North Carolina trails · Anst - Tusquitee Rd
Anst - Tusquitee Rd
A 5.8-mile out-and-back in North Carolina, with 1,077 ft of climbing. Reaches Sassafras Gap and other pass/summit destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the first third: 51% of the ascent falls between mile 0.0 and mile 1.9. It gives back about 799 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Sassafras Gap (pass)
- Bly Gap (pass)
- Sharp Top (summit)
- Courthouse Bald (summit)
- Wateroak Gap (pass)
- Whiteoak Stamp (summit)
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:40 a.m., the sun rises at 7:06 a.m. and sets at 8:02 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:28 p.m. (EDT) — 12 h 57 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 11.6-mile round trip takes roughly 5 h 22 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 12:28 p.m. — 7 h 35 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail + ANST - TUSQUITEE RD — 15.7 mi loop, 3,247 ft gain
Across the border
- Continues into GA as Appalachian National Scenic Trail — view on the map
Nearby trails
- Chunky Gal — 5.5 mi
- Anst - Nantahala Rd — 8.3 mi
- Rim Trail — 16.3 mi
- Bartram Trail — 18.1 mi