Parking
Park at the signed Trout Lake Parking area off Shulls Mill Road. The gravel carriage-road approach begins near the back of the lot; facilities are limited, so bring water and plan ahead.
Overview
About Rich Mountain Carriage Trail
Why go
- Wide historic carriage road with a steady, non-technical grade
- Quiet forest, open meadows, and Blue Ridge views near the summit
Heads up
- The Trout Lake approach makes this an 8.2-mile round trip
- Shared horse traffic and numerous carriage-road junctions require attention
Rich Mountain Carriage Trail is a long, gently graded carriage-road climb through Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, with broad meadow views and a historic Blue Ridge Parkway setting. The Trout Lake approach makes this the quieter, longer way to reach Rich Mountain from the Shulls Mill Road side.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy this trailMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Blue Ridge Parkway map
Full mapElevation3,825–4,360 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 Rich Mountain 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
Trout Lake: A Quieter Lakeside LoopListen
“The parking area you're seeing is for Trout Lake, a quieter alternative to the more popular Bass Lake. There's an easy, shady 1.3-mile loop trail that circles the water here.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Blue Ridge Parkway Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Sims Creek Overlook: A Classic Creekside Loop
- Moses H. Cone Memorial Park and Flat Top Manor
- Sims Pond Trail: A Compact Loop with Lots of Variety
- Cone’s Enduring Carriage Roads
- 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 Rich Mountain Carriage Trail
Route and statsFrom Trout Lake Parking, follow the gravel Trout Lake Road approach to the Rich Mountain…
From Trout Lake Parking, follow the gravel Trout Lake Road approach to the Rich Mountain carriage road, then climb the connected road system to the summit area. The physical corridor is about 4.1 miles one way; plan on about 8.2 miles total out and back, with roughly 780 feet of cumulative ascent. The road is wide and generally easy underfoot, but the distance and steady climb make it a moderate outing.
What you’ll seeThe route moves from the lake and forest into open pasture and upper meadows, with long Blue…
The route moves from the lake and forest into open pasture and upper meadows, with long Blue Ridge views near Rich Mountain’s high point. Historic carriage-road construction, rhododendron, mountain laurel, and seasonal wildflowers give the hike a distinctly Moses Cone character. The summit area has a brick wall and broad oak near the high meadow.
Difficulty and who it’s forThis is a moderate hike for visitors comfortable with a full day’s distance on a gradual gravel…
This is a moderate hike for visitors comfortable with a full day’s distance on a gradual gravel road. The surface is much smoother than a rocky single-track, but the 8.2-mile round trip is substantially longer than the short Trout Lake loop. Horses and hikers share the carriage roads, and winter users may find snow or ice.
Tips and need-to-knowPark at Trout Lake Parking on Shulls Mill Road and follow the signed carriage-road approach;…
- Park at Trout Lake Parking on Shulls Mill Road and follow the signed carriage-road approach; the trailhead point is at the back of the lot near the gravel route.
- The carriage-road network has several junctions and spurs. Follow Rich Mountain signage and carry a map or offline route rather than assuming every broad road leads to the summit.
- Yield to horses, keep dogs leashed, and bring water for the long out-and-back. Expect mud after rain and icy sections in winter.
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.
