North Carolina trails · Yellow Mountain
A 6.2-mile out-and-back in North Carolina, with 1,036 ft of climbing. Reaches Shortoff Mountain and other pass/summit destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
The climbing leans toward the final third: 45% of the ascent falls between mile 4.2 and mile 6.2. It gives back about 994 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
YELLOW MOUNTAIN access — parking nearby. 35.10451, -83.20393 · directions
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:38 a.m., the sun rises at 7:04 a.m. and sets at 8:01 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:27 p.m. (EDT) — 12 h 57 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 12.5-mile round trip takes roughly 5 h 39 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 12:43 p.m. — 7 h 17 min before sunset.