Grandfather Mountain: Two Days In North Carolina’s Epic Outdoors

Western North Carolina has some of America’s most beautiful and oldest mountains, and Grandfather Mountain is one of the most popular.

It’s nearly 6,000 feet high but is still one of the more easily accessible mountains in the North Carolina High Country. There are a number of hikes you can do, including the well-traveled profile hike that leads to the mountain’s challenging ridgeline trail. You can also drive up the mountain to take in a number of impressive views on your way to visiting the Mile High Swinging Bridge.

With so much to do, it’s worth spending at least two days in the Grandfather Mountain area to see it all!

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Grandfather Mountain Versus Grandfather Mountain State Park

Before diving into everything to do at Grandfather Mountain and Grandfather Mountain State Park, you may be wondering to yourself, “Why are there two Grandfather Mountains?”

It’s because there are actually two different entities that use the Grandfather Mountain moniker. The reason for this has its roots back in 1952 when Hugh Morton, who privately owned the area, had the Mile High Swinging Bridge built and developed the area into a tourist destination.

Grandfather Mountain remained privately owned until 2008. Having passed away in 2006, Morton’s heirs sold 2,600 acres of the mountain’s backcountry to the state of North Carolina and formed the nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation to continue caring for the remaining area, including the swinging bridge.

Since 2009, the state park has operated independently of the rest of Grandfather Mountain. It’s important to note because access to one does not necessarily grant access to the other. Fortunately, Grandfather Mountain State Park is free to access, so it isn’t too much of a barrier to visiting both when you’re in the area.

Grandfather Mountain State Park – Profile Trail

Starting with Grandfather Mountain State Park, there is one thing you must do: the Grandfather Mountain Profile Trail. This popular trail takes you up the west side of the mountain through several different natural habitats all the way to its crest.

You can access the trail from NC Highway 105. You’ll see a designated parking lot with restrooms and water. From here, you start the 3.6-mile out-and-back hike up the mountain.

The initial climb is more of a gentle walk through the woods. You’ll cross the Watauga River as you pass through a hardwood forest. It’s relaxing with some pretty scenery but isn’t anything particularly special. During spring, you should be treated to some nice wildflowers and rhododendrons along the trail.

It eventually starts climbing along switchbacks and some steeper ascents. These parts of the trail also begin to introduce more rocky features, whether it’s large boulders that dominate the landscape or rocky steps for you to negotiate. During our visit in 2020 it made for some fairly challenging hiking, but as of 2021 the trail was fixed up in one particularly rocky section to create a natural staircase.

Along the way you’re treated to two viewpoints worth pointing out: one of the surrounding region and another showing one of Grandfather Mountain’s profiles. If the weather cooperates, you’ll see firsthand why Grandfather Mountain is named what it is at this second viewpoint. Unfortunately for us, the weather did not cooperate so all we saw were foggy skies.

Perhaps because of this, the highlight for me ended up being the changing forest near the end of the hike. At this height, fir trees started to dominate the landscape creating a lovely alpine ambience coupled with a delightful smell that reminded me of Christmas.

From here, you can either turn around to head back down the mountain to the parking lot or continue along the ridge of the mountain via the Grandfather Trail.

Grandfather Trail

This intersection is where we stopped our hike. Conditions were too cold, wet and rainy for us to want to brave this more strenuous part of the mountain. Considering we couldn’t see anything due to the fog anyways, it wasn’t worth the effort.

Still, continuing along the Grandfather Trail is a worthy endeavor for those hikers who are experienced enough and looking for a challenge. It consists of several rock scrambles and steep ladder climbs that take you to three different peaks of Grandfather Mountain: Calloway (the tallest peak on the mountain), MacRae and Attic Window.

Your reward for negotiating these more difficult parts of the mountain is unrivalled views of the surrounding region.

You can also access this trail from the Top Shop or Black Rock parking lots of Grandfather Mountain. Another option is via the Daniel Boone Scout Trail in the state park.

Other Things to do at Grandfather Mountain State Park

Besides the Grandfather Mountain Profile Trail and Grandfather Trail, you can select from several other shorter hikes of varying distances to see more of the park.

Grandfather Mountain State Park also offers primitive camping at 13 different sites throughout its trail system. Reservations are required at all 13 locations, so make sure to plan ahead if you’re planning on camping in the park.

Grandfather Mountain

Your other day in the area should be a visit to Grandfather Mountain (again, this is not the state park – hey, I didn’t create this confusing naming system).

A visit to Grandfather Mountain is a bit more leisurely than all the hiking at the state park. It includes a drive up to the Mile High Swinging Bridge with several stops along the way to admire the views and some geological features.

There are some opportunities for hiking, but for the most part, these are shorter, relatively easy trails. The one exception is the Grandfather Trail mentioned earlier.

Scenic Drive Up Grandfather Mountain

We visited Grandfather Mountain to go see the views at the Mile High Swinging Bridge, but the drive up the mountain was so much better than I expected. It actually ended up being my favorite part of our time here due to the neat geological features and several remarkable viewpoints.

Having been to Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National, two more well-known stops along the Blue Ridge Mountains, I can say the views along this drive rivaled some of the best at either of those locations. You definitely have more views in each of those parks and “best” is always subjective, but the handful of views Grandfather Mountain offers are very good.

As you drive through the park, you’ll come to five different pull-offs. The first comes pretty quickly once you enter the park. Grandfather Mountain Overlook doesn’t have views of the surrounding mountains, but it does have a great view of Grandfather Mountain’s peak above you. You can see this view in the featured image at the top of this post.

Shortly after this viewpoint is another on your right with a couple picnic tables. The viewpoint itself is almost easy to miss, but you won’t want to skip it. Maybe it’s because the Appalachians are home for me, but views like this resonate with me like few other landscapes do.

