Craven Gap trails are a part of the larger system of trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can approach them from the Parkway itself, Town Mountain Rd from downtown Asheville, or from Webb Cove Rd which splits from Beaverdam Rd in North Asheville. Webb Cove is a gravel road, but a couple spots offer seriously Wow views. The trail heading north from the parking area is not very strenuous for at least a mile. I can't say beyond that. We saw a couple black bears chilling up the hill. They were still there on the way back through. Numerous people noticed them. Many more didn't even realize they were there. It's like that if you don't stop and gawk and shout. We really liked this section of trail. Highly recommend for a quick...
Read moreBEAR WARNING (June '23). Be careful on this trail as there is definitely a momma bear that makes her home near by. We ignored the reviews here that mentioned bears and had a very close call with her on the trail. She's not afraid of humans so she didn't back off or run away. We are fairly new to hiking and this was our first bear run in so if you're an inexperienced hiker or with kids I would recommend hiking elsewhere. Other than that it was a nice hike although it follows the road so there is a good amount of noise pollution. The road proximity ended up being a positive for us though as we quickly made our way to the road to walk back to the car after running...
Read moreIt's a good hike, but like others have said there's no real payoff/views. However you'll find some streams and interesting trees and plantlife. It would be a great trail for trail runners. There are some switchbacks and changes in terrain and elevation which keeps it interesting!
It's also not very crowded so if you're looking to avoid people or tourists this is a great trail for that. I went on a Saturday in July (today) around noon and i had the trail to myself for the majority of the time. Downside is you hear traffic from the Blue ridge Parkway. Overall nice trail and nice getaway from the city without having to...
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