It was a schoolday, but the whole school was on top of a mountain. With panoramic mountain views all around, first grader Penelope was examining a strange plant. It was growing out of the open pasture on top of Bearwallow Mountain. It had tough, woody branches and green pods armored in thorns. The older pods had split open, revealing shiny, dark seeds. Other pods had just started to crack.

Penelope and her friends tried different ways to pry them open, but the thorns pricked their fingers. Using sticks helped. Penelope slid some seeds out, dug a small hole, and dropped them in. “I’m planting them!” she said. For Penelope, the best part of this field trip was “experimenting on different plants.”

Elsewhere on the mountaintop, a group of boys stacked rocks to build a house for “an ant millionaire.” Kids walked or ran on rocks, trying not to teeter off into imaginary lava. Others looked for bugs, and found spiders, beetles, crickets, and grubs. Kids did cartwheels. Kites sailed and bubbles floated on the breeze.

On this cool October day, FernLeaf Community Charter School brought the entire school—nearly 300 students, from kindergarten through sixth grade—to the top of the mountain, with the help of volunteers and Conserving Carolina. The children hiked the one-mile trail in groups, sometimes scrambling up a boulder on their way or taking a break to write in their journals.

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Standing here more than 2,200 feet above the valley and twice that distance above sea level, it feels like you could reach out and touch the toy-like houses scattered over the orchards miles below. In one of those homes, Nancy Lyda may be gazing up this way, enjoying the view of the mountaintop she and her family have worked to protect for all time.

Nancy’s mother, Pearl Barnwell, had been talking with what was then the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (now Conserving Carolina) about preserving some of the 700 acres the family owns atop Bearwallow Mountain in Henderson County, North Carolina.

In 2009, the organization completed a conservation easement, for which the family voluntarily agreed to give up development rights, on 81 acres of the peak. In 2012, the family and the conservancy completed a second easement on 89 acres west to Bearwallow Gap. Then, in May of 2017, the family worked with the conservancy to finalize a third easement on 306 acres east of the peak to Little Bearwallow Mountain.

Now, a total of 476 acres is protected atop Bearwallow, preserving in an undeveloped state the mountain’s familiar humpbacked profile that defines the northeast horizon in Henderson County.

Not all conservation easements allow for public access. But the one the Lyda family has completed on their land will allow Conserving Carolina to complete an important link in its Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Trail and Network. The future 20-mile loop of trails will connect the top of Bearwallow with protected lands such as Conserving Carolina’s 600-acre Florence Nature Preserve east of Gerton, and hundreds more acres protected by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy around Hickory Nut Gap.

The ring of protected acreage straddles the Eastern Continental Divide and the high elevation lands where northeast Henderson County abuts Buncombe County.

Seven rare natural communities have been documented, including High Elevation Rocky Summit (two subtypes), Montane Cliff, Rich Montane Seep, pasture, and Southern Appalachian Bog. Specifically, the mountain is home to a small bog, between one quarter and one half acre, in the gap between Bearwallow and Little Bearwallow. This appears to be the bearwallow for which the mountain is named.

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Join Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy for a celestial show atop CMLC-conserved Bearwallow Mountain on Sunday, July 17, 2016. Hike to the summit about 90 minutes before sunset in time to watch the full moon rise, then hike back down the gravel road about 60 minutes after sunset.

At 4,232 ft. above sea level, Bearwallow Mountain stands as the highest peak in the widely-visible Bearwallow Highlands range. Straddling the Eastern Continental Divide, it makes up part of the Blue Ridge Escarpment as well as the western rim of the Hickory Nut Gorge. Crowned with a grassy meadow at its summit, the mountain features a nearly 360 degree view that encompasses some of the southern Appalachians highest peaks including Mt. Mitchell in the Black Mountains and Mt. Pisgah in the Great Balsams range. Its breathtaking vista also includes a birds-eye view of Hickory Nut Gorge, as well as downtown Hendersonville. A historic fire lookout tower occupies the summit, as do grazing cattle who call the mountaintop home.

CMLC acquired a conservation easement on 81 acres at the summit of Bearwallow in 2009, forever protecting it from mountaintop development. An additional 85 acres were placed into a conservation easement on Bearwallow Mountain’s ridgeline in 2012. At the moment, CMLC has conserved a total of 165 acres and is working toward conserving more than 300 acres at Bearwallow Mountain by the end of 2016.

