Day trip Grandfather Mountian, NC

[Bretthn]

We had just recently gotten our WJ and were ready to start exploring. Two of my wives sister's have gone to Appalachian Sate University and I had been to Boone several times to help them move but we never got to do any exploring of the area. So this time when we were out there to move one of them back home for the summer we got up early so we could do some sight seeing before leaving. The night before was the Super Moon so when I got up at 4am I tried to take a good picture... I think I failed.

So my 4 year old daughter helped me check the fluids in the Jeep and hook up the trailer before waking the wife. We got to Boone and dropped off the trailer at the apartment and hit the road again straight for the mountain. You do have to pay to drive up and I think it was $18 for each adult, but after seeing what they have to offer I think the price is well worth it. My wife took about a million photos so I will just post up the highlights.
It was pretty windy and wet. This is the first lookout on the way up.

Had the weather been nicer this area had several picnic tables and would have been a great place to have lunch and do some exploring on foot.

This is the Split Rock and my daughter had to go into one of the "Caves!" when she saw them. Just like Dora...

 

[Bretthn]

continued

About half way up there is a small Nature Center and gift shop as well as a place to get food. It showed only things local to area and facts about the Mountain.
Minerals

Fungi

A 3D map of the entire mountain. I did not capture this image too well.

A giant mushroom that was found growing on the side of a tree. This thing was pretty cool and my daughter thought it was a turtle shell.

A short hike from the Nature Center building they had a preserve with bears, eagles, otters, deer, and a lot of other animals. We did not see them all due to the weather. It was amazing how the free animals were not as afraid of people like you would normally be used to. My daughter almost caught a chipmunk several times because it let her get too close. Not that we encourage this thing, we just did not expect it to be a problem.

My wife got a little carried away with the bear pics. It was a totally different experience to see them in a more natural setting rather than a manmade pen like you would see at a zoo.

 

[Bretthn]

more bears

We were watching the first bear for at least ten minutes before we noticed the others. This one was perched way up on a ledge sleeping.

I have to admit the bears were pretty cool, even if I did give my wife a hard time about the number of pictures she took of them.

Abby found a good spot to pose for a photo while watching the bears.

 

[Bretthn]

and more

After finally pulling my wife away from the bears we got back in the Jeep and continued to climb. As we got higher the rain stopped and the sky began to clear giving some amazing views.

We stopped at another overlook just before the last leg of switchbacks before the summit.

I tried to take an artistic picture through the mirror.

These are the last steep switchbacks.

They lead to this.

It is a small gift shop and I believe it is an important weather station as well.

 

[Bretthn]

Top

At the very top is the Mile High Swinging Bridge, elevation 5282 feet, and the man in the gift shop said the winds were over 80 mph and gusts above 100!

The views were amazing!

The parking lot at the top was pretty empty. I am guessing when the weather is better this is not the case.

Coming back down.

This turn was filmed in the movie Forest Gump when Tom Hanks was running across the country.

And some shots in front of the entrance. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

 

[profro]

Nice. Thanks for the picks. I am in the Banner Elk area alot. I need to take a trip to the top of the mountain with my family next time. Did you get a view of the "Grandfather" that the mountain takes the shape of?

 

[Bretthn]

I actually did not. Someone had told me that it's name was derived of it being the oldest rock formations in the Blue Ridge Parkway. Now that you ask I googled it and got to see the profile of an old man laying on his back. We will have to find that view next time we go. I want to go back and see the Viaduct and Linville Caverns. On our last trip we did Linville Falls which I will post up soon.
Thanks,
Brett

 

[DaJudge]

There is a great hike across the top of Grandfather. My wife and I have done it a couple of times. Once in the snow...that was an interesting day! I love that area of the world!

 

[Bretthn]

I bet it is 100 times better with snow! I love that area too.

 

[Storz]

Great photos, I love it up there! What part of NC are you from?

 

[Bretthn]

Thanks. I live in Greensboro.

 

[Foy]

Well, that might depend............

I bet it is 100 times better with snow! I love that area too.

.......on how much snow and ice there is, and who the hikers are. The route from the hiker's parking lot immediately below the Swinging Bridge starts off at just under 5,200' and reaches Calloway Peak, around 2.5 miles out, at 5,947'. On that basis alone, it would seem easier than starting from the Blue Ridge Parkway's Boone Fork trailhead, where either of the routes to Calloway Peak require picking up 2,000' of elevation over 3.5 to 3.75 miles. Problem is: the trail from the summit area goes up to McRae Peak at 5,844', loses about 400', climbs over Attic Window Peak at around 5,700', loses 400', then summits Calloway Peak. There are sections with ladders cabled to the rock and more very steep sections which are always shaded in winter where ice and snow builds up. I last hiked from the summit parking area to Calloway Peak on the Saturday after Thanksgiving around 12 years ago, with my very fit teenaged sons, and it was a serious workout, largely because of ice in the steep, shaded areas. I resolved then to use the Crag Way + Daniel Boone Scout Trail routes from the Boone Fork Trailhead next time. While we're on the subject, of the two other routes, I much prefer the Crag Way, where it has a number of very nice view points before joining the Daniel Boone Scout Trail part-way up, and where the DBST is mostly within a "green tunnel" of rhododendeon with few nice views until you get above the Crag Way junction.

The Grandfather Mountain website has some excellent printable trail maps in PDF format. I'd strongly encourage any hiker to obtain and carry a copy along with.

Now that the entire mountain is within the NC State Parks system, accessing the summit by vehicle is the only cost (where part of the sale agreement between the Morton family and the State was continued operation of the facilities at the summit, and retention of most of the fees). The Morton's had been charging a day-use fee for the back-country trails and once the State took that over, the fees there dropped out entirely.

Bottom line is the trail from the Swinging Bridge area over to Calloway Peak is much more difficult that it looks, and especially if small children are along for the hike, you probably should consider starting from the Parkway. From there, I'd allow most of a day to get up, spend some time at the summit, and back down. Last time I went up that way, around 15 years ago, I was fairly fit and did it in 3.25 hours up and 2.00 hours back.

Foy

 

[NCtrail4R]

Good info - thanks for posting. Great to share info of fun adventures.

 

[FJOE]

Great write-up. I went to ASU and am from NC. I love that entire region of the state. It's amazing. I still go back when I get time to visit my parents.