North Carolina trails · Wilson Ridge
A 12.1-mile out-and-back in North Carolina, with 1,503 ft of climbing. Reaches Joe White Mountain and other summit destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route. It gives back about 1,754 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
WILSON RIDGE access — parking nearby. 35.92989, -81.73819 · directions
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 7:56 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:22 p.m. (EDT) — 12 h 58 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 24.1-mile round trip takes roughly 10 h 26 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 5:23 p.m. — 2 h 32 min before sunset.