About
ShapeOut-and-Back
Typical time1 hr 30 min
TrailheadDevils Courthouse, Milepost 422
SurfacePaved
Best seasonThe Parkway is often closed at high elevations in the winter. Check before you head out to make sure the road is open.
DogsLeashed / limited stretches
AccessibilityThe first halfof the trail is a paved walkway 3-4 feet wide with a grade that varies between an estimated 4%-20% and includes raised water diversion humps. At the midway point, the trail becomes a steep, narrowrocky path which includes a series of wooden steps.
What you'll see 🌄 Big views🌼 Wildflowers🦌 Wildlife

The Devils Courthouse Trailis a great hike for the entire family. Children and family members with a reasonable amount of physical fitness can enjoy the walk to the overlook. Once you're at the top, look down at the parking lot and take pride in how far you've hiked. Enjoy the sweeping views in every direction. From this vantage pointyou can see into three other states-South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. The paved trail starts from the Devils Courthouse Overlook at Milepost 422 on the Parkway. The climb up the moderate to strenuous trail is worth the view from the overlook at the top. The first portion of the trail is paved.The hike is only 0.5 miles to the top, but it's a steep climb. There are places to stop and rest along the way. Wear sturdy shoes and bring a light jacket. It can be windy up top. The surrounding red spruce and Fraser fir forestis a unique ecosystem that is a relic from the last ice age dating back over 10,000 years ago. Glaciers didn't come this far south, buttemperatures were cooler. Species that could tolerate and thrive in cold temperatures survived farther south than they typically do now. Tiny fragments of these forests remain today on high mountain peaks due to their cooler and moister environments. Hiking the trail at Devils Courthouse is like hiking in the boreal forests of Canada. Toward the end of the trail, a connector trail to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail breaks off to the left. To continue to the overlook, keep right. At the top, the forest gives way to a rocky outcrop and the overlook at the very top. On a clear day, this viewpoint allows a panoramic vista of the surrounding mountains and the valley below Devils Courthouse. It is a great place to look for soaring birds like hawks, vultures, and eagles. Peregrine falcons have nested on the rock face below, however not for several years. Biologists believe visitors climbing over the barrier walls at the overlook may have unwittingly interfered with these threatened bird's fragile nesting habitat. Please remain behind the overlook walls.

Tips
Pets are allowed on leashes no longer than 6 feet long. It's not a matter of age. It's a matter of physical ability, mobility, and fitness. We see people of all ages heading up the trail, and parents of little ones strapping on backpack carriers.
Location

Devils Courthouse, Milepost 422

Other Hikers
No one has logged this trail yet.
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