200817 - Fontana/Lakeshore to Lost Cove to Twentymile
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 13.25 mi
- Elevation gain
- 2,543 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 3,051 ft
- Max elevation
- 3,597 ft
- TrailRank
- 37
- Min elevation
- 1,386 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Moving time
- 5 hours 8 minutes
- Time
- 6 hours 40 minutes
- Coordinates
- 3765
- Uploaded
- August 17, 2020
- Recorded
- August 2020
near Fairfax, North Carolina (United States)
Viewed 171 times, downloaded 0 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
This is a 13+ mile one-way / shuttle hike from Fontana to 20 Mile Ranger Station. We were lucky enough to have three bear sightings (plus a number of wild pigs) along the way.
Drove to 20 Mile Ranger Station (along The Dragon), and left a car in the lot here. Then did a ~20 minute shuttle to the Lakeshore Trailhead just past Fontana Dam.
Starting at the Lakeshore Trailhead, hike just over 5 miles to the intersection with Lost Cove Trail. For the most part, this is a steady set of small ups and down, with one steep 3/4 of a mile climb about half-way. There are a couple of few interesting sites, passing some very old abandoned and partially buried cars along the way.
Reaching the Lost Cove Trail intersection, turn left onto this new trail. This begins the difficult section of the hike Lost Cove trail is just under three miles long, but is a steady, steep, climb of ~1800 feet to where it intersects with the Appalachian Trail. Our hike really slowed down in this section! This section also has numerous creek crossings, some simple rock-hops, but many of them requiring wet feet to cross.
Once the trail crosses the AT, it becomes Twentymile Trail. This trail is a steady descent of almost 5 miles. After passing the Twentymile Loop and Long Hungry Ridge Trail intersections, this descent becomes more gentle, less steep.
Final intersection is with the Wolf Ridge Trail, turning left for the last half mile out to the parking area.
Drove to 20 Mile Ranger Station (along The Dragon), and left a car in the lot here. Then did a ~20 minute shuttle to the Lakeshore Trailhead just past Fontana Dam.
Starting at the Lakeshore Trailhead, hike just over 5 miles to the intersection with Lost Cove Trail. For the most part, this is a steady set of small ups and down, with one steep 3/4 of a mile climb about half-way. There are a couple of few interesting sites, passing some very old abandoned and partially buried cars along the way.
Reaching the Lost Cove Trail intersection, turn left onto this new trail. This begins the difficult section of the hike Lost Cove trail is just under three miles long, but is a steady, steep, climb of ~1800 feet to where it intersects with the Appalachian Trail. Our hike really slowed down in this section! This section also has numerous creek crossings, some simple rock-hops, but many of them requiring wet feet to cross.
Once the trail crosses the AT, it becomes Twentymile Trail. This trail is a steady descent of almost 5 miles. After passing the Twentymile Loop and Long Hungry Ridge Trail intersections, this descent becomes more gentle, less steep.
Final intersection is with the Wolf Ridge Trail, turning left for the last half mile out to the parking area.
Waypoints
Car park
1,909 ft
Ruins
Intersection
River
Campsite
Waypoint
Bridge
Waterfall
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