6 Hikes With the Best Sunset Views in North Carolina

I’m a sucker for a good sunset view. The first thing I do whenever I’m traveling is find a good spot to watch the sunset. Luckily, there is no shortage of incredible sunset views in North Carolina. Make sure to add these scenic hikes to your list this year—you won’t regret it. All of these hikes hover just under two miles and are reasonably easy in difficulty, ensuring that beginner hikers can tackle these trails to enjoy those glorious sunset views in North Carolina.

1. Max Patch Loop

• Location: Hot Springs, North Carolina
• Length: 1.5 miles
• Difficulty: Easy

Sitting pretty in the Pisgah National Forest, this lovely loop trail has some sensational sunset views! It’s also a dog-friendly trail, so feel free to bring the pup out for an adventure, too.

2. Waterrrock Knob Trail

• Location: Waynesville, North Carolina
• Length: 1 mile
• Difficulty: Difficult

Spoiler alert: this hike contains a lot of stairs, but your efforts will be rewarded when you find yourself standing at the highest elevation on the Blue Ridge Parkway! The summit itself sits at 6,273 feet. If you don’t feel like tackling all those stairs, rest assured you’ll still be able to catch a dreamy sunset and incredible views from the parking lot. 

This is also a top spot for stargazing. Hint hint!

3. Craggy Pinnacle Trail

• Location: Barnardsville, North Carolina
• Length: 1 mile
• Difficulty: Moderate

The Craggy Pinnacle Trail is one of the most scenic trails on the Blue Ridge Parkway. As such, it tends to be very popular. There’s less than 250 feet of elevation gain, so even though the hike is moderately difficult, it’s much more of a gradual climb. This one has a few side quest trails that may interest you; both the Lower Lookout and the Upper Lookout trail have views that will blow you away.

4. Hawksbill Mountain Trail

• Location: Jonas Ridge, North Carolina
• Length: 2.1 miles
• Difficulty: Moderate

The Hawksbill Mountain Trail is another Pisgah National Forest trail that leads to incredible views. The trail ascends to a rugged summit where you can take in a spectacular 360-degree view of the forest and Linville Gorge. On a clear day, you might even be able to see the Charlotte skyline.

5. The Lump Trail

• Location: Purlear, North Carolina
• Length: .3 miles
• Difficulty: Easy

I like to feature trails that vary in length and difficulty, and this one goes out to all my sunset lovers who are short on time. Clocking in at just 0.3 miles, this short and sweet trail is a lovely spot to watch the sunset without committing to a long hike. Look for this trail at milepost 264.4 off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

6. Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower

• Location: Pisgah Forest, North Carolina
• Length: 1.5 miles
• Difficulty: Moderate

This might be my favorite spot to watch the sunset in North Carolina. The trail begins at a dirt road pull-off on Forest Service Road 450 and leads to a historic fire tower. Now, I’ll admit when you see the old fire tower, you may not want to climb it. That’s fair! If you are brave enough to climb up to the top, you’ll be met with offensively beautiful views of the mountains.

Be sure to download trail maps and have the proper hiking gear before you hit the trails. An AllTrails + membership will never let you down, especially when hiking in North Carolina’s beautiful mountains. 

If you loved these hikes, you’ll love these stunning sunrises in North Carolina.