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North Carolina trails · Noland Divide Trail

Noland Divide Trail

A 22.9-mile loop in North Carolina, with 4,124 ft of climbing. Reaches Upper Sassafras Gap and other pass/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the National Park Service.

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Length
22.9 mi
Elevation gain
4,124 ft
Difficulty
Expert
Max grade
26%
Steepest mile
+792 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
10.5 mi
Shape
loop
Bikes
no
Horses
no
Managed by
National Park Service

Elevation profile

1,825 – 5,934 ft13579111315171921

The climbing leans toward the final third: 46% of the ascent falls between mile 15.3 and mile 22.9. It gives back about 5,256 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.

3-D terrain

3-D terrain view of Noland Divide Trail

USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5

Reaches

Heads up

Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.

Getting there

Noland Divide Trail Trailhead — parking nearby, restroom. About 53 min drive (36 mi) from Waynesville. 35.46006, -83.43946 · directions

Daylight at the trailhead

On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:13 a.m., the sun rises at 7:39 a.m. and sets at 7:00 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:25 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 21 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 22.9-mile route takes roughly 10 h 33 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 6:12 p.m. — 48 min before sunset.

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