Hike to stunning views atop Blackrock Mountain on this challenging loop in Pinnacle Park near Sylva, North Carolina. Most know for The Pinnacle, the summit of Blackrock Mountain offers just as good of views, but at a significantly steeper price.
Park at the end of Fisher Creek road. A moderate size lot can get crowded on the weekends. Make sure to mind the no parking signs to leave room for bus and emergency vehicle turnarounds. Parking is free, but make sure to fill out the permit information and leave it in the drop box before you head out.
Begin the hike by heading around the metal gate and heading up the extremely rocky old road bed. You'll pass a few smaller side trails, following the purple and gold blazes at intersections. Major intersections also have signs. Continue up the West Fork Trail to make this a loop. Take the East Fork Trail if you want to take the most direct route to Blackrock Mountain.
On the way up the to the ridge you'll pass a large boulder with a massive crack. The rocky nature of the trail combined with the 1800 feet of elevation gain makes the going slow, but you'll get a break at 2.2 miles. At 1.9 miles, stay to the right to follow the trail to Blackrock. At this intersection, go left to add on The Pinnacle to make this a 10 mile hike.
Pass the second intersection for the East Fork Trail. You'll be heading down this on the way back. At 3.3 miles a sign takes you off the road bed, heading straight up to Blackrock Mountain. This is by far the most difficult section of the hike, both up and down. You'll climb almost 700 feet in less than half a mile. The steepest section rises at a steep 1700 feet per mile rate.
There is some re-routing work being done and the trail is less defined in some places. Make sure to look for branches blocking side trails. A couple places the trail looks like it goes around both sides of large rock formations, but look for the purple and gold blazes on the rock overhead. The first goes under the rock steeply downhill to the left then right back up. The second will be on the right side. This is the summit. Go under the rock, then loop around to the left to climb up on it.
From the summit, you'll have massive near 360° views. Take a break and soak up the view and the sun, because the way down is just as treacherous, if not more so. Loose rocks, mud, and leaves make the steep descents from Blackrock Mountain and down the East Fork Trail difficult, so take your time. The first half of the East Fork Trail is easy with few rocks and a gentle slope. The lower half is a different story, with additional challenges like crawling over, under, and around trees and rocks.