![]() The Snake Mountain Trail easily makes the list for the top 5 best mountain hikes in North Carolina. Located in the Elk Knob Game Lands, the Snake Mountain ridge sports spectacular views in all directions from a trail that follows the very knife-edge crest of the ridge, passing over many rock outcrops and sometimes traveling mere inches from the edges of cliffs dozens of feet high. The hike to Snake Mountain is not for the average hiker due to the extremely steep ascent and the numerous technical scrambles along the ridge, but those who make it will be rewarded with some of the best views anywhere in the Southeast. The Sunalei Preserve and its homeowners must be commended for their willingness to allow public travel through the private property that the first part of the trail passes. This hike occurred on Wednesday, July 5th, 2017. My plan was to hike out and back along the Snake Mountain Trail over the North Peak and South Peak of Snake Mountain from the north trailhead off Meat Camp Road. Unfortunately, rain and fog ruined some of the views, but it still turned out to be a spectacular hike. This hike was the third of ten hikes that I did during a seven-day trip to the mountains of northwest North Carolina. Update #5 1/3/18: Unfortunately, hiking the Snake Mountain Trail is currently no longer legal. The property owners have gated the parking lot, placed purple paint alongside the road by the trailhead, and mentioned that hiking the trail right now is trespassing. At this time, the owners do not want people hiking the trail due to all the litter that has been left behind. I have chosen to hide the Snake Mountain trail guide on this page for the time being, out of respect for the owners' wishes. Should the access situation change, you'll hear it from me first. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this amazing piece of land may receive a conservation easement or be purchased by a conservancy sometime in the future. PicturesVideos
10 Comments
Paul
10/15/2017 07:35:55 pm
Unfortunately access to this trail has been permanently closed according to a ranger at Elk Knob State Park. This was such a great trail! 😭
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Anthony
3/9/2018 04:50:31 pm
When was this trail closed? For what reason? I just watched a recent video of the trail and no mention of it closure was made. The videographer did say the parking area was gated do to drug use/suspicious activity.
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Mark Oleg
3/9/2018 05:53:26 pm
Hello Anthony,
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Paul
3/10/2018 05:47:49 pm
I hope I am wrong then.
josie durkin
3/24/2018 12:07:46 pm
I hiked the trail a few weeks ago. The parking area was closed, but there were cars parked along the trail head. I hiked the whole loop, and wasn't the only one up there. It's either rumor, or I was trespassing. :)
Anthony
3/24/2018 02:52:45 pm
Thank you for the update!
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In May I located the owners name and address from the Watauga County tax digest. I sent him a letter asking about the trail and parking area situation. Included my email address and asked for a reply since I would enjoy doing the hike again. He never responded.
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David
8/5/2018 11:39:19 am
I have hiked Snake Mountain several times in the past and tried today, 08/05/18. There are no trespassing signs, the gate has been fortified and there is new barbed wire on the edges. We could have climbed over the gate, but that would have been sketchy for me and my wife (we are in our sixties). Sadly, we gave up. There was one car parked when we got there so they had to have climbed the gate or crawled on belly under the gate. Either way, it is clear the owners don’t want people there anymore- very sad.
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Paul
10/3/2018 10:40:18 am
Has anyone tried the other side facing Rich Mountain Bald? I know there is access to the mountain from this side too. Has this been closed off to the public?
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Susan
4/5/2019 10:31:15 am
3-1-2019
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About MeMark Oleg Ozboyd Dear readers: I have invested a tremendous amount of time and effort in this website and the Georgia Waterfalls Database the past five years. All of the work that has gone in keeping these websites updated with my latest trip reports has almost been like a full-time job. This has not allowed me to pick up a paid job to save up money for college, and therefore, I I've had to take out loans. If you find the information on this website interesting, helpful, or time-saving, you can say "thanks" and help me out by clicking the button above and making a contribution. I will be very grateful for any amount of support you give, as all of it will apply toward my college tuition. Thank you!
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