One of the best hikes I've ever experienced occurred recently at Grandfather Mountain in Linville, NC.
I started on a trail called the Profile Trail. The image to the left demonstrates why it's called that. Near the top there is this view that looks like the profile of an old man.
The Profile Trail is beautifully constructed with lots of large boulders, moss covered stones, a couple of creek crossings, and some great views.
This trail goes up hill to the Grandfather Trail which is where it really gets great.
The Grandfather Trail is a ridge trail that requires the use of several ladders, some cables and in some spots crawling on hands and knees.
There's a short spur trail that leads to a large cave.
This is not a view from the trail. This is the actual trail.
This is the same section of trail looking the other direction.
The trail goes all the way to the swinging bridge, so you either have to turn around or catch a ride back down the mountain. If you want to do this same hike, travel through Linville toward Boon on HWY 105 and park at the area labelled "Profile Trail Parking."
Distance from downtown Greenville: 125 Miles
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