North Carolina trails · Ridgeline Trail
A 5.7-mile out-and-back in North Carolina, with 586 ft of climbing. Reaches Dixon Gap and other arch/pass/viewpoint destinations. Managed by the state.
The climbing leans toward the final third: 53% of the ascent falls between mile 3.8 and mile 5.7. It gives back about 709 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:31 a.m., the sun rises at 6:57 a.m. and sets at 7:53 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:19 p.m. (EDT) — 12 h 57 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 11.5-mile round trip takes roughly 4 h 50 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:46 a.m. — 8 h 07 min before sunset.