Fork Mountain
Fork Mountain Trail is a 7 miles trail in National Forests in North Carolina, North Carolina. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Shining Rock Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The National Forests in North Carolina official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 35.3736, -82.9363 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 35.3395, -82.8688 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 7 miles |
| Trail class | 2, moderately developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | TR109 |
| Forest | National Forests in North Carolina (unit 0811) |
| States | North Carolina |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Shining Rock Wilderness WildernessFS · the whole line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Explore
Park units nearby
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Fork Mountain Trail?
7 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in National Forests in North Carolina.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Fork Mountain Trail?
hiking and horse and pack stock. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Fork Mountain Trail start?
The line begins at 35.3736, -82.9363 and ends at 35.3395, -82.8688. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Fork Mountain Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Shining Rock Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Fork Mountain Trail?
Sunburst (0.3 mi), Cove Creek Upper Group Camp (4 mi) and Cove Creek Lower Group Camp (4 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Fork Mountain Trail?
Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Fork Mountain Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Fork Mountain Trail?
National Forests in North Carolina, Forest Service unit 0811. The trail is in North Carolina.
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named FORK MOUNTAIN in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0811. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 18, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.