The other pull-off worth mentioning is Cliffside Viewpoint. There are unobstructed views of the surrounding mountains in roughly 270 degrees around you. The other 90 degrees give you more views of Grandfather Mountain looming above. There are also large boulders you can climb for even more impressive sightlines. Be careful, though, as it does get very windy here. There were a few moments I thought my phone might fly out of my hands!

Other noteworthy stops along the way are Forrest Gump Curve and the Split Rock and Sphinx Rock pullout. Forrest Gump Curve is so named because it’s one of the spots Forrest ran through during his iconic run across the country in the 1994 film. You may also recognize it from several car commercials as it’s a popular location to film cars navigating windy mountain roads.

The Split Rock and Sphinx Rock pullout features two large boulders with interesting features. Both rocks are over 640 million years old, older than Grandfather Mountain itself. Split Rock features a large crack spanning the entire length and thickness of the rock. This split was made from water freezing in small cracks in the rock. Sphinx Rock is the other boulder here that is popular for looking like an Egyptian sphinx. Sort of. If you look at it just right.

Wilson Center and Wildlife Habitats

About halfway up Grandfather Mountain is the Wilson Center and wildlife habitats. Both of these areas are excellent additions to your visit to Grandfather Mountain, particularly if you have little ones in tow.

The Wilson Center is a museum with exhibits on the history of the region and its native flora and fauna. It also houses several newer interactive exhibits to present the material in a fun and engaging way. Within the Wilson Center is an auditorium where they present films and educational programs, and outside the building is a botanical garden featuring native plants.

In the adjacent wildlife habitats, guests can see some of the animals native to the Grandfather Mountain area. Cougars, bears, otters, elk and bald eagles are all on display. These habitats are the only places where you can see cougars and elk in the area as they can no longer be found in the wild here.

At the top of Grandfather Mountain is the iconic Mile High Swinging Bridge. The Mile High Swinging Bridge spans 228 feet over an 80-foot chasm offering guests 360-degree views of the North Carolina High Country.

The bridge isn’t especially scary, but it may be a bit of a thrill if you have a fear of heights. With how windy the mountain can get, the bridge actually does slightly swing in the breeze. Still, if my wife can do it, you can do it.

Take a deep breath and step out on to the bridge. You’ll find it’s well worth conquering your fear for these views.

After you’re done taking in the views on the bridge, stop in the second-floor photo gallery in the Top Shop. Here you can find photos taken by Hugh Morton, the man who made Grandfather Mountain the attraction it is today and started conservation efforts here. These photos showcase Grandfather Mountain during his lifetime along with other photos featuring North Carolina and his life.

Tickets for Grandfather Mountain

Entry to Grandfather Mountain State Park costs between $20 and $30 per adult depending on the time of year. This fee gives you access to all park amenities plus a good audio tour that describes the park’s history and various sights. The park operates on a reservation system, so it is advised to purchase tickets in advance to ensure entry at a time that works for you.

Other Things to do Near Grandfather Mountain

If you’re visiting Grandfather Mountain in winter, you may want to check out Sugar Mountain Resort or Beech Mountain Resort. Both resorts are popular during winter, offering various wintertime activities, including skiing, tubing, ice skating and snowshoeing.

Western North Carolina is a craft beer lover’s paradise, with plenty of breweries to satisfy any palate. You can venture a bit farther afield to the hot spot of Asheville where you can try over 50 different breweries (maybe not all in one sitting, though), or you can stay a bit closer to the mountain by trying some of the breweries in Boone and Banner Elk.

Linville Gorge is one of the largest gorges on the east coast. This rugged area of western North Carolina has several hikes you can do of varying difficulty, but it’s perhaps best known for its 150′ high waterfall, Linville Falls. This waterfall cascades down several different steps before culminating in a 45′ drop into the gorge below. It can be accessed via an easy hike from the Linville Falls Visitor Center.

Western North Carolina has hundreds of waterfalls for visitors to explore and admire. Some are easily seen right off the road, but many require hikes of different lengths. Make a list of the different waterfalls closest to wherever you’re staying, and then go crazy with however much time you have during your stay!

Where to Stay Near Grandfather Mountain

For a relaxing stay not too far from Grandfather Mountain, I recommend the Potato House in Banner Elk. This is where we stayed during a winter weekend getaway to the area. The name’s a bit quirky, but almost everything else about this house is perfect.

It has a remarkable view of the mountains, a hot tub to relax in after a day of hiking, and a cozy family room complete with a fireplace. The Potato House is a great place to stay for a visit to Grandfather Mountain.

The only downside is it’s a bit pricey, but that’s understandable when you consider everything the Potato House offers. If you go with another couple, the price becomes more reasonable.

Frequently Asked Questions About Grandfather Mountain

What is the weather like at Grandfather Mountain?

Because of Grandfather Mountain’s elevation, expect temperatures to be 10 – 15 degrees cooler than the surrounding foothills. Even in summer months, the average is still only around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s also normal for conditions to change drastically, so be prepared, especially if you’re visiting in a shoulder month.

What wildlife can I see at Grandfather Mountain?

You can expect to see a wide variety of wildlife at Grandfather Mountain, including black bears, beavers, bobcats, coyotes, white-tailed deer and more.

Why does Grandfather Mountain cost so much?

Proceeds from ticket purchases go towards the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation to maintain and preserve the mountain.

Book Your Trip to Grandfather Mountain

Whether you’re looking for tours, hotels or flights, here are some tools to help get you started planning your trip to the mountains of North Carolina!

Look for activities and tours offered through GetYourGuide or Viator!

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out my travel essentials pages for more of my recommendations.

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