Distance: 2.5 mile one way
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation Change: gain = 656 ft; loss = 1202 ft
My Hike: 7.2 miles (round trip) Out-and-back plus trip to summit of Waterrock Knob
source: Great Day Hikes of North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail
I solo hiked this trail early on a Friday morning in April. I arrived at the Waterrock Knob Overlook parking area about 9am and I was the only one in the parking lot. I basically had the trail to myself for several hours.
The parking area has restrooms and a small visitor’s center plus some placards indicating the peaks that can easily be viewed from the parking area.
The MST is easy to find just off of the upper end of the parking lot. The trail goes off to the right (from the paved walking path). The paved path soon changes to a rocky trail that takes you to the summit of Waterrock Knob (6292 feet) – about 0.5 mile one way. NOTE: the MST is consecutive with this small summit trail. In fact Segment 1 of the MST ends here and Segment 2 begins.
I hiked the trail out-and-back to the Fork Ridge Overlook on the BRP (MP 449). The trail is moderate with several rocky climbs. There are several areas with vistas of distant mountains. The trail stays in close proximity to the BRP.
When I got back to the Waterrock overlook, I took a right on the MST and continued up to the summit. By this time, there were a few more cars, but the area was not over populated. It is a short moderate climb to the top and it yields some magnificent views. It’s easy to get 360 degree views of the surrounding area.
The Visitor’s center contains a small convenience store as well as Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains souvenirs, guides, etc. Also, if you are one of the National Park Passport – stamp and cancellation collectors-then you can get a stamp for the Blue Ridge Parkway here.
