How We Found It: This popular Grandfather Mountain trail has been on our radar for a while to try. Beth had a foggy memory of it being a good hike from her time at school in Boone.
Date and Distance Hiked: 5/12/13, 7 miles.
Find the Trailhead: Off 105. From Boone, drive through Foscoe and Seven Devils. When you see a large, green-roofed warehouse called the Lighting Gallery (or something similar) on the left, go 1/2 mile more and find the trailhead on the left, marked with a brown State Park sign. If you reach Linville, you’ve gone too far.
Map: Here is a PDF. Maps may also be available at the registration kiosk at the trailhead behind the map board.
Bathroom Situation: Behind the rhododendrons 😮
Fees (Where/How Much): Free. Permits used to be required, but Grandfather Mountain trails are now run by the State. Fill out a standard NC park registration form at the trailhead so rangers know you’re there and can watch out for you (though if it’s a weekend, you probably won’t be alone on this trail).
Our Route: 3.1 miles on Profile Trail –> left at the end to go up 0.4 miles to Calloway Peak –> spurred 100 feet out and back to the “Watauga View” –> and all the way back down again.
Of Interest: The engineering of the trail stands out, including impressive stone steps. Here is a great article on this trail, including something about how it was built in the late 80s.
After the Shanty Spring landmark, the newer portion of the trail ends, and for 0.3 miles, you’ll climb the less polished older route to the end of Profile Trail. It’s a steep-ish climb over loose rock as the trail takes the most direct route to its apex; switchbacks end at Shanty Spring.
Turn right at the end of Profile Trail to reach the mile-high swinging bridge in 1.9 miles. We hear that hiking in means avoiding park-entrance fees. We’ll have to try that another time, because we turned left to reach Calloway Peak in an exciting 0.4 miles.
What Nobody Told Us before We Went:
• How long the hike would take. It took us fully 4.5 hours to do only 7 miles.
Elevation is already 3,800+’ at the trailhead, and Profile Trail moves continuously uphill. You’ll have gained 2,000′ in 3.1 miles by the top of Profile. To the top of Calloway Peak is 2,150′ in 3.5 miles. At this elevation with constant incline, these two flatlanders were inclined to take plenty of photo breaks.
• How amazing it would be to climb all the way to Calloway Peak. If you are completely spent by the top of Profile Trail, you may want to skip this part, with its three tricky ladders and a trail that teeters next to a steep dropoff in a few places. But if you have enough energy and snacks, don’t miss it.
• The Profile Trail is mostly in the trees and doesn’t offer many long views besides a good look over Foscoe and the view of the grandfather profile. However, Calloway Peak more than makes up for any lack of views on the Profile Trail.
Hike Highlights:
• Wonderful views, including a great one of the “profile of the grandfather” for which this trail and mountain were named, respectively.
• Rocks! Towering boulders. Stone steps. Stone striped with lines of white quartz. An imposing view of the grandfather profile from below, around mile 1.5.
• Bright green spring colors. Great wildflowers.
• Perilous but very fun ladders up to Calloway Peak and an immense view of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Grandfather and Grandmother Mountains from Calloway Peak.
• The smell of Christmas in the evergreens between the end of Profile Trail and Calloway Peak.
• Plenty of good places to stop and sit, whether you take advantage of the decaying log benches on the lower part of the Profile Trail or perch on the stone steps along the way.
• A few cute waterfalls and interesting water features, like springs trickling from under rocks.
• Trees–huge trees, fir trees, flowering trees, funky trees with giant roots.
Blue Ridge Dayhiking 
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