North Carolina trails · Rim Trail
Rim Trail
A 24.3-mile point-to-point in North Carolina, with 3,308 ft of climbing. Reaches Potrock Bald and other pass/summit destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the first third — 64% of the ascent, between mile 0.0 and mile 8.1. It gives back about 6,390 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Potrock Bald (summit)
- Julie High Top (summit)
- Beal Knob (summit)
- Shearer Gap (pass)
- Pigpen Gap (pass)
- Big Peachtree Bald (summit)
- Johnson Bald (summit)
- Will King Gap (pass)
- Chestnut Stomp Knob (summit)
- Matlock Bald (summit)
Getting there
RIM/LEATHERWOOD TRAILHEAD — parking nearby. About 2 h 10 min drive (81 mi) from Waynesville. 35.09537, -83.85822 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:14 a.m., the sun rises at 7:40 a.m. and sets at 7:02 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:27 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 22 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 24.3-mile route takes roughly 10 h 40 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 6:20 p.m. — 42 min before sunset.
Loop options
- SHINBONE + RIM TRAIL + SASAFRASS — 4.2 mi loop, 1,383 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Chunky Gal — 13.1 mi
- Anst - Tusquitee Rd — 16.2 mi
- Snowbird Mountain — 16.9 mi
- Wauchecha Bald — 19.0 mi