, and I must say, I am impressed! The work that was done on the extremely steep climb at the beginning has made this an entirely different hike. The use of switchbacks and a different route to the cabin now makes this only moderately difficult at best. Thank you CMLC.

There is also a new sign at the trailhead promoting the Preserve as part of Upper Hickory Nut Gorge, making it easier to find and recognize the trailhead. The lone spruce at the junction of the blue and red trails is now at least twice as tall as it was in November, 2011. Don’t the kids grow up fast?

Here are a few more photos from this hike:

Updated July 7, 2014: Went for a summer time stroll through the preserve. I happened to catch peak rosebay rhododendron season and some views of the surrounding countryside.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Chimney Rock State Park is one of the newest in North Carolina. The state acquired the land from private ownership in 2007, and the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy continues to obtain additional parcels in the Hickory Nut Gorge to eventually expand the state park. The Rumbling Bald section of the park is separate from the more famous namesake, Chimney Rock. Because this park is new and still in the planning stage, trails are primitive, unnamed, and exciting. Maps are limited. The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation will eventually develop other areas of the state park with more traditional park facilities and recreation. The beauty of Hickory Nut Gorge rivals anything else in western North Carolina with spectacular views, excellent rock climbing, a 404 foot waterfall, and scenic Lake Lure. The lake, created in the 1920’s by the damming of the Rocky Broad River, is one of the most picturesque in North Carolina. This hike occurred in two phases on Thursday, October 20, 2011 from 10:30am to about 2:30pm. Our plan was to climb to the base of Rumbling Bald from the Rumbling Bald Climbing Access area of Chimney Rock State Park. We knew trails to the cliffs were limited, so we were prepared for bushwhacking. The second phase of the hike would take us to the top of Rumbling Bald Mountain on a different trail, then back down.

View Rumbling Bald Trails, Hickory Nut Gorge in a larger map

First, let me warn you that I know next to nothing about this area. I have been to the famous Chimney Rock, back when it was still privately owned, but that is a tourist attraction. Information about Hickory Nut Gorge hiking is very limited at this time. Trail maps are pretty much non-existent… heck, for that matter, trails are pretty much non-existent. I’m sure many of the landmarks have names, but I don’t know what they are. This was my first time exploring the area, so the best I can do is share my observations. If any of the information turns out to be incorrect, or misleading, I will make every effort to correct it as I take future expeditions to Hickory Nut Gorge. The beauty is I’m only a half hour away, so future trips will be easy.

Right from the parking area for the access trail we could see our destination for the day. We were going to start by climbing to the base of the cliffs on Rumbling Bald, then drive a short way to another trail that would take us to the top of the mountain. It was a bright, sunny day with temps in the mid fifties, ideal hiking weather. I was surprised how green the forest still was this third week of October. We were below 1500 feet though. Hickory Nut Gorge is one of the lower areas in western NC as it is east of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. Ten days earlier I encountered brown forest above 5000 feet. Elevation really makes a difference in chlorophyll levels.

The last several hikes I’ve done in Pisgah National Forest the mast has been very scarce. There have been a number of bear warnings in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains because of this. Well, someone forgot to tell the oaks in Hickory Nut that this is a bad year. Acorns were everywhere, and they were huge, some as big as ping pong balls. I couldn’t resist the urge to put a few of the bigger ones in my pocket. I have no idea what I’ll do with them, but they’re now sitting with the buckeyes I collected a few weeks ago. Of course there were also lots of the hickory nuts that gave the gorge its name.

About 1/4 mile up the trail we encountered a gentleman walking his athletic doberman. We queried him for any local knowledge he had of the trail system here, and he told us there really weren’t any trails to the base of the cliffs. Just point yourself up and keep climbing until you see rock was his advice. So that’s what we did. The forest wasn’t especially thick, so bushwhacking wasn’t at all difficult. We managed to stay on what were either game trails, or rudimentary trails trampled by the brave and daring rock climbers who come to Rumbling Bald. Within half an hour we reached the cliffs. This is one massive wall of granite.

From a distance you can see the rock wall is a two pitch face, but from the bottom all we could see was the first edge hundreds of feet above. Looking real closely we noticed assorted climbing nuts, hexes, hooks and cams inserted in several areas along the face of the wall. These rocks are very popular with the winter climbers because of the southerly exposure. I’ll leave that to the young people though. I am a Meanderthal, but I’m definitely too old for that. I kinda like hanging out in the woods, not hanging from a rock wall.

We followed the base of the wall in an easterly direction, toward Lake Lure, hoping for a view. Because this really isn’t trail, it got quite dicey on occasion. We had to scramble up and over, around and between; hopping from boulder to boulder that had fallen from above thousands of years ago. We encountered many cave openings at the base that were only 1-2 feet high. This area is known for the millions of bats that live here. In fact, one of the towns in the west gorge is called Bat Cave. Unfortunately, there has been a recent blight that has killed nearly half the bat population.

