Devil's Courthouse
Balsam Grove, North Carolina
Details
Distance
0.85 miles
Elevation Gain
246 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by Alyssa Gregory
The Devils Courthouse, sitting at 5720 feet, provides views of 4 states: NC, SC, GA & TN.
The Devil's Courthouse Overlook and Trail can be one of the best places to see the entire Blue Ridge countryside. Even though it is a short hike, there is a fairly steep incline halfway through, so be prepared to huff and puff a little. It takes anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes depending upon your fitness level. But the views at the top are worth it.
There are those stands with signs telling you what you are looking at, directions and highlights, so be sure to take a minute to look at these. This area can be extremely dangerous if you go beyond the rock wall at the top.
As noted in the draw, there are some incredibly rare and delicate plants on the trail, so make sure to stay on the marked trail and not veer off. Again, this isn't the longest hike, the most strenuous, or the most difficult, but the views at the top cannot be beat.
Directions:
From Dillsboro/ Sylva take US Hwy 74/23 (Great Smoky Mountains Expressway) east towards Waynesville/ Asheville. From Exit 85 just outside of Sylva travel 9 miles to the Blue Ridge Parkway Access on the left. Continue through the Parkway gates and up the hill for 0.5 mile to a split in the road. Go left towards Asheville for 22.1 miles to the overlook parking on your right.
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Devil's Courthouse Reviews
This hike has great views but is very steep for almost the same views you can get from the parkway.
4.0
Uphill but well maintained trail to the top. Once up there the views of the surroundings are superb,
5.0
It was .9 miles round trip from the parking. It took us 12 minutes to the top with a short stop to look at a down tree. It is relatively steep and has some rocky areas to climb up. If you have issues with steps I would not recommend this one. Once you get to the top there are markers telling you some of the peaks in the distance. You'll get a view over 30 miles. Enjoy.
4.0
Don't underestimate the short distance - it's all straight uphill! The first half of the trail is paved, and in my opinion it's the hardest part too. If you do need a rest though, there are several benches along the trail to take a breather. Once you reach the top, the views are unparalleled. You can see mountains in NC, SC, and GA, and there are plaques telling you what the mountains names are, where they are, and how far away they are. If you find yourself driving down the BRP, this is well worth the hike!
5.0
We were driving the BRP north already so we decided to stop here to do the short hike and stretch our legs. The hike up to the top is a straight shot uphill, but it took us 7 minutes to scale that hill. Once at the top there are sweeping views of the surrounding mountains with cool little posts that point to each mountain and tells you how far and what the name is. Unfortunately while we were there, there were a lot of forest fires raging around us so the smoke obstructed most of the views. BUT we did get to see a peregrine falcon!!! Definitely worth stopping here if you're in the area.
5.0
...and if you're lucky, peregrine falcons
4.0
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Nearby
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Photograph Sunburst Falls
Hike to Dill Falls
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