Date: Saturday, February 28th
Time: 11:00 am
Where: Strawberry Gap to Blue Ridge Pastures
Distance: 6 miles
Difficulty: Moderately strenuous (7/10)
Cost: FREE for all participants (Pre-Registration is Required!)
Finish the Winter Hiking Challenge strong and in community by joining Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy for a guided hike to Blue Ridge Pastures via the Strawberry Gap Trail!
This hike is only for participants registered for the 2026 Winter Hiking Challenge.
We will hike a moderately strenuous 6 mile out-and-back through a beautiful forest while taking in sweeping views of Fairview, NC before arriving at the remote Blue Ridge Pastures.
Strawberry Gap is in the stunning Upper Hickory Nut Gorge trail network and climbs upward for three miles through beautiful, boulder-strewn forests. About halfway up, a rock outcrop offers sweeping views over a picturesque valley and range upon range of distant, blue mountains. The climax of this trail is Blue Ridge Pastures, where the forests give way to a ridgeline pasture, revealing dramatic views of the Hickory Nut Gorge, Bearwallow Mountain, Little Pisgah Mountain, and in the distance the highest mountains in the eastern United States.
This trail is made possible through a partnership between two local land trusts–Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) and Conserving Carolina. SAHC owns Strawberry Gap Preserve and worked with multiple private landowners to protect this beautiful mountain land with conservation easements. Conserving Carolina then built the trail, which connects to Trombatore Trail at Blue Ridge Pastures. This brings us to more than 16 miles of connected trails in the Upper Hickory Nut Gorge.
*Please note that Strawberry Gap passes through privately owned land and dogs are not allowed on this trail.
