Where: Snowball Mountain off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Craggy Gardens Picnic Area
Distance: 3 miles
Difficulty: Moderately strenuous (7/10)
Join Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy for a hike to the protected Snowball Mountain. This hike will celebrate the 2023 Year of the Trail to help interested residents, visitors and trails enthusiasts in the area (and across the state) find and attend events, connect with others, and learn more about advocating for trails in NC.
This moderate 3-mile hike will take hikers along a high elevation ridgeline with remarkable views. We will start out on the Mountains-to-Sea trail and split off to climb Snowball Mountain. Next, we will continue North to Hawkbill Rock where we will look back onto the property and into the Woodfin Watershed— another SAHC-protected landmark. Hikers should be prepared for a short trip, but steep elevation changes along the way. Snowball Mountain was one of the marquee parcels that pushed SAHC past the 50,000-acre milestone mark at the end of 2011.
Come and enjoy this beautiful property and learn about SAHC’s projects in this spectacular area of the Black Mountain range. In 2012, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchased 90 acres on Snowball Mountain in Buncombe County, permanently preserving scenic views for recreational visitors, clean water sources for area residents, and habitat for native species. Nestled in the beautiful Craggy Mountains, this tract is highly visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway and national forest land, and it adjoins the publicly accessible Snowball Mountain Trail and Camp Sequoyah Trail.
SAHC’s Snowball Mountain tract joins a significant swath of state and federal protected land, contributing another piece to a vast network of over 125,000 acres of contiguous protected forestlands. The trail overlooks national forest land and the Woodfin Watershed, which SAHC protects with a conservation easement.
What To Bring: hiking shoes, lunch, water, jacket/rain gear, camera, and please dress in layers.
Dogs: Dogs are allowed.
If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected].
Cost – $10 or Free to Members. Pre-registration is required.