Trails › United States of America › North Carolina › Black Mountains

Elk Pen Trail

In the Black Mountains

Local route2.4 km · 1.5 miBest Mar–Nov

Next nearby hike: Walker Creek 1.2 mi · 2.0 kmExplore Black Mountains →

National Forests in North CarolinaBlue Ridge ParkwayBald Knob Ridge · Blue Ridge ParkwayBig Butt Trail · Blue Ridge ParkwayNewberry Creek · Blue Ridge ParkwayBlue Ridge ParkwayNational Forests in North CarolinaBear Pen · National Forests in North CarolinaBlack Mountain Crest Trail · National Forests in North CarolinaBuncombe Horse Range Trail · National Forests in North CarolinaCommissary Trail · National Forests in North CarolinaDouglas Falls Trail · National Forests in North CarolinaLaurel Gap Trail · National Forests in North CarolinaMount Mitchell Trail · National Forests in North CarolinaOld Mitchell Trail · National Forests in North CarolinaSnowball · National Forests in North CarolinaSouth River Loop · National Forests in North CarolinaWalker Creek · National Forests in North CarolinaEndStart5 kmN ↑

Elk Pen Trail other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)

Get directions · Google MapsApple Maps

© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Full route · OpenStreetMap · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).

7-day forecast

Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)

Best time to hike

Best months: Mar–Nov · highs 11–25 °C (52–77 °F)

  1. J5°-4°121
  2. F7°-3°134
  3. M11°0°143
  4. A16°5°121
  5. M19°9°118
  6. J23°14°129
  7. J25°16°137
  8. A24°15°139
  9. S21°12°130
  10. O16°7°89
  11. N11°2°111
  12. D6°-3°130

Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.

How we pick months

Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.

Trail facts

Mapped length
2.4 km · 1.5 mi (OSM route, Waymarked Trails)
Mountain range
Black Mountains (Blue Ridge Mountains › Appalachian Mountains; GMBA)
Nearest town
15 km N of Montreat (Buncombe County, North Carolina) · GeoNames
Park or forest
National Forests in North Carolina
Best months
Mar–Nov
Country
United States of America
Region
North Carolina
Continent
North America
Route type
Local route
Route centre
35.7657, -82.3701
Route start
35.7698, -82.3623
OpenStreetMap
relation 7226825
How it’s scored

Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.

More trails in the Black Mountains

All 13 →

Buncombe Horse Range Trail

28 km · 6 mi · 10 km away

South River Loop

4.0 km · 8 mi · 12 km away

Colbert Ridge Trail

5.9 km · 8 mi · 13 km away

Woody Ridge

3.9 km · 8 mi · 13 km away

Nearest trails

distance from the trail start

Walker Creek

1.2 mi · 2.0 km · National Forests in North Carolina

Big Butt Trail

1.4 mi · 2.2 km · Blue Ridge Parkway

Laurel Gap Trail

1.4 mi · 2.2 km · National Forests in North Carolina

Bear Pen

2.1 mi · 3.5 km · National Forests in North Carolina

Douglas Falls Trail

3.6 mi · 5.8 km · National Forests in North Carolina

Snowball

4.7 mi · 7.6 km · National Forests in North Carolina

All trails in North Carolina → · All 36,834 trails in United States of America →