An Icy Hike at Grandfather Mountain, NC

We’re still out here rolling around, going into our 6th year on the road! We’re currently enjoying another warm and sunny winter in Florida.

Looking back in the rearview mirror to last November in western NC, we finally got around to hiking the Grandfather Trail, which we had wanted to do for years. Grandfather Mountain, with its iconic Mile High Swinging Bridge, was a privately owned tourist attraction for decades. The backcountry was designated as a state park a few years ago, but the bridge is managed by a private nonprofit, and costs up to $35/person to visit.

The Grandfather Trail is similar to the Precipice in Acadia NP. There are several exposed ladders, so it’s not recommended for dogs, little kids, or those afraid of heights. We were a little surprised when the parking attendant told us that the trail was icy, but we decided to try it anyway.

The ropes and ladders were a lot of fun until we came to a north-facing part of the trail.

The ice-covered trees and rocks were beautiful, but made climbing the ladders very sketchy.

We wanted to make it all the way to Calloway Peak, but it was slow going, and we ran out of time. Getting down was the most challenging part!

Even though we didn’t have optimal conditions, this was one of the most unique and fun hikes we’ve done in the NC mountains.