September 21, 2023: A Quad-Burning Hike at Pinnacle Park
Looking to challenge yourself physically and maybe even mentally. Well, I have the perfect hike that will make you question your decisions. 😜
Pinnacle Park is a 1,529-acre tract of land owned by the town of Sylva. There are two major hikes within Pinnacle Park. The most popular is known as The Pinnacle and the other one is known as Blackrock Mountain.
I have done both of these hikes before in college, but separately. I told my husband I wanted to hike both of them together this time around. This was his first time hiking these trails. I honestly don’t remember the hikes being so intense, so I was a bit confused when reading the reviews on AllTrails.
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Regardless of the reviews, we were ready for anything! We arrived at the trailhead just north of Sylva, North Carolina. I will be honest… I didn’t read the information on the wooden kiosk very well because I had NO IDEA we had to have permits to hike in Pinnacle Park. But I’m here to tell you… that you do need permits. They’re free, so no need to worry about a fee!
We started our hike with an uphill climb. Spoiler alert: it’s an uphill climb almost the entire way! Your quads will be screaming and hollering at you by the end of it. Anyway, we made our way on the West Fork Trail.
We reached a junction in the trail. We had a choice to make. Go left to reach The Pinnacle first or go right towards Blackrock Mountain. We decided to get the longer hike done first, so we took a right.
We followed the trail signs along the way. The climb continued uphill but more gradually until… the last 0.6 miles. Prepare yourself for this short section of the hike. It’s so steep!! Your quads, calves, glutes, and everything in between will be screaming at you!
Not only is this short section of the trail tiring, but it becomes more difficult to follow. The normal trail markers seem to disappear. There was one part where we saw an arrow painted on a tree, so we started hiking that way of course. But then we realized (based on our location on Google Maps) that we were going in the opposite direction of Blackrock Mountain!
We turned around and ended up continuing straight on the trail. We eventually saw a pink ribbon tied to a tree, so we figured that must be a trail marker. We continued up the mountain following the few trail markers (ribbons) that we could find.
We finally saw a purple and gold trail marker painted on a giant bolder. We followed the trail around the bolder, but it disappeared. We were confused once again. We finally decided to just do a bit of rock scrambling to get on top of the boulder.
It’s strange how I have almost no memory of hiking this trail back in college. I know I did it because I have a picture of me and one of my friends at the summit. Anyway, we were able to climb on top of the massive rock.
That was it. The summit of Blackrock Mountain. We made it! Time for lots of water and snackies while we enjoy the spectacular views of the Plott Balsam mountain range. We had the whole place to ourselves which was nice! It was very peaceful.
After about 30 minutes or so, we made our way back down the mountain. We quickly reached the junction in the trail where it splits into The Pinnacle and Blackrock Mountain trails. This time we went the other way towards The Pinnacle.
It was another uphill battle but not for too long. It eventually levels out a bit. Finally, our legs can relax from either hiking up steep inclines or hiking down steep declines.
We reached the summit of The Pinnacle. We took another rest break and ate more snackies. This time there were a few people up there, but still peaceful. The views were just as amazing as Blackrock Mountain!
It was time to head back to the car. We were very tired! Our legs were so fatigued after all that intense hiking. You would think hiking downhill would be a relief, but it most definitely wasn’t. We started jogging down the trail. It was so steep, so we just let the gravity carry us downward. Thankfully no ankles were broken in the process!
We were so excited to finally be done with that hike. It was amazing, and I would highly recommend if you want a physical challenge with beautiful views as your reward! We hit up Innovations afterwards and devoured delicious bean burgers and fries.
What will our next adventure be??
Take on this challenging 3.5-mile (one-way) hike uphill to a knobby, craggy peak that towers over the town of Sylva. Sitting at 5,008 feet in elevation, The Pinnacle offers stunning panoramic views of Sylva, Plott Balsam mountain range, and the Great Smoky Mountains.
The views are rewarding and worth every step. Lace up your hiking boots and take on this incredible yet challenging hike near Sylva, North Carolina!
Take on this tough 7-mile out-and-back hike to a unique giant bolder with breathtaking 360-degree views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Blackrock Mountain sits at 5,802 feet which makes it one of the highest peaks of the Plott Balsam Mountain Range! This is an incredible hike you don’t want to miss if you are near Sylva, North Carolina.
