About trails in Macon County, North Carolina

Macon County has 92 named trails on the map, covering 313 miles in total, an average of 3.4 miles per trail. That is the 10th largest mapped trail network among 80 counties in North Carolina. 61 of them are tagged for hiking and 9 for mountain biking.

The longest single trail is bicycle, at 103 miles. 6 trails run 5 miles or longer. Mapped points of interest in the county include 9 trailheads, 27 campsites, 76 waterfalls, and 8 boat launches. The nearest towns to these trails are Highlands, Franklin, and Tate City.

What the trails in Macon County are like

By length, 45 are under a mile, 27 run 1 to 5 miles, and 6 are 5 miles or longer. 1 is a loop, ending where it starts; the longest is Cliffside Loop Trail, at 0.8 miles.

Every one carries a difficulty rating: 6 easy, 53 moderate, and 19 hard. Of the 78 with measured elevation, Bartram Trail climbs the most, about 59,711 ft, and 12 gain 1,000 ft or more.

Explore by activity

313Total miles

27Campsites

8Boat launches

76Waterfalls

9Trailheads

bicycleMTB103 mi Bartram TrailHike61.9 mi Little Tennessee River GreenwayMTB9.2 mi Big Indian Loop TrailHike8.4 mi Brush Creek RoadHikeMTB6.4 mi Yellow Mountain TrailHike5.7 mi Park Creek TrailHike4.6 mi Ellicotts Rock TrailHike4.1 mi Hurricane Creek LoopHike4.0 mi Blackwell Gap Loop TrailHikeMTB3.9 mi Lower Trail Ridge WayHike3.8 mi Kimsey Creek TrailHike3.6 mi Buckeye Creek RoadHike3.4 mi Park Ridge TrailHike3.3 mi FS 57AHike2.8 mi Yellow Patch TrailHike2.6 mi Thomas Branch TrailHike2.6 mi Glade Loop TrailHike2.4 mi Bear Pen Gap TrailHike2.4 mi Chinquapin Mountain TrailHike2.2 mi Timber Ridge TrailHike2.1 mi Long Branch TrailHike2.0 mi Jones Gap RoadHikeMTB1.9 mi Rufus Morgan TrailHike1.9 mi Ranger Falls TrailHike1.8 mi Clifftop Vista TrailHike1.7 mi Glen Falls TrailHike1.3 mi Glenn Falls TrailHike1.3 mi Cemetery LaneMTB1.2 mi Fish Hawk RoadHikeMTB1.1 mi Siler Bald Shelter TrailHike1.1 mi Nantahala BikewayHikeMTB1.1 mi Indian Ridge TrailHike1.1 mi West Fork TrailHike0.9 mi Scaly Mountain TrailHike0.8 mi Buckeye Creek TrailHike0.8 mi Cliffside Loop TrailHike0.8 mi Chattooga LoopHike0.7 mi Homesite Road TrailHike0.7 mi Pickens Nose TrailHike0.7 mi Secret Falls TrailHike0.7 mi Martin TrailHike0.6 mi Clifftop Naturel TrailHike0.6 mi Wasilik Poplar TrailHike0.6 mi Chattooga River TrailHike0.6 mi Walden WayHike0.6 mi Beech Gap TrailHike0.6 mi Big Laurel Falls TrailHike0.5 mi Hurrah Ridge TrailHike0.5 mi Camp Shortcut TrailHike0.5 mi Jones Gap TrailHike0.4 mi Potts Memorial TrailHike0.3 mi Vanhook TrailHike0.3 mi Strawberry BranchHike0.3 mi Sunset Vista Trail0.3 mi Bluegrass Trail0.3 mi Albert Mountain BypassHike0.3 mi Park Creek-Ridge Connector TrailHike0.3 mi Skitty Creek TrailHike0.3 mi Haven Ridge Trail0.2 mi High Laurel Trail0.2 mi Siler Bald Vista TrailHike0.2 mi Old Turkey Trail0.2 mi Ridgetop Trail0.2 mi Betty Creek Gap TrailHike0.2 mi Walasi TrailHikeMTB0.2 mi Wilson Lick TrailHike0.2 mi Claw Hammer Trail0.1 mi Falcon View Trail0.1 mi Mossy Horn Trail0.1 mi Siler Bald SpurHike0.1 mi Toccoa Trail0.1 mi Maypop Trail0.1 mi Ashwood CircleHike0.1 mi Saratoga Trail0.1 mi High Trail0.1 mi Buck Rub Trail0.1 mi Stony Point Trail0.1 mi

Trails by town in Macon 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.