Youngs Mountain Trail

Youngs Mountain Trail is located in Rutherford County, NC just north of Lake Lure and is one of the latest additions (April 2021) to the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail system. The trail is remote and strenuous, but the experience and the views are something that all hikers will appreciate and cherish. This is another excellent example of Conserving Carolina’s leadership in working with communities to help protect precious resources. The trail is a 2.1 mile trip to the summit of Youngs Mtn with 1200′ elevation and currently can only be hiked as an out and back.

Currently, there is not a public parking access at the Trailhead. Access to the trailhead is by a permit basis and can be found on Conserving Carolina’s website. There is limited parking available so please follow the instructions you will be given when making reservations. There are plans to extend the trail approximately 1.5 miles to a larger public parking access area. Obviously, with the restrictions on parking, the trail is not crowded so it is very peaceful.

One of the first things to note about this trail, similar to the Wildcat Rock Trail, is it’s sustainable design. This means that the trail is created in such a way so that it has minimal impact on the surrounding environment. The designers take the terrain into consideration so that water runoff, erosion and washouts are minimized so as to not disturb the forest or pollute the nearby waterways.

This concept of building trails also takes advantage of nearby resources such as locust logs for steps and existing rocks. Conserving Carolina actually has a volunteer team called Rock Crushers that go out and make gravel from surrounding rocks.

The trail begins to the left of the information kiosk and continues through the woods on a gentle, undulating path that easily crosses several streams. Toward the middle of the hike, the climb gets steeper as it begins the 1200 foot ascent to the pinnacle.

At about 1.5 miles, the trail skirts the side of the mountain. There are several signs along this stretch warning hikers of the sheer drops offs ahead. The trail beyond this point can be dangerous.

There is a large outcropping here and this was the first stop on the hike where I was truly overwhelmed with the view. From this vantage point you are looking across Hickory Nut Gorge and down the valley at the north end of Lake Lure.

Another half mile up the trail is the summit, and the reward at the top is a breathtaking view across the gorge and lake including Weed Patch Mountain and Rumbling Bald. If you continue to the end of the trail you can see as far as Mt. Mitchell. I know that this statement is cliche’, but pictures do not do justice for this view.

The beauty of this trail and the unbelievable view truly surprised me, making Youngs Mtn trail one of my favorites. Right now access is limited, and that creates a quiet peaceful walk with an unforgettable reward at the top. I encourage you to put this one on your list.

One final note about the future of the trails in this area: Youngs Mtn Trail will one day connect to many of the other trails in the Hickory Nut Gorge area, but one that I am personally excited about is the prospect of it connecting the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail with the proposed Wilderness Gateway State Trail which will connect Hickory Nut Gorge through the South Mountains and eventually to Hickory, NC. Stay tuned. . . .

40 Hike Challenge Blue Ridge Parkway Conserving Carolina Falls Lake Hickory Nut Gorge Hiking Lake Lure Linville Gorge Mountains to Sea Mount Mitchell North Carolina Trails