Great place to sit and have lunch. If you park behind the blue ridge pkw, make sure to go back and not take the dirt road as gps told us to keep going on dirt road and merge on blue ridge pkw but it never does. Had to make u turn on narrow dirt road.
Gorgeous view and only a 15 to 20 minute hike. Well worth the climb. Good shoes are hopefully recommended. Also plan on enjoying the view and staying awhile on the butte!!!!
I went to Beacon Heights recently and completely fell in love with the place. I used to be a beach person, but after seeing these fall colors and mountain views, I think I’ve changed my mind 😍 The hike is easy and the view is absolutely beautiful.
Magnificent views of the mountains make negotiating this trail well worth it. This was my second visit here (1st was about 4.5 years ago) and it was equally as magnificent as the first visit. This visit was at the beginning of fall leaf season, and the yellow, orange, red colors were beginning to show. Beautiful!
The signs and entrance aren’t very clear. You can miss it easily. There are multiple alternate routes even on one trail. The trails are lined with rocks with are so cool. The top is worth the hike up.
Great short hike with a fantastic view. Good for your chaco sandals. If you take the Tanawha trail towards stack rock that gets super rocky. You need some hiking boots for that situation.
Short half mile hike to several beautiful overlooks including Grandfather Mountain and Grandmother Mountain. Wear decent shoes as you'll encounter rocks and roots the whole way up.
We hiked up Beacon Heights even though it was super foggy that day. Still a great short hike (but still challenging because of the incline). I've also been on a clear day and the views are incredible! There is a huge rockface at the top perfect for pictures and to sit and chill!
To me this was the best picnic spot. On a class day the view is beyond phenomenal. It's not a bad walk up. Be extra careful if it is or was raining. It'll be a little slippery. One way up is about 0.3 mile. This is not a trail suitable for a wheelchair or someone using a walker. Kids of most ages should be fine. There's a few benches for taking a rest. Up top has no tables, grills, trash cans, or amenities of any type. There's plenty of space to sit and set a blanket for a picnic.
Absolutely a great hike and we’ll worth the effort. I’m 65 and had no problem with the hike or trails! So come on! What are you waiting for?? Enjoy time enjoying what the creator God created for our enjoyment and pleasure!
One of my favorite quick stops. I marked this one moderate because of the roots along the trail. Beautiful views. It is an out and back, but is about a 10-15 (or less) minute hike up depending on who you are hiking with.
This is a beautiful hike! The trail is covered in tree roots and rocks is a gradual incline. The view at the top is amazing! Highly recommend. Great kid & pet friendly hike.
One of my favorite trails with the most gorgeous and peaceful view. I love to come by here whenever I’m in the area. It takes about 15 mins to complete but you should definitely wear close toed shoes and step carefully- it is very shaded on the trail and the rocks are often slippery. Dogs are allowed but must be leashed and picked up after. No bathrooms or water on trail or at parking!
Incredible spot for sunrises!!! The parking is a bit tricky as my GPS took me to a road that has no signs or indication of Beacon Heights. I ended up following the one car width dirt road for a bit before turning around. I then spotted some folks in a parking lot on the left (as I exited the desolate road). I had to go back out to the main road and make my way to the parkway where I could access the parking lot.
The trail is short (0.2 mile), uphill and rocky. I recommend boots that are slip resistant as the rocks on the trial can get slippery.
When you near the top of the trail, you’ll see a part on the path where a bench is. (There are a few benches along the way for those that may need to take it slow) I read in reviews to go left for a more magnificent view. However, I went to the right and still found incredible beauty. (See photos)
I sat on the summit for about three hours, taking in the beauty of the Autumn foliage and journaling. Family’s and groups came and went.
I then headed to a recommended restaurant close by for a delicious breakfast at Tartan Restaurant (separate review).
Stay on the trail to the very end. There is an overlook that’s worth seeing before you reach the end, but the best sunrise spot is all the way back. Amazing sunrise spot. We had breakfast and watched the sunrise. It’s a short hike with parking right at the trailhead.
This was a phenomenal trail. It was short (only 1,400 feet according to the sign), but was a little challenging for some due to the fact that it was completely frozen solid. Even with that though, we managed to climb it without an issue and with children.
One very important caution though... if you have kids that like to goof around and be dangerous, this lookout is the wrong place to take them. There is a HUGE drop-off and no railing. Use extreme caution with anyone that is not sure-footed.
The sign when you started the trail promised a 1 mile hike, but it ended up being about 2.7 miles one way of some intense hiking. Quite a few times we wondered where the trail was and if we had ended up lost, and most of the trail is difficult to maneuver if you are in any way handicapped, whether it's a bad knee or it's hard to jump from one rock to another, you should know it's not an easy hike. HOWEVER, the view once we made it was simply gorgeous. I would not suggest bringing young children as the outlook is just a cliff face that drops off, no railings or anything to stop you from falling. All of that being said, again the view is amazing. We were up there when a storm was rolling in so the clouds were beautiful! If you're up for an adventure, I highly recommend!!
Had a great hike, it's well worth it. It's short and not strenuous. Our dog had fun, take water, please keep your dogs leashed, ours got growled at by a dog about twenty feet ahead of his owner. The view is phenomenal! Great place for a picnic spot!
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