How to Hike the Wildcat Rock Trail
- Updated: 09/20/2024
- Janice
As part of a girls’ weekend getaway, my group of six took on the Wildcat Rock Trail, a beautiful 3.5-mile out-and-back hike near Gerton, North Carolina—a scenic 30-minute drive from Asheville along the Drover’s Road Scenic Byway. Located at the top of Hickory Nut Gorge in the Little Bearwallow Mountain Natural Heritage Area, this hike is a must, offering a fantastic view for a rewarding 2-3 hour adventure. While AllTrails rates this dog-friendly trail as “hard,” I’d call it more moderate, even for an average hiker. If you’ve tackled moderate hikes in the American West, Hawaii, or Switzerland, this one will feel similar—a bit challenging but definitely worth it!
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Keep in mind, this trail does have a total elevation gain of 1,100 feet and over 200 stairs spread throughout, so if you prefer flatter walks or have knee or ankle issues, it’s worth considering before setting out. That said, it’s definitely doable for most hikers with moderate fitness. Below, I’ll share more about our experience, a brief video, and the highlights that made this trail a standout.
Getting There
Coming from breakfast in South Asheville, we drove east through Fairview and south along US-74 ALT to reach the trailhead.
We parked at the narrow lot that runs parallel to the roadway and has space to accommodate approximately 15 vehicles.
Once parked, we crossed the street to the Conserving Carolina wood-frame trailhead kiosk. From it, we followed the trail along the edge of a private orchard and to the bridge across Hickory Creek.
Do not mistake heading up the trail on the side of the street with the parking lot. This trailhead is for the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge and is part of the Florence Nature Preserve, another area with more hiking.
About our Wildcat Rock Trail Experience
Once across the Hickory Creek bridge, the shaded trail climbs steadily, eventually gaining 1100 feet of elevation. The steepest section begins just after the one-mile mark and past Little Bearwallow Falls. To get a sense of the trail, view this brief video I shared on Instagram below.
My favorite section was the more challenging last half mile of the trail immediately following Little Bearwallow Falls leading to the unobstructed overlook with views of Little Pisgah Mountain and Hickory Nut Gap. In this section, expect to gain approximately 400 feet of elevation, which takes about 20 to 25 minutes to ascend. The last .2 mi of the trail includes more than 90 rock-hewn steps with some branch and rock hand grabs. For anyone who loves the outdoors, all-body hiking like this can be a ton of fun.
I also loved the slab rock area at the base of Little Bearwallow Falls, at the 1-mile mark from the trailhead. Although the falls were more of a trickle and a tiny stream during our visit in late June, the stony surroundings were ideal for taking a rest and group photos. And the smooth rock faces made for a fun five-minute side scramble for the most surefooted among our group.
This slab area also provides an ideal turnaround point for any hikers, particularly if they have knee or ankle issues, not up to the steepest last section of the climb. Another reason this trail is great for groups is it is uncrowded, especially compared to more popular and packed trails like the Triple Falls Loop trail in Dupont State Recreational Forest, which we hiked the following day.
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For example, on a Friday in late June in the early afternoon, we saw around ten to fifteen other hikers and some pups on the dog-friendly Wildcat Rock Trail during our entire two in-a-half to three hours spent on it. Light foot traffic even meant that my group had a chance to enjoy the overlook area to ourselves for 20 to 30 minutes as we rested, took photos, ate a snack, and appreciated the view.
Descending the trail, we stopped for a quick and refreshing chilly dip in the shallow pool below the Hickory Creek bridge and its small waterfall before returning to our cars and our Fairview, NC, rental.
Overall, our whole group loved this activity. It gave us time together to enjoy the outdoors without being surrounded by crowds. Plus, it gave us a rewarding workout and a beautiful view.
Quick Facts
Here are some helpful facts to help you plan your visit.
