Outbound Collective logo

Hike to and Climb Pickens Nose

Otto, North Carolina

4.8/5
based on 6 reviews

Details

Distance

1.5 miles

Elevation Gain

200 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Dwayne Parton

A short hike to rock outcroppings offering beautiful views of the Appalachian Mountains, climbing, and plenty of places to relax.

From the parking area (fits about 6 cars) follow the trail on the same side of the road up the ridge through dense rhododendron. Several spur trails branch off of the main trail and lead to rock outcroppings with excellent views.

Getting to the parking area is slow. The narrow gravel road winds up the mountain and maybe a little washed out with deep ruts that could make traveling with a car difficult. You may want to bring an SUV, or Truck to prevent bottoming out.

There are numerous photo opportunities especially in Autumn. Pickens Nose is at 4,880 ft and has views in multiple directions.

The climbing areas are towards the end of trail. There are several granite walls to climb ranging from 5.7 - 5.11+ trad, sport, and top rope. It's a surprisingly fun place to climb with plenty of shade and clean routes.

Read More

Download the Outbound mobile app

Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.

Get the app

Features

Rock Climbing
Photography
Hiking
Dog Friendly
Easy Parking
Forest
Scenic
Wildflowers

Hike to and Climb Pickens Nose Reviews

The drive up the mountain is about 8 miles of winding road. I went during early December and only saw one other car. I could imagine it would take a pretty long time up and down the mountain during peak travel time. There is only a handful of places for two cars to fit next to each other on the road when passing. The hike itself was very nice! A nice incline up with numerous little trails off the main path to get pictures. I would recommend a walking stick for going up and down. The scenery is absolutely beautiful once you get to the top. There are numerous places to get pictures or to sit and enjoy the view.

The view and the hike are great, and the road is well-maintained.

Semi-easy shaded hike through mossy rock and flowery rhododendrons. The trail peels off into three or four amazing rocky over looks. Easily one of the coolest hikes I've ever been on. Great views for miles.

I've hiked in several places, from the Rockies to up and down the AT & Pickens Nose truly took my breath away. Despite many others opinions the summer is my favorite time of year to go up. It's beautiful from all directions & its (in my opinion) one of the best hikes in the North Georgia/ South Carolina region

The hike to Pickens Nose is short and sweet. Once you get to the top of the mountain, you wont see any signs for the multiple rocky overlooks, but you will see tunnel-shaped paths through the Rhododendron that branch out to multiple lookout points, all of which are pretty cool. At some of the lookouts you will see anchors in the rock for rock climbing and I do not know much about climbing but some of the rock faces looked like they would be pretty challenging. One thing to note about getting to the trailhead is to search for 'Pickens Nose Trailhead' in Maps, not 'Pickens Nose'. Also, the 5ish miles of dirt road get pretty sketchy in the last mile, so having a car with good clearance is a definite plus. The hike leading up to the top was nothing special, but the views made up for it.

Stopped here for a late afternoon hike looking for a place to watch sunset, unbelievable views and photo opportunities. Need a truck to get to trailhead. The dirt road up the side of the mountain is too steep and rutted for cars!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Backpack the Standing Indian Loop on the Appalachian Trail

Nantahala National Forest via the Appalachian Trail

Camp at Tallulah River Campground

Hike the James E. Edmond trail to Lookoff Mountain Overlook

Hike to Rabun Bald

Siler Bald from Wayah Gap