Winding Stairs Trail other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)
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© 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: Feb–Jun, Sep–Nov · highs 10–26 °C (50–79 °F)
- J9°-1°166
- F10°1°178
- M15°4°173
- A19°8°146
- M23°12°142
- J26°17°168
- J28°19°183
- A27°18°174
- S24°15°163
- O19°10°133
- N14°5°157
- D9°1°193
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
- 5.6 km · 3.5 mi (OSM route, Waymarked Trails)
- Mountain range
- South North Carolina Blue Ridge Crest (Southern Blue Ridge Front › Blue Ridge Mountains; GMBA)
- Nearest town
- 16 km SE of Highlands (Macon County, North Carolina) · GeoNames
- Park or forest
- Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
- Connects to
- Big Bend (at its start or end)
- Best months
- Feb–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Country
- United States of America
- Region
- South Carolina
- Continent
- North America
- Route type
- Local route
- Route centre
- 34.9318, -83.0838
- Route start
- 34.9413, -83.0899
- OpenStreetMap
- relation 20987244
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 South North Carolina Blue Ridge Crest
All 52 →Nearest trails
distance from the trail startChattooga Hiking Trail
1.2 mi · 1.9 km · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
Foothills
1.3 mi · 2.1 km · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
Big Bend
1.5 mi · 2.4 km · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
Chattooga River Trail
2.6 mi · 4.2 km · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
East Fork Trail
3.1 mi · 5.0 km · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
Fork Mountain Trail
4.4 mi · 7.1 km · Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
All trails in South Carolina → · All 36,834 trails in United States of America →