- Trail Address: 3823 Gerton Highway, Gerton, NC, 28735
- Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 35.473069, -82.331943
- Parking: A narrow gravel lot that can accommodate approximately 15 vehicles that runs parallel to US-74 ALT/Gerton Hwy. There is no cost to park. The lot serves two hiking areas—the Wildcat Rock Trail and on to Little Bearwallow Mountain, as well as the trails in the Florence Nature Preserve.
- Admission: Free. There is no cost to hike the Wildcat Rock Trail. And there is no donation box at the trailhead kiosk.
- Bathrooms: There are no toilets at this trailhead. Find the closest restroom, snacks, and supplies at the nearby dog-friendly Bearwallow Provision Company. Visitors also say this is a great place to pick up t-shirts and hat souvenirs.
- Trail Type: Out & back
- Length of Trail: 3.5 miles
- Time to Hike: 2 to 3 hours
- Winter: Little Bearwallow Falls becomes an ice-climbing area in the winter.
- Dogs: Leashed dogs are welcome on this trail.
- Best Places to Rest: Little Bearwallow Falls at the 1-mile mark.
- Trail Connections: From the Wildcat Trail Overlook spur, descend to continue another mile onto Little Bearwallow Mountain. From Little Bearwallow Moutain, you can return to the parking area or continue along the recent 1.8-mile connector trail to Bearwallow Mountain. And from there, down to the Bearwallow Gap Trailhead. Park one car at the Wildcat Rock Trailhead and another at Bearwallow Gap to make this a 6-mile shuttle hike. Or, once you have hiked the out-and-back Wildcat Rock Trail, you can consider crossing the Gerton Highway to explore trails in the next-door Florence Nature Preserve.
For More Info: Visit the Wildcat Rock Trail page on the Conserving Carolina website.
Things to Do Nearby
For snacks, refreshments, or a restroom before or after your hike, visit Bearwallow Provision Company, a two-minute drive northwest of the Wildcat Rock Trailhead on US-74 ALT. Or expand your food choices with a stop in the nearby towns of Fairview or Chimney Rock.
Hiking & Sightseeing
If you parked at the Wildcat Rock Trailhead, consider keeping your car in place and hike the other side of the street via the Upper Hickory Gorge Trailhead in the Florence Nature Preserve for another walk in the woods but with less impressive views than on the Wildcat Rock Trail.
Or you could decide to continue from the Wildcat Rock overlook to Bearwallow Mountain via the new connector trail to make the hike a shuttle one. I describe this in my Quick Facts section, or learn more info here, on the Conserving Carolina website. Alternatively, if you are up for a 12-minute drive, continue down US-74 ALT until you reach Chimney Rock State Park. Once there, pick from one of many trail options, such as the popular 1.5-mile Hickory Nut Falls Trail.
And while in the area, plan to visit the western-style town of Chimney Rock, where its main street offers several restaurants and shopping options.
Related Reading
If you are traveling to the Asheville area, check out these related articles to help you get the information you need to plan your best visit.
Or view my North Carolina book list, including guidebooks, biographies, histories, and fiction set in place in “The Best Books to Read Before an Asheville Trip,” below.
Additional Trip Planning Resources
To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below.
Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here.
Google Hotels. Use its “Where to stay” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.
Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.
Viator, Get Your Guide, & Airbnb Experiences. Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.
Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps. Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list.
AllTrails. Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.
Guide Along. 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour.
Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here. My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com.
Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks, and my free customizable travel itinerary template, downloadable in four file formats.
About the author: Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog, Gather and Go Travel. After attending the University of Michigan undergraduate business school and following a career in retail strategy and event management, she returned to focus on her first love—travel. Read her bio, learn how she became a blogger, and discover how to work with her. Sign up for her monthly Discovery Newsletter for travel recs and how-to’s. Or follow her on social media (@gatherandgotravel).
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Welcome to Gather and Go Travel, a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, a world traveler to 50+ countries, a travel writer/blogger, and a book lover. Learn more about me, read our story, and how to work with me. Get my latest updates, how-tos, and trip ideas in my monthly Discovery Newsletter.
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