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

Good to Go
59°
Feels 59°FSummit · 5,946 ft
6:57 AM7:58 PM
CLEAR

Wind

9mph

Precip

0%

Humid

89%

Elev Δ

+2000ft

12-Hour Temp Trend

65°71°

Hourly Forecast

10 AM

☀️

66°

5mph

11 AM

☀️

69°

4mph

12 PM

⛅

70°

4mph

1 PM

⛅

69°

7mph

2 PM

⛅

70°

7mph

3 PM

⛅

70°

6mph

4 PM

⛅

71°

6mph

5 PM

☀️

71°

6mph

6 PM

☀️

71°

6mph

7 PM

☀️

70°

4mph

8 PM

☀️

66°

4mph

9 PM

☀️

65°

4mph

Summit Conditions

64°F→−5°→59°F

Wet lapse rate: 2.7°F/1,000ft · 1,996 ft gain

◎L1
Synthetic/merino blend long sleeve

150g merino or synthetic blend for moisture management

◉L2
Light fleece or vestPACK

Microfleece pullover — pack it, don't wear it at the trailhead

Summit Pack List

↟Light fleece↟Wind shell

Start Cold Tip

Start in just your base layer — you'll warm up within 10 minutes on the trail. Keep your fleece accessible in the top of your pack for the summit.

Trail Guide

Updated 9:47:32 AM · America/New_York

Updated Aug 30, 9:47 AM UTC

More trails in Southeast

Clingmans Dome

6,643 ft · easy

Old Rag Mountain

3,284 ft · strenuous

Roan Highlands

6,285 ft · moderate