Accessibility – Moderate
Height – 45′
Distance – 5.4 miles (out and back)
Beauty – 8
Photo rating – 6
Solitude – 7
GPS Info: LAT 35.03063 LONG -82.77601
Last Updated: 12-24-2024
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Where to park: The easiest place to park is in the Foothills Parking area on Horse Pasture Road. The lot is less than half a mile from US178 and a quarter of a mile from the trailhead for Eastatoe Narrows.
The Hike: This one is a tale of two hikes. There’s the road hike and the trail hike, and the two are very different. Neither of them are difficult. The road portion accounts for most of the distance and the trail portion accounts for the elevation change. Starting from the gate that is 0.25 from the parking lot, follow the graded road as it starts on a gentle downhill run. This is the Eastatoe Gorges Spur Trail, and at the start, several other trails and roads are going to branch off, but stay on this one as it snakes along. For the first two miles, nothing much happens, but when you get to the huge boulder on the trail, the trail makes a sharp left switchback, leaving the old roadbed behind in favor of a traditional trail. The trail is steeper, but it is still pretty easy to handle.
The trail will go through a series of switchbacks to shed some elevation, and after the last switchback, the trail will end at a T intersection. Make a left and follow the trail as it circles around a knob. This is the steepest part of the trail, but it is a very short segment that ends on the overlook for Eastatoe Narrows. The view from the overlook is pretty good. There is a trail to get down to the creek below the falls, and one to head upstream. I’ve explored both to a degree, and there are some neat places to hang out.
