Parking
Park at the Flat Top Manor area in Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. The route begins behind the manor and passes beneath the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Overview
About Flat Top Carriage Trail
Why go
- Historic carriage road with a Parkway tunnel and Cone Cemetery along the route
- Flat Top Tower provides a broad mountain panorama after a gradual climb
Heads up
- The Flat Top Manor parking area can fill during busy periods
- The tower is exposed and can be windy
Flat Top Carriage Trail is a 5.3-mile round-trip hike from Flat Top Manor to the historic Flat Top Tower in Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. The route follows a broad, gently climbing gravel carriage road through meadows and forest to a panoramic summit viewpoint.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy this trailMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Ridge Parkway map
Full mapElevation3,980–4,511 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Blue Ridge Parkway alerts
- ClosureNorth Carolina Helene-related closuresAvoid the closed Parkway section from MP 344.2–355.3; recreation of any kind is prohibited there.Official details
- ClosureVirginia Parkway closures and detourFollow the signed detour around the closed James River Bridge and avoid the closed Roanoke Mountain Loop. - James River Bridge (MP 63.5–63.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide
Your drive to Flat Top Carriage Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Blue Ridge Parkway. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Blue Ridge Parkway audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and Flat Top ManorListen
“You're approaching Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, one of the grandest estates along the Parkway.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Cone’s Enduring Carriage Roads
- Trout Lake: A Quieter Lakeside Loop
- Sims Creek Overlook: A Classic Creekside Loop
- Sims Pond Trail: A Compact Loop with Lots of Variety
- 277 audio storiesacross Blue Ridge Parkway’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Elk, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 112 trails, 232 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…We knew we wanted to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. The narration was impeccably timed. The facts and info provided were meaningful. Without it, the trip would not have been near as awesome.”
Trail guide
Hiking Flat Top Carriage Trail
The routeStart at the Flat Top Manor area and follow the carriage road behind the manor.
Start at the Flat Top Manor area and follow the carriage road behind the manor. The route passes beneath the Blue Ridge Parkway through a short tunnel, then continues on Flat Top Road toward the tower. Cone Cemetery is along the route; stay on the main carriage road and continue to the tower before returning the same way. The stored line represents the physical 2.65-mile corridor once, while the visitor distance is the full out-and-back.
LogisticsDistance: 5.3 miles total out-and-back (2.65 miles one way)
- Distance: 5.3 miles total out-and-back (2.65 miles one way)
- Time: about 2.2 hours for the full hike, depending on pace and stops
- Surface: wide gravel carriage road with a gradual climb
- Uses: hiking and horseback riding; yield to horses and other users
- Trailhead: Flat Top Manor at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park
ExperienceThe route combines historic estate landscape, open meadow views, and forested stretches.
The route combines historic estate landscape, open meadow views, and forested stretches. Flat Top Tower provides a broad mountain panorama and is more exposed than the approach. Parking is at the Flat Top Manor area; arriving early helps during busy periods.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Blue Ridge Parkway
1,208 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
1,020 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
2,257 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
200 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
1,126 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
255 sightingsRed-tailed HawkMost seen around 11 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Blue Ridge Parkway. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
