Trails › United States of America › North Carolina › Great Balsam Mountains

Exercise Trail

In the Great Balsam Mountains

Trail2.1 km · 1.3 miBest Mar–Jun, Aug–Nov

Next nearby hike: Sycamore Cove 0.6 mi · 1.0 kmExplore Great Balsam Mountains →

National Forests in North CarolinaNational Forests in North CarolinaArt Loeb Trail · National Forests in North CarolinaAvery Creek · National Forests in North CarolinaBennett Gap · National Forests in North CarolinaBig East Fork · National Forests in North CarolinaBlack Mountain · National Forests in North CarolinaBuckhorn Gap · National Forests in North CarolinaBuckwheat Knob · National Forests in North CarolinaButter Gap · National Forests in North CarolinaCaney Bottom · National Forests in North CarolinaCase Camp Ridge · National Forests in North CarolinaCat Gap Loop Trail · National Forests in North CarolinaCoon Tree Loop Connector · National Forests in North CarolinaCove Creek · National Forests in North CarolinaDaniel Ridge · National Forests in North CarolinaDavidson River · National Forests in North CarolinaFarlow Gap · National Forests in North CarolinaJohn Rock · National Forests in North CarolinaLong Branch · National Forests in North CarolinaLooking Glass Rock · National Forests in North CarolinaNorth Slope Loop · National Forests in North CarolinaPerry Cove · National Forests in North CarolinaStony Knob · National Forests in North CarolinaSycamore Cove · National Forests in North CarolinaTurkey Pen Gap · National Forests in North CarolinaBlue Ridge ParkwaySeniard Ridge · Blue Ridge ParkwayBlue Ridge ParkwayStart / end5 kmN ↑

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

Get directions · Google MapsApple Maps

USGS National Digital Trails (US public domain) · OpenStreetMap · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).

7-day forecast

Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)

Best time to hike

Best months: Mar–Jun, Aug–Nov · highs 14–27 °C (57–81 °F)

  1. J8°-2°115
  2. F10°0°134
  3. M14°3°128
  4. A19°7°113
  5. M22°12°114
  6. J26°16°138
  7. J27°18°137
  8. A27°18°135
  9. S24°15°123
  10. O19°9°94
  11. N14°4°110
  12. D9°0°134

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

Length
2.1 km · 1.3 mi (agency length field)
Source
USGS National Digital Trails (US public domain)
Managed by
US Forest Service
Data from
U.S. Forest Service
Mountain range
Great Balsam Mountains (Blue Ridge Mountains › Appalachian Mountains; GMBA)
Nearest town
5.8 km N of Brevard (Transylvania County, North Carolina) · GeoNames
Park or forest
National Forests in North Carolina
Best months
Mar–Jun, Aug–Nov
Country
United States of America
Region
North Carolina
Continent
North America
Route centre
35.2852, -82.7266
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 Great Balsam Mountains

All 86 →

Turkey Pen Gap

8.8 km · 3.0 mi · 4.8 km away

Buckhorn Gap

10 km · 4.0 mi · 6.5 km away

Davidson River

2.1 km · 4.1 mi · 6.7 km away

South Mills River

23 km · 4.3 mi · 6.9 km away

Avery Creek

5.2 km · 4.3 mi · 6.9 km away

Horse Cove Gap

3.5 km · 5.0 mi · 8.0 km away

Nearest trails

distance from the trail centre

Sycamore Cove

0.6 mi · 1.0 km · National Forests in North Carolina

North Slope Loop

0.8 mi · 1.3 km · National Forests in North Carolina

Perry Cove

2.1 mi · 3.4 km · National Forests in North Carolina

Coon Tree Loop Connector

2.6 mi · 4.1 km · National Forests in North Carolina

Stony Knob

2.6 mi · 4.2 km · National Forests in North Carolina

Bennett Gap

2.8 mi · 4.5 km · National Forests in North Carolina

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