Snowball Mountain Trail

Conservation Story

From the Snowball Mountain Trail in the Great Craggy Mountains, you will experience stunning views of SAHC-protected lands – including several gems of conservation. This public trail skirts the crest of SAHC’s Snowball Mountain Preserve and Reems Creek Bowl Preserve, with views of more SAHC-protected land in the 1,840-acre Woodfin Watershed Conservation Easement and 172-acre South McDaris Ridge Conservation Easement. SAHC’s conservation easements and preserves in this vicinity total just under 3,000 acres.

SAHC’s nature preserves and conservation easements in the Craggy Mountains area join a significant swath of state and federal public lands, contributing to a vast network of over 125,000 acres of contiguous protected forestlands! The Snowball Mountain Trail overlooks national forests and SAHC-protected land; visitors along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Mountains-to-Sea Trail experience gorgeous vistas preserved in part through Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s efforts.

Project Highlights

Woodfin Watershed:

A conservation easement project completed in 2005, which protects 1,840.8 acres of the Woodfin Watershed. The protected land filters water for the Woodfin Water District’s reservoir on the headwaters of Reems Creek – which provides a portion of the drinking water for town residents. This was one of SAHC’s first municipal watershed protection projects, made possible by the NC Land and Water Fund (formerly Clean Water Management Trust Fund). The conservation easement on the property is held by the State of NC and monitored each year by SAHC. In order to preserve drinking water quality, recreation access to the watershed land is not permitted. However, folks hiking on the Snowball Mountain Trail benefit from this conservation project by enjoying sweeping views of the permanently protected Woodfin Watershed from various vantage points along the trail.

Snowball Mountain Preserve:

In 2012, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchased 90 acres on Snowball Mountain in Buncombe County, permanently preserving scenic views for recreational visitors and habitat for native species. Nestled in the beautiful Craggy Mountains, this tract is highly visible from the Blue Ridge Parkway and national forest land, and it adjoins the publicly accessible Snowball Mountain Trail. Snowball Mountain was one of the marquee parcels that pushed SAHC past the 50,000-acres protected milestone mark at the end of 2011. READ MORE >>

Reems Creek Bowl:

In 2022, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy purchased 229 acres at Reems Creek Bowl, a large tract on the headwaters of Reems Creek which includes the popular Hawkbill Rock viewpoint on the Snowball Mountain Trail. This bowl-shaped cove of forested ridges and rocky hillsides arches across the ancient Craggy Mountains, rising to 4,800 ft. in elevation and adjoining Pisgah National Forest and other SAHC-protected lands, including our Snowball Mountain Preserve. It was for sale on the real estate market and could have been purchased for development. Fortunately, the land is now an SAHC-owned nature preserve. Wildlife will continue to roam the mountainside while people enjoy the beautiful forested views for many years to come. READ MORE >>

South McDaris Ridge:

In 2023, landowners worked with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy to donate a conservation easement on 172 acres on South McDaris Ridge, permanently protecting habitat for a variety of species and a dramatic rock face just across from the Woodfin Watershed conservation easement. The protected land encompasses forested hillsides and the saddle of the ridge between Alexander Knob and Little Snowball Mountain. A tributary of Reems Creek originates on the land: Cook Creek and its tributaries flow down from the property to join Reems Creek, which ultimately feeds the French Broad River approximately nine miles downstream. The land remains privately owned and is not open to the public. READ MORE >>

The public Snowball Mountain Trail branches off of the Mountains-To-Sea Trail near the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area at milemarker 364.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The trail is an out-and-back, moderately strenuous with a good bit of elevation gain. You can turn it into an all-day-event by hiking the full length of the trail, or take a hike out out to enjoy gorgeous views from Hawkbill Rock and then turn back (this is one of our favorite hikes).

SAHC’s guided outings program uses the Snowball Mountain Trail as a moderate 3-mile out-and-back hike along a high elevation ridgeline with remarkable views into SAHC-protected lands. We start out on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and split off to climb Snowball Mountain. Next, we continue North to Hawkbill Rock and look back onto SAHC’s Snowball Mountain Preserve property and into the Woodfin Watershed — another SAHC-protected landmark. At this point, you will be standing at the crest of SAHC’s 242-acre Reems Creek Bowl Preserve, and enjoying views into that property as well. Hikers should be prepared for a short trip, but steep elevation changes along the way.

How to Visit

Trail Info

Miles: The Snowball Mountain Trail is a total 7 miles. A section hike to Hawkbill Rock overlook, the prominent view point, is 3 miles total.
Style: Out and Back
Elevation gain: 2,030 ft.
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult, with some steep elevation changes.

This trail is a spur off the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Snowball Mountain Trail Map

Click link for more details on trail and map from HikingUpward.com trail contributor Zach Robbins.

Getting There

Location/How to get there: Exit the Blue Ridge Parkway at the entrance to the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area, at milepost 364. The Snowball Mountain Trailhead will be towards the left as you come in. Before reaching the picnic area, there will be a circular parking area. You can park here, or in the upper parking area and take a longer portion of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail to connect to the Snowball Mountain Trail. Start off on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail (white blaze). The Snowball Mountain Trail will fork to the right, following a yellow blaze and beginning a steady climb.