These three hikes offer tastes of what the area has to offer:
- Weed Patch Mountain Trail
Eagle Rock and its sweeping views are about 0.4 miles from the parking lot at 1911 Shumont Road; the short Tunnel Trail is an additional 0.6 miles. The entire Weed Patch Trail, which is open to hiking and mountain biking, runs 8.6 miles. Its eastern terminus is in Lake Lure’s Buffalo Creek Park. For now, Chimney Rock State Park has dropped its requirement that people reserve a space in the small Shumont Road lot. On nice weekends, go early or late to ensure getting a spot there.
- Bearwallow Mountain Trail
From the trailhead on Bearwallow Mountain Road south of Gerton, it’s an easy 1-mile hike up to the large pasture, still grazed by cattle, on top of the mountain. Hiking only.
- Wildcat Rock Trail
This trail leads south from the Florence Nature Preserve parking lot on U.S. 74A in Gerton. It’s about a mile to Little Bearwallow Falls — impressive in wet weather, less exciting when dry — and 2 miles to a large rock offering views of upper Hickory Nut Gorge. Hiking only.
For detailed information on these and other hikes, check the “Get Outside” section of conservingcarolina.org.
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