All Trails

Grandfather Mountain — Profile Trail

Banner Elk, NC · 36.109, -81.833

Toughest trail in the Blue Ridge. 3 miles with 2,000 ft gain, ladders, cables, and exposed scrambling. UN-designated biosphere reserve.

StrenuousSoutheast5,946 ftExposed ridgeScrambleSummit views

Grandfather Mountain — Profile Trail

☀️ Clear sky

Use Caution
37°
Feels 25°FSummit · 5,946 ft
7:37 AM6:46 PM
BELOW FREEZINGWINDY

Wind

23mph

Precip

0%

Humid

26%

Elev Δ

+2000ft

12-Hour Temp Trend

38°55°

Hourly Forecast

8 AM

☀️

38°

8mph

9 AM

☀️

42°

6mph

10 AM

☀️

47°

6mph

11 AM

☀️

50°

6mph

12 PM

☀️

53°

8mph

1 PM

☀️

54°

9mph

2 PM

☀️

54°

10mph

3 PM

☀️

55°

10mph

4 PM

☀️

54°

10mph

5 PM

☀️

53°

9mph

6 PM

☀️

50°

8mph

7 PM

☀️

46°

7mph

Summit Conditions

47°F→−10°→37°F

Dry lapse rate: 5.4°F/1,000ft · 1,996 ft gain

◎L1
Merino wool 200g base layer

Medium-weight merino regulates temp and resists odor on long days

◉L2
Grid fleece jacket

Stretchy grid fleece balances warmth and breathability on climbs

◈L3
Wind shell jacketPACK

Blocks summit wind without trapping sweat on the approach

Summit Pack List

↟Wind shell↟Light puffy (optional)↟Beanie↟Light gloves

Start Cold Tip

Start in your base + fleece. You'll warm up on the switchbacks. Pack your wind shell for the exposed ridge — wind hits different above treeline.

Trail Guide

Updated 7:58:12 AM · America/New_York

Updated Oct 19, 7:58 AM UTC

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