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Hiking Calloway Peak

What Makes It Great

Grandfather Mountain’s forests house plenty of wildlife and almost 200 different species of birds. Profile Trail hikers can spot woodland species such as warblers (especially in spring), scarlet tanagers, Louisiana water thrushes, and a numerous varieties of vireos. As the trail continues to spiral up the mountain, you’ll pass a great campsite, numerous breathtaking overlooks, and Shanty Spring, a cool and delicious fresh water spring located at about mile 2.7.

The last 0.3 miles will get your heart pumping, calves burning, and put you on your hands and knees as you climb up rocks along the steepest part. Once you reach the top of the Profile Trail, you’ll have two options: left or right. Swing left on the Grandfather Trail to reach Calloway Peak. It will take you 0.4 miles along the ridgeline and up three ladders to the summit of Calloway Peak.

Calloway Peak sits at 5,946 feet with the best views of Grandfather Mountain, Linville Gorge, and sometimes even the Charlotte skyline. John Muir described the sublime scenery from the summit as, “I couldn’t hold in, and began to jump about and sing and glory in it all!” Of the sunsets here, he said, “I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”

Bring some tasty snacks, plenty of water, and good company, and it will be a hike that you won’t regret.

Who is Going to Love It

This trail is for nature, adventure, and hiking enthusiasts. You’re gaining about 2,000 feet of elevation from start to finish. You’ll want to have comfy hiking boots, a backpack full of water, and your favorite snacks to stay fueled along the trail. If you have any knee or leg problems, make sure to bring trekking poles for additional support. There are benches along the trail for moments when you need a breather. It is well maintained and well traveled, although the last 0.3 miles can be rocky and uneven.

Intro

Beginning off of scenic highway 105, the Profile Trail offers hikers an opportunity to witness some of the spectacular and beautiful views the high country has to offer — views famed naturalist John Muir wrote about in 1898. You’ll start by lightly treading through the headwater streams of the Watauga River as it winds 3.1 miles through seven different types of natural communities, including northern hardwood, Canadian hemlock, and acid cove forests.

Directions, Parking, & Regulations

The trailhead is located 12 miles from Boone on Highway 105, ¾ of a mile North of the intersection of Highways 105 and 184.There is an official parking lot for this trailhead. Since this is a hiking favorite, the parking lot fills up quick; get there early to secure a parking spot. If the lot is full, you’re able to park along the shoulder of Highway 105 at your own risk. Trail access is free since, but you must fill out a permit at the trailhead information kiosk and bring the bottom section of the ticket with you on your hike.

Dogs are permitted, but must be leashed at all times.

If you plan to camp, remember to camp in designated areas, there are plenty of beautiful sites along the trail.

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Featured image provided by Chelsie Mitchell

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Winter Hiking at Grandfather Mountain

The wind just always seems to be blowing at the top of MacCrea Peak. The bare rock that caps the roughly chimney-shaped precipice offers no protection from the frigid gusts of the season. Just below, a ring of alpine forest (a biome common only in the Southeast at elevations of a mile high or greater) is dusted with bright white snow and shimmers under a sheen of ice. Far beyond the southern Appalachian spruce trees, valleys, and blue-hazed mountains seem to extend for eternity.

At once beautiful and treacherous, this is winter hiking at Grandfather Mountain State Park. Rugged rock scrambles, nerve-wracking high-altitude ladder climbs, and ice-slick chutes highlight the 12-mile trail system which laces its 2,500 acres.

Constant wind gives spruce trees and odd appearance of forward motion
Constant wind gives spruce trees and odd appearance of forward motion
Paul Geist

Grandfather Mountain was, until 2008, a privately owned park. The state park system bought the land but many of the attractions — gift shop, restaurant, animal habitats — remain and are operated by a non-profit enterprise. The front gate at the main entrance to the park is a reminder of those private ownership days and continues to charge a per person fee. However, since taking over the trail system, the Park Service has stopped collecting fees at the two other trailheads. Beginning your exploration of Grandfather Mountain at the western trailhead allows you to avoid the entrance fee and puts you in position to enjoy one of the greatest treks in this amazing park.

Snow covered trails make traction and navigation a bit tricky
Snow covered trails make traction and navigation a bit tricky
Lisa Firullo

A Deceptive Start

A brown sign on NC 105, about ¾ mile from the junction of NC 184, locates the Profile Trail parking lot. During summer, this lot can overflow with eager trekkers, many of whom take on the more intermediate 7-mile trek to Calloway Peak  and back, but that’s rare on a cold winter day. Eventual updates, according to the Park System, will allow for more parking and a bathroom.

The first mile and half or so of the 3.1-mile Profile Trail doesn’t hint at the rugged terrain ahead. Mostly gentle climbs through a hardwood forest provide a good warm up, though. The trail turns abruptly steep and rocky but offers a well-protected lunch spot and water source at Shanty Springs just past the 2.5-mile mark.

The next bit of travel opens up to the first views of the day and may require a bit of “bear crawling” over exposed rock. Turn left onto the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Trail for a half-mile (each way) out and back hike to the top of Calloway Peak. The path near the top can become icy, and trekking poles offer a huge advantage.

Fir trees, bent by the constant onslaught of wind and fringed with icicles, frame the views from one of the highest peaks in the park.

