NC MST Segment 4

Segment 4 of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs for 75.3 miles Black Mountain Campground to Beacon Heights.  This segment is called Gorges, Peaks & Waterfalls as it passes through beautiful mountain scenery in Pisgah National Forest, but also includes some of the most difficult and remote sections of the trail.  Almost all of this segment is along hiking trails or abandoned logging roads, with less than 3 miles along gravel roads.

Route:

The western trailhead is at Black Mountain Campground, where it heads east to ascend to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The trail then leads to Woods Mountain and descends to US-221 in Marion.  The trail then climbs again to Linville Gorge and runs along the eastern rim to Table Rock.

The trail then descends into the Steels Creek drainage and crosses NC-181.  From here, the trail winds through the Wilson Creek Area, passing numerous waterfalls.

The final stretch climbs back up to Blue Ridge Parkway at Beacon Heights, the eastern terminus of Segment 4.

External Links:

Mountains-to-Sea Trail website: https://mountainstoseatrail.org/segment/4/