When hikers ask which trails in North Carolina are worth a full day — or several — the conversation always circles back to the same handful of routes. Below we've ranked the ten longest hiking trails in North Carolina by total mapped distance, drawing from the 15,091 trails OutsideAtlas currently tracks in the state. Each entry includes the distance, what makes the route distinctive, and an honest note on who should actually attempt it.
North Carolina runs from the highest peaks in the eastern US (Mount Mitchell, 6,684 ft) through the Blue Ridge and Piedmont to the Outer Banks. The MST, AT, Bartram Trail, and Foothills Trail combine for over 1,800 miles of mapped long-distance routing. Spring and fall are best in the mountains; summer is humid but manageable; winter brings ice at higher elevations.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 15,091 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in North Carolina — but the data has limits worth being honest about. OpenStreetMap distance tags are crowd-sourced and inconsistent. A route may appear longer or shorter than the official measurement, especially when long-distance trails (like state and national scenic trails) are tagged in segments rather than as a single relation.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Beaver Creek Workshop Trail
At 1.50 mi, Beaver Creek Workshop Trail tops the list — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 1.50 mi, dirt surface on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Beaver Creek Workshop Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Paved Trail
At 1.50 mi, Paved Trail lands at #2 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 1.50 mi, dirt surface on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Paved Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Paved Walking Trails
At 1.48 mi, Paved Walking Trails lands at #3 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 1.48 mi, paved surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Paved Walking Trails trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Paved Walking Trails
At 1.48 mi, Paved Walking Trails lands at #4 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 1.48 mi, paved surface on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in North Carolina, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Paved Walking Trails trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Paved Walking Trails
At 1.48 mi, Paved Walking Trails lands at #5 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 1.48 mi, paved surface on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Paved Walking Trails trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Paved Walking Trails
At 1.48 mi, Paved Walking Trails lands at #6 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 1.48 mi, paved surface on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Paved Walking Trails trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Paved Walking Trails
At 1.48 mi, Paved Walking Trails lands at #7 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 1.48 mi, paved surface on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Paved Walking Trails trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Paved Walking Trails
At 1.48 mi, Paved Walking Trails lands at #8 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 1.48 mi, paved surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Paved Walking Trails trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. Paved Walking Trails
At 1.48 mi, Paved Walking Trails lands at #9 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 1.48 mi, paved surface on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in North Carolina, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Paved Walking Trails trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. CT - Red Ash Bridge Trail
At 0.80 mi, CT - Red Ash Bridge Trail lands at #10 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.80 mi, ground surface on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the CT - Red Ash Bridge Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your North Carolina trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for North Carolina. Spring and fall are best in the mountains; summer is humid but manageable; winter brings ice at higher elevations. Hypothermia on exposed balds in shoulder seasons, rattlesnakes and copperheads in the mountains, and tick-borne illness statewide.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More North Carolina hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our North Carolina coverage continues below.
- Steepest trails in North Carolina — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in North Carolina — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in North Carolina — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in North Carolina — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in North Carolina — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in North Carolina — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in North Carolina — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in North Carolina last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
