Part 3 of an 8 part series
Hiking Trails near Charlotte @ South Mountain
Ninety minutes from Charlotte is South Mountain with one of my favorite hiking trails yet! Located in Connelly Springs, the Chestnut Knob Trail offers everything you could want in a hike… steep wooded trails, views of High Shoals Falls, and extraordinary mountain views! This hike was a little different because it was Mother’s Day and we brought some friends along!
Why Hiking?
Our family trip this summer takes us to Montana. We’re headed to Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and everything in between. Unlike most of our family trips, this one is going to involve a lot of exercise. To really experience these beautiful parks, it sounds like you have to do some hiking! In addition to some of the gear we need to buy, we also need to get into some serious hiking shape. Lucky for us, we live in Charlotte where there are a ton of hiking options all within 2 hours. During the next 8 weeks my husband and I will be taking on a different hiking adventure each weekend. For our first week we took on one of the most popular trail locations- Crowders Mountain.
Which trail should we hike?
After last week’s mostly flat hike, I was up for more elevation with this week’s hiking trail. After some research and uploading my new favorite app “AllTrails”, I narrowed it down to South Mountains Park, one of the state’s most rugged areas, featuring elevations to 3,000 feet, an 80-foot waterfall, mountain streams and more than 40 miles of trails for hikers. The Chestnut Knob Trail sounded just right at five miles long round trip, strenuous difficulty, and great views at the top. Thanks to my new app, I was able to download the trail map, even if we would be offline, and read tons of reviews from other hikers.
Click below to learn all about the “AllTrails” app:
The Chestnut Knob Trail
Starting at the Jacob Fork Access Center parking lot, it took exactly 90 minutes to get there from Charlotte. Since it was Mother’s Day we arrived fairly early (9:30 am), to beat the crowd. The hiking trails are clearly marked with lots of directional signs telling you where to go. The trail began uphill almost immediately for half a mile to Jacob Fork River Gorge Overlook. This first part was the most strenuous section of the trail with a natural surface combined with rock and wood steps when needed. The forest around you is beautiful offering shade, while you hear the waterfall off in the distance. You really need to watch where you step because roots and rock obstacles are everywhere. As you climb, the trail gets pretty thin in some parts and there is nothing but a steep drop off to your side.
the Jacob Fork River Gorge Overlook
This is your first stop, and trust me, you are ready for it! Off to the distance you can see High Shoals Falls. The views are nice but nothing like what you see at the top! The rest of the trail seems to even out a bit more, with a final steep push at the end. We were hoping to see some wildlife (reviews said they saw deer), but with six of us we probably scared them off!
The Chestnut Knob Overlook
At the elevation of 1,076 feet, the Chestnut Knob Overlook does not disappoint! One thing I’m learning is that the pictures you take never quite capture the beauty of being there. It was fun to have friends with us because all our pictures didn’t have to be selfies! The way back down was on the same path but a much different experience. It’s still really important to watch your footing, especially on the rock stairs. All in all the trail was a little over 5 miles. Getting back on the main path by the parking lot we realized we could go on a different hiking trail (less than a mile long) and see the waterfall up close. I highly recommend it.
High Shoals Falls
This is an easy one mile hike from the parking lot but expect many more people! You follow the river and the sound of rushing water to get to the grand finale. Thanks to a boardwalk you can get up close and personal with the falls and have a great photo op! There is an option to climb higher up along the falls, but I think we were ready to move onto part two of our adventure- hydrating!
Time to hydrate
Finding a brewery this week was a little tougher. There is not a lot going on between Connelly Springs and Charlotte in the brewery department, especially since we already visited Cavendish in Gastonia. Finally, I found one just north of Charlotte in an up and coming warehouse area called Midnight Mulligan Brewing. None of us had ever heard of it but it checked all the boxes; good craft beer, good food, good vibe, and even a shuffle board and putting green. If that wasn’t enough, out on the patio was a good view of the Charlotte Skyline.
Top Pick Beer: Ethereal Lager
Top food pick: any flatbread
The Vibe