Finally we reached a spot where we could see Lake Lure by climbing about 10 feet up the rocks. It must be an amazing view for the pros who scale hundreds of feet up. As I was climbing down from the rocks to firmer ground, I stepped on a pile of the ever-present acorns and suddenly hiking changed to skating. I was going down and there was nothing I could do but brace for the impact. Fortunately for me I landed on my butt and my pack. No harm done. I got up, and looked sheepishly at my buddies as I dusted myself off and made some lame excuse about walking on marbles.

We decided it was probably time to head back downhill and move on to our 2nd hike. As we scanned the area for the best way down we noticed there were grapes all over the place, muscat I assume. There were vines hanging 15-20 feet up in the trees and the fruit was perfectly ripe, and delicious. The next treat we discovered on our hike down the hill was a few walnut trees. Some of the nuts were green and still hanging from the trees in bunches 12 feet above our heads. There were others on the ground the size of billiard balls. This forest was definitely not short on winter food for the hibernating wildlife.

It was a short drive uphill, probably about a mile, to the next trail. This one is not marked in any way, and does not have a name that I can find anywhere on the Internet. The trailhead is at a water tower that stands on a hill above the undeveloped Blue Heron Point subdivision overlooking Lake Lure. We could tell immediately that we were higher because the forest had quite a bit more fall color. The photo at the top of this post was taken just a couple hundred yards up the trail. It continued throughout the hike — the higher we got the more colorful the forest became — and we got pretty high as it just kept going up, and up, and up… more than 1500 feet in a mile and a half.

After the first 1/4 mile, the trail makes a sharp left turn and continues up an old rutted road. This road may have been in use 50 or more years ago, but you couldn’t even get a Jeep up it these days. There is a three foot deep trench from drainage on much of the road. We found ourselves walking on both sides of the trench and hopping across it frequently. The higher we got, the rockier it got as well. Rain drainage running down the road has exposed large chunks of granite that would also be murder on any 4×4 vehicle trying to access this road.

We found the proof of that about 3/4 mile up the trail. There was a smashed and beat up pickup truck on the side of the road pinned between trees and rocks on the road’s edge. It looked like someone was coming down the road from the other side of the mountain in this truck, was going too fast, flipped and rolled several times until finally resting upright. There is no getting it out of there without carrying it out piece by piece.

I really got tired on the upper half of this climb. I’ve done steeper. I’ve done longer. There are some days when we just don’t have it. This was apparently one of those days for me. I had to stop frequently for a quick breather. My partners continued on ahead to scout the unknown, while I languished behind huffing and puffing and dragging one leg in front of the other. Around every curve in the trail there was another uphill push. This trail was relentless. Finally, after about and hour and 15 minutes of steady climbing I caught up with my friends at the top. I asked if they were tired at all and they answered very affirmatively. So I guess it wasn’t just me. There was a nice big log at the top that was ideal for a lunch break.

I have to admit after all that climbing I was quite disappointed there wasn’t a nice view at the top. Even though the mountain is named Rumbling Bald, it is definitely not bald at the summit. You really can’t see much through the forest. Perhaps in the winter when the leaves are off the trees there would be better views. The forest was quite colorful though. We probably hit it right at peak autumn leaf peeping. On the way back down we ran into a couple of hikers, who were familiar with the area, who told us we had missed the overlook trails that go to Party Rock and other view points on the cliff edge of Rumbling Bald. Darn it!

The way back is the same trail. It sure was a whole lot easier going down than coming up. I was able to enjoy it more and take quite a few more pictures. There were a few places where I could catch a glimpse of Lake Lure through the trees. Again, I suspect this trail may be more scenic in winter.

I definitely intend to explore more of the new Chimney Rock State Park, the Rumbling Bald area, and Hickory Nut Gorge. I have skipped it so far, even though I only live 12 miles away, because everything I’ve read says it simply isn’t ready yet. Well, that’s true, it isn’t. But if you’re willing to blaze your own trail, and hike on some less than groomed tracks, the topography and geology is quite compelling. This is some of the most dramatic scenery that western North Carolina has to offer.

UpdateNovember 3, 2011: Our curiosity got the best of us, so we went back two weeks later to look for the trail to the cliff’s edge on Rumbling Bald. We found it 45 minutes up on the left not far past the wrecked pickup truck, and by the way, the trail up Rumbling Bald was just as steep as the first time. It’s a tough hike. We popped out on a large outcropping called Party Rock that has a terrific view of Lake Lure, Shumont Mountain, and the rest of the Hickory Nut Gorge. I knew there had to be something more than just the trail to the summit of Rumbling Bald Mountain. I have added a few pictures to the end of the gallery below. Enjoy!

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.