About trails in Jackson County, North Carolina

Jackson County has 71 named trails on the map, covering 190 miles in total, an average of 2.7 miles per trail. That is the 17th largest mapped trail network among 80 counties in North Carolina. 52 of them are tagged for hiking and 10 for mountain biking.

The longest single trail is Mountains-to-Sea Trail, at 27.0 miles. 10 trails run 5 miles or longer. Mapped points of interest in the county include 19 trailheads, 19 campsites, 162 waterfalls, and 22 boat launches. The nearest towns to these trails are Cashiers, Cullowhee, and Sylva.

What the trails in Jackson County are like

By length, 31 are under a mile, 27 run 1 to 5 miles, and 10 are 5 miles or longer. 4 are loops, ending where they start; the longest is Round Mountain Gap Trail, at 5.1 miles.

Every one carries a difficulty rating: 3 easy, 48 moderate, and 17 hard. Of the 68 with measured elevation, Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Segment 2 climbs the most, about 24,301 ft, and 20 gain 1,000 ft or more.

Explore by activity

190Total miles

19Campsites

22Boat launches

162Waterfalls

19Trailheads

Mountains-to-Sea TrailHike27.0 mi Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Segment 2Hike26.6 mi Moses Creek RoadHike14.2 mi Mysterious Cabin LoopHike13.1 mi Wayehutta Loop8.2 mi Panthertown Valley TrailHike6.7 mi Powerline RoadHikeMTB6.0 mi Gribble Gap LoopHike5.3 mi Round Mountain Gap TrailHike5.1 mi Upper Long BranchHike5.1 mi Moses Creek Road–Mysterious Cabin LoopHike4.9 mi Pinnacle Park TourHike4.8 mi Sam Smith Loop3.8 mi Cullowhee ConnectorHike3.6 mi Mac's Gap TrailHikeMTB3.3 mi Lower Long BranchHike3.1 mi Pinnacle TrailHike2.7 mi Hogback Mountain PathHike2.7 mi West Fork Trail2.6 mi East Fork TrailHike2.2 mi Locust Gap Trail2.1 mi Blackrock TrailHikeMTB2.0 mi Ellicott Rock ConnectorHike1.9 mi Shelton TrailHike1.9 mi Whiteside Mountain TrailHike1.8 mi Turkey Knob TrailHike1.8 mi Greenland Creek TrailHike1.6 mi Devil's Elbow TrailHikeMTB1.6 mi Rattlesnake Knob TrailHikeMTB1.6 mi North Road TrailHikeMTB1.5 mi Big Green TrailHike1.3 mi Great Wall TrailHike1.3 mi Sawmill Bottoms Trail1.3 mi Deep Gap TrailHikeMTB1.3 mi Jackson County GreenwayHike1.2 mi Little Green TrailHike1.1 mi Richland Balsam Nature TrailHike1.0 mi Riding Ford TrailHikeMTB1.0 mi Wilderness Falls TrailHike0.8 mi Little Savannah ConnectorHike0.8 mi Green Valley TrailHike0.6 mi Lyn Lowry TrailHike0.6 mi Boundary Trail0.6 mi High Bethel TrailHike0.6 mi Overlook TrailHike0.5 mi Carlton's WayHike0.5 mi Preservation Trail0.5 mi Waterrock Knob TrailHike0.5 mi Monteith Park Nature TrailHike0.4 mi Firescald Ridge Trail0.4 mi Granny Burrell FallsHikeMTB0.4 mi Big Green Trail footpath connector to Mac's Gap TrailHikeMTB0.3 mi hikingHike0.3 mi Swinging Vine Trail0.3 mi Granny Burrell Falls TrailHike0.3 mi Hickory Nut Trail0.3 mi High Top Trail0.3 mi HHS ConnectorHike0.3 mi Carlton's FernsHike0.3 mi English Setter Trail0.3 mi Snow Blossom Trail0.2 mi Sprice Top Trail0.2 mi Woodbridge DriveHike0.2 mi Utica Trail0.2 mi Slick Rock Trail0.1 mi Upper Long Branch SwitchbacksHike0.1 mi CorkscrewHike0.1 mi Mountains-to-Sea ConnectorHike0.1 mi

Trails by town in Jackson County

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Trail geometry from OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed ODbL. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Compiled and published by Trailmonger · trail data last rebuilt October 25, 2026.