Total hiking distance is 2.0 miles. This hike is rated strenuous with a total elevation gain of 537 feet. Attendance is free and open to the public. Begin the hike Sunday evening before the sun sets, and then travel back down the mountain bathed in moonlight. Please note: because of the nature of this hike, plan to pack a flashlight and additional clothes, blanket/sleeping bag to stay warm while on the summit. It will probably be windy.

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Grand Highlands is a real estate development in Henderson County, NC. What sets it apart is location. A location that is described as “an open meadow placed on a mountaintop.” Land that affords you some of the most spectacular views in Western North Carolina. I think of it as a picturesque spot for taking photographs of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains and valleys. Within a stone’s throw of two delightful hiking trails that were built and maintained by the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, Grand Highlands is also a launch point for local adventure.

The Bearwallow Mountain Trail takes off from here, as does the Trombatore Trail. Bearwallow and the small community of Gerton are to the east. Asheville is north, Hendersonville is west, and Lake Lure is farther south in the Hickory Nut Gorge. Grand Highlands is a great location for sunrise or sunset photos, and with an elevation near 4,000 feet, it offers long-range mountain views including iconic Mt. Pisgah. My most recent visit occurred on Sunday, August 9, 2015.

I arrived approximately 6:30 AM, a half hour before the sunrise. The lodge style clubhouse at Grand Highlands is a popular choice for a mountaintop wedding, and there were still decorations left from the ceremony that undoubtedly occurred the day before. As I wandered the summit while waiting for daybreak, I began to plan the locations I would photograph. Grand Highlands is also high vista horse country. A handful of equines loped from their stable to the nearby meadow to greet the morning glory. They were shy though, as they stayed hidden under an evergreen throughout my failed attempts at a closeup picture.

I hope you enjoy this break I took from hiking. Photography is likely my second favorite hobby, so I enjoy the occasional quiet time with just my camera and me. On this gratifying day I had Grand Highlands all to myself.

Update January 25, 2016: Winter storm Jonas blew through the Carolinas on its way up the east coast depositing several inches of snow along its path. It made getting around quite a mess for a few days, but finally I got brave enough to take the Subaru up Bearwallow Mountain to Grand Highlands. It was a stunning sunny day. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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.

Blue Ridge Pastures is a grassy knoll northwest of Bearwallow Mountain along the Buncombe/Henderson County line. With terrific views of Hickory Nut Gorge, and on clear days The Great Craggy and Black Mountains, the reward for your hard work pays off. The Trombatore Trail will make you climb twice for your reward, once before and once after, but keep that reward in mind as you trod along this brand new 2014 addition to the Hickory Nut trail system. The trail passes through the Upper Brush Creek watershed and along the Eastern Continental Divide on its way to the scenic summit. We hiked Trombatore on Friday, December 19, 2014 between 10:30AM and 2:00PM. Our plan was to explore this new trail we had heard about through the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. Blue Ridge Pastures was a big hit with us.

If you’ve been to Bearwallow Mountain before, well, park the same place. The Trombatore trailhead is right across the road from the Bearwallow trailhead at Bearwallow Gap. It’s kinda spartan at the moment… the trail is brand new after all. The sign board is in place, but is empty.

Named for a family that lived on the mountain a long time, the Trombatore Trail is configured like a “V.” You start out significantly down, into the Upper Brush Creek watershed. The trail-building volunteers affiliated with Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and DRAFT Crew have done a nice job with water bars, switchbacks and stairs to help prevent erosion along the new downhill track. Keep your eye out for occasional weird trees in the woodlands, including one that looks like a chicken leg with knuckles, and a 150-year-old covered with burls that somehow avoided the logger’s axe decades ago.

In lieu of blaze marks, CMLC has posted temporary signs along the path to guide your way. In many areas the Trombatore Trail borders private property, so keep to the signed walkway to avoid angering local homeowners. When you cross the creek at roughly a half mile, you have reached the bottom, and start the upside of the “V.” Another half mile later the single track trail meets an old road bed that will take you the rest of the way. Watch for the temporary signs at various junctions.

If you’re ever hiking around Western North Carolina or the Smokies, and happen upon a very tall man with a beautiful black-and-tan hound named Grace, be sure to stop and chat awhile. Griztrax, as he is known in the hiking community, has many tales to tell. He is always happy to share them with you.

