Devil’s Courthouse, Blue Ridge Parkway
Devil's Courthouse offers a short hike to 360-degree views into three neighboring states
Carolina Outdoors Guide – Parks & Forests – Camping – Hiking – Adventures
Hiking in North Carolina State Parks
Every North Carolina state park and just about any other site we list on our parks and forests pages has some kind of walking trail. Twenty-one North Carolina state parks offer 5 miles or more of hiking trails, though they are often a combination of shorter trails.
Below, we list state parks with individual trails that are 5 miles or longer and then parks with a combination of trails that exceeds 5 miles.
Trail lengths listed on individual state parks’ pages and park maps sometimes differ. Trail names, lengths (one-way) and difficulty levels may differ among publications, as well. Check at park offices or ranger stations for maps and guides.
For the definitive guide to hiking in North Carolina, we recommend “North Carolina Hiking Trails” by Allen de Hart.
Also, Joe Miller, the former outdoors/fitness reporter for The News & Observer in Raleigh, has published “100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina” and “Backpacking North Carolina.”
N.C. State Park Hiking Trail Links
State parks with individual trails of 5 miles or more (each park also has shorter trails):
Chimney Rock State Park, Chimney Rock. 15.75 miles total.
— Weed Patch Mountain Trail. Strenuous, 8.5 miles.
Falls Lake State Recreation Area, Raleigh. More than 26 miles total.
– Falls Lake Trail. Moderate, 26 miles. Ten sections along the southern shore of the lake between N.C. 50 (Creedmoor Road) and Falls Lake Dam on Falls of Neuse Road. Part of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Gorges State Park, Sapphire. 24 miles total.
– Auger Hole Trail. Moderate, 6 miles.
– Canebrake Trail. Strenuous, 5 miles.
– Foothills Trail. Strenuous, 6.7 miles (within park). The 76-mile Foothills Trail extends from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park in South Carolina, with two segments in North Carolina.
Lake Norman State Park, Troutman. More than 7 miles total.
– Lake Shore Trail. Moderate, 6.7 miles.
Merchants Millpond State Park, Gatesville. 9 miles total.
– Lassiter Trail. Easy, 6.7 miles.
Morrow Mountain State Park, Badin. 35.9 miles total.
– Bridle Trail. Moderate, 16 miles. (May be used by hikers.)
Mount Mitchell State Park, Burnsville. 32 miles total, including portions in adjacent national forest lands.
– Mount Mitchell Trail. Strenuous, 6 miles.
Pilot Mountain State Park, Pinnacle. 27.7 miles total.
– Corridor / Bridle Trail. Moderate/strenuous, 6.6 miles.
– Yadkin Islands Trail. Moderate, 5 miles. (May be used for horseback.)
Raven Rock State Park, Lillington. 22.7 miles total.
– Mountain Laurel Loop. Easy, 6.6 miles. Built as a beginner-level mountain bike trail but open to hikers.
– Campbell Creek Loop. Moderate, 5 miles.
Stone Mountain State Park, Roaring Gap. 18.2 miles total.
– Stone Mountain Loop Trail. Strenuous, 5.25 miles with spur to summit.
W.B. Umstead State Park, Raleigh. 21.2 miles total (13 miles for multi-use – horseback, cycling, hiking).
– Company Mill Trail. Moderate, 5.8 miles.
– Sycamore Trail. Moderate, 7.2 miles.
State parks with combined trails of 5 miles or more:
Carolina Beach State Park, Carolina Beach. Easy, 5.95 miles.
Crowders Mountain State Park, Kings Mountain. Easy to strenuous, 11.9 miles.
Dismal Swamp State Park, South Mills. 16.7 miles of former logging roads available for hiking and mountain biking through the swamp forest.
Eno River State Park, Durham. Easy to strenuous, 20.84 miles.
Goose Creek State Park, Washington. Easy, 7.26 miles.
Grandfather Mountain State Park, Linville. Mostly strenuous, 12.8 miles.
Hanging Rock State Park, Danbury. Easy to strenuous, 20 miles.
Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, Apex. Easy to moderate, 16 miles.
Medoc Mountain State Park, Hollister. Easy to moderate 10.25 miles.
Pettigrew State Park, Creswell. Easy, 8.74 miles.
South Mountains State Park, Connelly. 40.4 miles (20 trails, including 29 miles of bridle trails and 18-mile bicycling trail.)
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