Hike Description
Max Patch is one of the A.T.’s most visited places due to its easy access and 360 degree views. Take care of this special place by staying on the Trail and practicing Leave No Trace. The area closes an hour after sunset and reopens an hour before sunrise, so there is no camping allowed on the bald.
- From the intersection of the A.T. and NC SR 1182, hike north on the A.T. passing through a stile in the fence along the road.
- Enter the woods and descend 0.1 miles to a small creek. Begin to ascend and cross a gravel road at 0.25 miles. The trail climbs Max Patch on log steps carved into the hillside and then crosses the grass to the broad summit of the mountain. Max Patch is one of the A.T.’s famous “balds,” a mountaintop bare of trees but below treeline (where trees no longer grow due to cold temperatures). Restoration projects are still underway at Max Patch to protect the important pollinator and bird habitat on the bald.
- Retrace your steps to complete the hike.
Directions
Take exit 7 on I-40 and head east on the gravel Cold Spring Road/Forest Service Road 148, for 6 miles. Then turn left (north) on NC SR 1182 to the intersection with A.T. Parking is on the left. If parking here is full, only 0.5 further up Max Patch Road at the ridge crest is a larger Forest Service parking area at the base of Max Patch for alternate hike routes – a map is on bulletin board.
