Shortoff Mountain Summit
Linville, North Carolina
Details
Distance
4.64 miles
Elevation Gain
1178 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by Justin Costner
Shortoff Mountain offers expansive views of the Linville Gorge and surrounding peaks. Amazing vistas for sunset. Some of the biggest and best walls in the south for Rock Climbing. Day hike or overnight.
Start your hike from the Shortoff Mountain Trail off of Wolf Pit Road at the base of Lake James. From the summit there is a small grassy area off a side trail that provided awesome cliff side views of the Gorge and Linville River! You can setup after making the hour and a half trek (maybe just in time to witness one of the best sunsets ever).
If you start the hike late and you're lucky, the skies will stay clear for the night and with no moon, the Milky Way appears in the southeast! The great thing about this hike is that you can easily stay and camp if you'd like. If you decide to stay and camp, the nights on Shortoff no matter what season can get chilly with the winds howling across the 4,000 ft summit relentlessly so be prepared! This is definitely one of the most scenic spots in the southeast! With a natural fresh water spring, well marked trails and duration-overnight camping.
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Reviews
The G.O.A.T. of Hiking Trails in North Carolina! Stop by the secret water tree for the best water on the planet!! 🧐
5.0
The pin droped for this trip at the wolf pit road Parkin spot doest not work on iPhones unless you set your gps after you get through a town called Morgantown. We had a few issues getting there, but the views we're absolutely amazing. Very different terrain from what you normally find in North Carolina. We had a blast and are already planning our next trip there. Thanks for posting this trip on here.
5.0
We loved this hike! The entire trail up is beautiful and the rocky terrain makes for a fun and challenging hike. My husband and I took two of our friends who had never hiked before with us and it was a great first experience for them. The only downfall was that the entire trail is exposed (lots of trees burnt down) but the top area is exposed over rock - so bring lots of sunscreen and water! We packed lunches and found a shady area under one of the rocks on an offshoot and had lunch overlooking the mountain range. If you continue on the trail it will take you to table rock. If you aren't looking to go that far but want to catch the awesome views, I recommend going until you pass the small stream where it opens up to the gorge and you can see beautiful rock formations. Overall, great experience!
5.0
Our family of four (youngest = 11) and two dogs hiked 3 miles in. We experienced absolutely breathtaking views of Lake James, Linville Gorge and Table Rock during the ascent and once we reached the summit. It was a pretty intense trail half of the way with rocky terrain but the views are totally worth it. The only issue we had was finding the trail head. GPS did not take us directly to Wolf Pit Rd because of spotty service and there is no road sign. We guessed and thankfully ended up in the right spot! Pack lots of water for this hike and wear good supportive hiking shoes.
5.0
Awesome hike. The hike provides a different terrain than most trails in North Carolina. The campsites were easy to locate but they fill up fast on weekends.
4.0
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Nearby
Camp on Shortoff Mountain in the Linville Gorge
Hike the Rock Jock Trail
Camp in the Linville Gorge via the Pinch In Trail
Hike to Hawksbill Mountain
Camp at the Chimneys in the Linville Wilderness
Hike to the Summit of Table Rock Mountain
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