This was a fun, non-strenuous hike located off of the Blue Ridge Parkway only a little over 30 minutes from downtown Asheville. At 8:00am there were only two other people on this trail. We found it to be a good warm-up hike. It is a steep, quick incline that had us stopping for a couple of breaks but at just under a mile roundtrip and only 12 minutes to the top, we were quickly rewarded with our viewpoint.
The Details
Location: Off Blue Ridge Parkway, just under an hour from Downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
When to visit: Depends what you’re looking for- dry season has a smaller possibility of rain but is notably more expensive. I visited during the rainy season and love
Parking: There is a Devil’s Courthouse Viewpoint parking lot, and just a few hundred feet down the road is the actual hike entrance. There is an informal dirt pull-off that can comfortably fit 3 cars directly at the start of the trailhead.
Is it worth it?
Definitely. You are far higher up for the this viewpoint than at the parking lot and the solitude of nature (and not driving cars) makes all of the difference. I do not recommend if you need only flat terrain, due to the quick 275 ft elevation gain. Despite this, the hike was not difficult due to the distance and straight path (no scrambling).