The final mile and a half is all uphill, some fairly strenuous, so take your time and pause occasionally to enjoy the forest that surrounds you. Across the drainage is the western shoulder of Bearwallow Mountain, and the craggy cliffs of Face Rock. I looked for a face in the curves of the rock, but couldn’t conjure an image. Perhaps you will have better luck. This old logging road is quite nice to hike on, much of it cushiony grass.

Past the 2-mile point you cross a spring and reach the remnants of an old homestead. There are piles of rock scattered about that mark the foundation ruins of a cabin that once stood here surveying the mountains surrounding Asheville, far to the northwest. I couldn’t be sure, but there even looked to be a few heirloom apple trees mixed among the hardwoods and brush.

Beyond the homestead, the trail goes single-track again, then reaches the edge of a large meadow. There is barbed wire here, so be aware, but CMLC has provided a wooden stile to safely cross. Dave and I took turns holding Grace as we climbed the stile, so we could help her get through the rusty barbs without injury. Another few hundred feet later we arrived at Blue Ridge Pastures.

There is something invigorating about sunshine on a grassy bald in the mountains. With the ridgelines of Hickory Nut Gorge looming all around, you might just feel inclined to let out a yodel or two. As soon as our feet touched the soft highlands grass, large smiles replaced the sweat on our faces.

It’s still another tenth mile to the knob on Blue Ridge Pastures, but be sure to spin around and take in the scenery. Behind you is Bearwallow Mountain, topped with the old communication towers from years gone by. To the east is Hickory Nut Gorge, with the massive stone face of Rumbling Bald clearly evident. You can also see Little Pisgah and Burntshirt Mountains.

On the north end of the pasture is a fire pit surrounded by logs to sit on. For us, it was a great spot for lunch and relaxation. Despite high clouds, we were treated to a clear lower sky so we could make out the Great Craggy and Black Mountains way off to the north. What a great spot this is. We were energized by the environment. Even Grace had an extra bounce to her step. We made ourselves totally comfortable (see the photo of Dave and Grace at the top) as we fell into the moment.

Blue Ridge Pastures is a 120 acre conservation easement secured by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in December, 2012. The property is situated on the Eastern Continental Divide, adjacent to Strawberry Gap and Ferguson Knob, with an upper elevation of 3,740 feet. The tracts are adjacent to a network of protected land in Hickory Nut Gorge, including SAHC’s Hickory Nut Gap Forest and CMLC’s Florence Nature Preserve. All of this conserved land will eventually be joined in the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge master plan. Those of the next generation will be in for a masterful treat.

The only bad news with a “V” hike is you have to do the climbing all over again. So it was all the way down, then all the way back up on our return. It was OK though because we still had marvelous thoughts of Blue Ridge Pastures dancing in our heads. We encountered three different groups of hikers on our way back, out to enjoy the warm afternoon, a nice December surprise. Save a little energy for the final push back to the trailhead.

In summary, the Trombatore Trail is a welcome addition to the ever-expanding opportunities for exploring Hickory Nut Gorge. The north gorge offers marvelous vistas of the surrounding mountain ranges, like the views enjoyed from Blue Ridge Pastures, Bearwallow Mountain, and the Florence Preserve. I highly recommend this hike for old and young. It may be a little tough for toddlers, but certainly bring your older kids along. They’re bound to enjoy the expansive scenery.

Updated January 7, 2016: It’s been just over a year since first trying out Trombatore Trail. An unseasonably mild January day seemed like a good time to go back for another look. The trail itself hasn’t changed much in a year, and the same laminated signs are still nailed to the same trees. Trombatore Trail needs a few more years to mature and come into its own, but it’s hard to beat the reward at Blue Ridge Pastures… simply stunning views in every direction. Here are another dozen photos.

Updated June 1, 2020: After being off the hiking trails for ten weeks due to shelter in place from coronavirus, I was looking for a trail I thought wouldn’t be crowded, and wasn’t far from home. Trombatore Trail was an easy choice. This was my first non-winter visit, and I noticed a few things. The trail itself is maturing nicely in it’s fifth year, and the vegetation here gets really, really green in spring. Here are some new photos.

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.

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.