Hiking Project Logo
Climb
MTB
Hike
Trailrun
Ski

Flat Top Trail

Intermediate Intermediate
 4.4 (29)
  1. Areas
  2. NC
  3. …West and Mountains
  4. …Blue Ridge Parkway (Highlands District)
  5. Moses Cone Park
Explore in 3D
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Previous Next

“The best bang for your buck in Moses Cone Park with excellent views throughout and at the Flat Top Fire Tower. ”

Brandon Thrower
Your Rating: Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty:
Your Favorites: Add To-Do · Your List
Google Map
Zoom in to see details
Map Key

2.4

Miles

3.9

KM

Point to Point

4,553' 1,388 m

High

3,978' 1,212 m

Low

580' 177 m

Up

5' 1 m

Down

5%

Avg Grade (3°)

9%

Max Grade (5°)

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Spring · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Family Friendly Grades are mostly gentle, and the paths are wide here, making it a great place for youngsters to explore!

Description

Like all trails in Moses Cone Park, this trail is a gravel surfaced carriage road that was originally meant for Moses Cone and his family to ride in their horse-drawn carriage to various sites on the property. This means the trail/gravel paths are closed to cars and make for great hiking!

This gravel trail begins at the underpass tunnel under the parkway and makes a gentle climb (albeit maybe the steepest in Moses Cone) up to spectacular views from mountain meadows and the Flat Top Fire Tower. A must hike if you're in the High Country.

Flora & Fauna

Grasses, oaks, maples and wildflowers in the summer.

Contacts

Land Manager: Blue Ridge Parkway

Shared By:

Brandon Thrower with improvements by Jean-Claude Linossi
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.4 from 29 votes

#1

in Moses Cone Park

#179

Overall
  4.4 from 29 votes
5 Star
52%
4 Star
38%
3 Star
10%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#1

in Moses Cone Park

#10

in North Carolina

#179

Overall
14 Views Last Month
3,508 Since Jun 21, 2017
Intermediate Intermediate
4%
21%
71%
4%
0%
0%
Add a Photo

Photos

Tower at the top.
Oct 22, 2019 near Blowing…, NC
View, looking down at the Outlet Mall in Blowing Rock.
Oct 22, 2019 near Blowing…, NC
Mountain Meadow
Jul 19, 2020 near Blowing…, NC
Grandfather Mountain as the clouds clear
Sep 26, 2020 near Blowing…, NC
Long Range View of Grandfather Mtn.
Jul 19, 2020 near Blowing…, NC
Tunnel
Oct 22, 2019 near Blowing…, NC

0 Comments

Weather

Current Trail Conditions

All Clear 2 hours ago
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Jun 30, 2021
AJ M
Cone Cemetary
Jun 26, 2021
Daniel daniel.ryan.paulsen@gmail.com
Apr 23, 2021
Olivia Rice
Jan 4, 2021
Drew Sigmon
5mi — 2h 05m
Oct 22, 2020
Brian L
4.8mi
Sep 26, 2020
Drew Sigmon
5.8mi — 2h 00m
Jul 18, 2020
Michael Smith
Jul 18, 2020
Paolo Jacobs
Beautiful long range views of Grandfather Mtn from trail early on. this one will test your cardio on the ascent 2.4mi

Nearby Recommended Routes

Welcome

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started