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Hot Springs, North Carolina

Looking for the best hiking in Hot Springs? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around Hot Springs. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

Top Hiking Spots in and near Hot Springs

  • Brevard, North Carolina

    Looking Glass Rock

    4.6
    5.43 mi / 1572 ft gain
    This is a really nice, moderately difficult hike along a cascading creek, up switchbacks, and through wildflower fields. A couple miles in, you'll reach a helipad that is used for rescuing injured rock climbers - Looking Glass Rock is a popular destination for world class climbing. There is a sma...
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  • Gatlinburg, Tennessee

    Quilliam Cave via Courthouse Rock Trail

    2.85 mi / 1404 ft gain
    Quilliam Cave via Courthouse Rock Trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a river located near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
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  • Roan Mountain, Tennessee

    Hughes Gap to Roan High Bluff

    10.92 mi / 2986 ft gain
    Hughes Gap to Roan High Bluff is an out-and-back trail that provides a good opportunity to view wildlife located near Bakersville, North Carolina.
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  • Brevard, North Carolina

    Hike to John Rock

    5.0
    5 mi / 1000 ft gain
    This 5 mile loop begins at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and State Fish Hatchery near Brevard, NC. Ample parking is available adjacent to the trailhead with bathrooms and water accessible. Grab a map from inside as well. To start the hike, look at the education center, to the left is t...
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  • Gatlinburg, Tennessee

    Cataract Falls, Smoky Mountains

    4.4
    1.09 mi
    You will find the trailhead to this gravel path just to the left of the Sugarlands Visitor Center. The easy walk along Fighting Creek is scenic and tends not to be crowded, either. At the end of the hike you will find a beautiful 25-foot waterfall. Please refrain from climbing on or around the f...
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  • Gatlinburg, Tennessee

    Gatlinburg Trail

    5.0
    3.8 mi / 351 ft gain
    Gatlinburg Trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a waterfall located near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
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  • Church Hill, Tennessee

    Laurel Run Trail

    5.0
    3.96 mi / 712 ft gain
    Laurel Run Trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a waterfall located near Church Hill, Tennessee.
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  • Tuckasegee, North Carolina

    Hike to Dill Falls

    0.4 mi / 400 ft gain
    The drive to this waterfall can be a little muddy when there is a lot of rain and can need an AWD or 4WD in the rain. The road has some new gravel laid in parts so it could be improved in a few months. In the summer there is also a chance of seeing large dump trucks and logging trucks, but the ro...
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  • Brevard, North Carolina

    Art Loeb Trail

    4.8
    30.07 mi / 7467 ft gain
    Start at The Davidson River Campground just outside of Brevard, NC (276 Pisgah Ranger District). Have a shuttle car or a friend waiting at the Daniel Boone Boy Scout camp for the finish line. Hop on the 30.1 mile long Art Loeb Trail at the trailhead in the Davidson River Campground. Pull into th...
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  • Brevard, North Carolina

    Camp at Davidson River Campground in the Pisgah National Forest

    4.5
    Pisgah National Forest, in my opinion, is one of the best national forests in the United States. Being just a short drive from Great Smokey Mountain National Park it has all the feel of being in the smokies with more to explore. Pisgah has anything you could want to see or do from tens of water...
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  • Bakersville, North Carolina

    Appalachian Trail: Carvers Gap to Yellow Mountain Barn

    12.28 mi / 2720 ft gain
    Appalachian Trail: Carvers Gap to Yellow Mountain Barn is a loop trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Bakersville, North Carolina.
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  • Bakersville, North Carolina

    Grassy Ridge Bald in the Roan Highlands

    5.0
    4.84 mi / 932 ft gain
    Once you've parked at Carver's Gap (5500'), the trailhead is pretty easy to find. Simply cross the highway and jump onto the Appalachian Trail, right on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. Head north on the AT as you head through the Roan Mountain Balds. In the very beginning of the hike,...
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  • Bakersville, North Carolina

    Round Bald via Carver's Gap

    4.3
    1.72 mi / 338 ft gain
    This super easy hike to the campsites near Round Bald is the perfect intro to backpacking for kids or newbies, but serves just as well for the more experienced backpackers who can't squeeze a longer trip in over the weekend. This short (.5 mile) hike in leads to a grassy opening with amazing vie...
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  • Bakersville, North Carolina

    Backpack to Overmountain Shelter in the Roan Highlands

    5.0
    5.5 mi / 900 ft gain
    Starting from the Carver Gap Parking area (do not leave belongings visible in your vehicle) head North on the Appalachian Trail (cross the road and head up the hill past the kiosk). Stay on the Appalachian Trail for 5.5 miles climbing across open balds and treking through forests and wildflower p...
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  • Roan Mountain, Tennessee

    Roan Highlands: Carvers Gap to US 19E via Appalachian Trail

    5.0
    15.47 mi / 2598 ft gain
    The Roan highlands, possibly one of the best sections of the Appalachian Trail, is a section of grassy balds that range from 5000-6000 feet following the A.T. Start at Carvers Gap ( Highway 261 NC / Highway 143 TN) on the TN/NC border. You can either leave a car at Highway 19E or arrange for a s...
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  • Roan Mountain, Tennessee

    Jane Bald via Appalachian Trail

    4.8
    2.64 mi / 581 ft gain
    This journey begins at Carvers Gap, on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. At a beginning elevation of 5512 ft. you will cross the road from the parking area to the trailhead, on the Appalachian Trail, northbound. The trail climbs gently through grasslands and rhododendron before enter...
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