Expansive views of Southern Appalachian Alpine Forest make the trek worthwhile
Expansive views of Southern Appalachian Alpine Forest make the trek worthwhile
Lisa Furillo

Head back to the trail junction and continue straight to connect with the Grandfather Trail. Alpine Meadow, the open patch of grassy mountaintop about a half mile from the trail junction, is one of the best backcountry camping spots in North Carolina during warmer months.

Chutes and Ladders and “Batman-ing”

Another mile further on, the Underwood Trail splits to the right. Stay straight and you’ll soon come to a heavy wooden ladder, the first of several, which leads to the top of MacCrea Peak. Cresting the big rock is well worth the diversion to take in 360 degrees of Blue Ridge Mountain views.

Craggy rock faces create beautiful ice flows on the trail
Craggy rock faces create beautiful ice flows on the trail
Paul Geist

After a visit to MacCrea, the next stretch of trail includes the chutes and ladders that make this trek famous. Shimmying, a la Batman from the campy 1960’s TV show, down bare rock faces requires a light grip on attached cables. Several more ladders — needed to avoid free climbing steep drop offs of exposed rock — make this section particularly troublesome for dogs, although many can complete it with a little help. These craggy overhangs also produce some crazy-cool ice structures perfect for your next profile picture.

Mile High Bridge

The final turnaround point is the large parking area on the top of Grandfather. As this is also the stopping point for those driving up from the main entrance, the lot is often bustling with families who’ve come for a picture on the mile high swinging bridge. While plenty sturdy, the sway of the 228-foot pedestrian suspension bridge (the longest of its kind in the U.S.) can cause shaky knees in even mild acrophobics. The gift shop, restaurant, and bathroom facilities are here as well. Once you’ve had your fill, head back the way you came to the Profile Trail parking lot.

A frosted sheen of snow and ice brings a different look to Grandfather
A frosted sheen of snow and ice brings a different look to Grandfather
Joe Giordano

Tips for your first winter hike at Grandfather

    • Plan plenty of time for your return hike. Grandfather is no place to be stuck after dark if you’re not camping.
    • The total hike to the main parking lot and back is 12 miles. Even experienced hikers rarely complete it during the reduced daylight hours of winter, many choosing to turn around at MacRae Peak or the Alpine Meadow. The shortened hike still offers an incredible variety of views and experiences.
    • While some hikers bring dogs to Grandfather, it’s probably a good idea to leave your four-legged pal at home on your first trip, especially in winter.
    • With the potential for slick ice spots and the guarantee of rugged rock, hiking poles are strongly suggested.
    • Wisteria Gastropub is conveniently located on the way back to Charlotte in Morganton. They offer a fantastic southern-spin on farm to table meals and a well-rounded beer list.

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Featured image provided by NC Orchid

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Hiking Profile Trail at Grandfather Mountain

The Appalachian Mountains, the oldest mountain range in the world, is a crown jewel of the American wilderness. Grandfather Mountain, which lies just outside of Boone, North Carolina and boasts four separate summits of rippled rock and stunted spruce, provides one of the most dazzling views on the East Coast. An ocean of ridged and rolling mountains spread out in all directions, their emerald hues deepening to blue in the summer, bursting with scarlet and crimson in autumn, and frozen silver-white in winter.

One of the most popular routes to the top is the Profile Trail, so named because it offers its visitors a view of Grandfather Mountain’s iconic vertical profile, which resembles the face of a massive old man in deep repose. The trail climbs nearly 2,000 feet before linking up with the Grandfather Trail, on which hikers can access Calloway Peak, the tallest of the four summits.

Maeve Gould

The Profile Trail begins as a well-maintained and deceptively gentle pathway, rolling through wildflowers and crisscrossing the Watauga River. On a scorching summer day, hikers will enjoy filling their lungs with fresh, chilled air beneath the dense deciduous canopy and rhododendron thickets that leave the majority of the trail shaded and cool. Don’t allow yourself to get too comfortable though; the route soon turns sharply upwards as it begins its ascent up the backside of Grandfather Mountain. Thankfully, the climb is punctuated by breathtaking vistas, such as the Foscoe View at mile 1.7, which will whisk your thoughts away from your burning quads.

Before reaching the trail’s namesake lookout, you will come across a formidable walkway, created by hundreds of boulders artfully arranged on either side. The “Peregrine’s Flight,” created by two men using only hand held tools, is truly a triumph of trail engineering. Another notable feature is Shanty Spring, where crystal clear water bubbles out of rocks into shallow pools, creating an inviting spot to rest and fill your water bottle before tackling the final climb. The spring marks the beginning of the most strenuous portion of the trail, and also one of ecological significance as the hardwood forest transitions into Canadian fir zone.

Greg Walters

Three miles from the parking lot trailhead, Profile Trail joins up with Grandfather Trail. At this point, take a left on Grandfather to continue your way to where the route opens up onto an exposed ridgeline that will lead you on a magnificent finale to your summit reward. Calloway Peak, engulfed in sky at 5,946 feet, earns its title as “The Grandaddy of High Country Hikes.”

The trailhead is located 12 miles from Boone on Highway 105, ¾ of a mile North of the intersection of Highways 105 and 184. Trail access is free since Grandfather Mountain came into state ownership, but you must fill out a permit at the kiosk and bring the bottom section of the ticket with you on your hike. The Profile-Grandfather Trail to Calloway Peak is 7 miles round-trip and includes sections that are strenuous, rocky, and require very deliberate footwork, but the views at the top…priceless.

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Originally written by RootsRated.

Featured image provided by Kolin Toney

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