Craggy Pinnacle Trail

Craggy Pinnacle Trail is one of the most beautiful trails to hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway when the Rhododendrons are blooming forming a canopy of magenta and purple color against the greenery and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Your trail hike starts in the parking lot. Then continue to the upper parking lot where you will see the parkway sign "Craggy Dome" the trail head is just on the other side indicated by a sign. The first part of the trail is covered by color as the plants create a canopy in which you walk under on the trail. The first part of the journey is a gradual climb; then you reach a bend and a nice elevated rock with a view. The trail then leans more upward until it reaches a fork to the right where there is a plateau and many scenic overlooks. As you loop back around the trail with a sign states left to the upper lookout and right to the lower lookout. The lower lookout just allows you to see the visitor center and the mountains in the distance about a 180 degree view. If you want to feel like you are on top of the world take the upper lookout trail until you reach the rock wall with stairs. As you emerge from the stairs you will see a 360 degree lookout with a beautiful scenic landscape of the Blue Ridge mountains, the Asheville watershed lake, and more. What goes up must come down as the walk down the mountain trail is a lot more easier than going up.