How We Found It: Shawn’s Facebook friend posted about this trail, and Shawn googled the hike for more information.
Date and Distance Hiked: First hike was 6/16/13, 8 miles. Since then, we’ve hiked varying lengths. Linville Gorge hikes are very customizable.
Good Seasons: Winter, spring, fall. Hot and buggy (with ticks) in the summer (still pretty, though).
Find the Trailhead: I40 to exit 105, 18 through Morganton. Take a left on 126 and a right to stay on 126. Wind around 126 for a while. Shortly after you finally see Lake James on your left, take a right on Wolf Pit Road. Travel a couple miles to the end of Wolf Pit Road, which is unpaved and rugged (but traversable by Honda Accord). Parking and trailhead are at the deadend of Wolf Pit Road.
Variation: For a longer, harder, more rewarding, exciting hike, try the “126 to MST Connector” route. Continue past Wolf Pit Road, west on 126. In about 1/2 mile, you’ll see a clearing on your left. Look for a small “parking area” in front of a gate on your right. We parked along the road with no problems. You will pass near gamelands on this trail, so wear bright colors.
Other sites have great information about finding and hiking this trail, too, like this one and this one.
Map: Great map page on the Friends of Linville Gorge website. Shawn also purchased a Linville Gorge/Mount Mitchell map and the 100 Classic Hikes in North Carolina book.
Coffee (between here and Charlotte): Inside Ingles on HWY 70 in Morganton; exit 125 in I40 in Hickory.
Bathroom Situation: Bushes.
Fees (Where/How Much): Free.
Our Route: Up to Shortoff Mountain either from Wolf Pit Road (shorter) or the 126–>MST (longer). Side loop around the Olsen Trail for experienced hikers who don’t have vertigo only.
Shawn could also tell you about the long hike from Wolf Pit Road to Table Rock via Shortoff Mountain, 16 miles that took him around 8 hours, but we haven’t detailed that on this blog yet.
Route Notes: The Wolf Pit Trail takes you to the top of Shortoff Mountain in approximately 1.5 miles for a 3-mile in-and-back. You’ll gain 1,300′ in the first mile, but the switchbacks make that manageable, and the views are absolutely worth it. Parts of this first mile run along a creekbed, which would cause trouble after a big rain, so mind the weather and maybe wait to hike here a few days after any heavy storms per Leave No Trace. And around 1/2 mile in, remember to turn around to see your first great view of Lake James.
The “126 to MST Connector” route takes you from around 1,200′ to almost 3,000′. It starts gently, rolling through peaceful evergreen forest, meeting the beautiful, rushing Linville River at the first mile in. Walk along the river awhile, head into the woods to the right. After a small creek crossing, hang a right up a steep hill.
You’ll head down a little bit and meet up with the MST, marked by white blazes on rocks and a gate made of two burnt trees. At this point, you’ve traveled 2.4 miles from 126. Take a right to join the MST up to Shortoff. Prepare for a long ascent and fantastic views of Shortoff Mountain as you hike up the spine of a rocky ridge to meet the Wolf Pit Trail at that famous triple sign post (featured photo for this post). Hang a left to go towards the top of Shortoff.
If you are an experienced hiker with no balance issues, hang another left on the next trail spur you see to experience the Olsen Trail, which teeters on the edge of Shortoff Mountain parallel to the main trail. As Shortoff rises up, the Olsen Trail stays level, and after some careful footwork along the rocks, you’ll find yourself in a cave beneath the summit, staring out across the Gorge.
After a thousand photos, continue onward and upward with some bushwhacking to join the main trail again. Olsen Trail won’t add much distance to your hike but will add an adrenaline rush.
Tips/Of Interest: Every overlook! Stop and look off every rock you can. From the Wolf Pit trail, during the first mile, be sure to turn around and look back for great views of Lake James.
Wildflowers, including rare orchids (pogonias) if you’re willing to brave the summer heat.
Wear sunscreen and a hat if you’re sensitive to the sun. Two wildfires in the past decade have eradicated the cover for the first few miles of the trail. This translates into better views and cool natural dead-tree-trunk sculpture but lots of sun exposure.
Many smaller trails are primitive and require scrambling, bushwhacking and balance to keep yourself from falling over 1,000′ off a cliff. You might want to wear long pants because of stickers and ticks. And of course, be nice to the trails even if you’re hacking your way through them.
What Nobody Told Us before We Went:
• The Shortoff Trail from Wolf Pit Road isn’t blazed but follows a clear route. You’ll see white blazes after it joins up with the MST.
• The trail wasn’t impeccably maintained, and we did pick up some travelers along the way (e.g., ticks and chiggers). Pants may be recommended. If you’re squeamish about toads, we saw tons of those hopping around in the grass as well in the summer, but they were polite.
Hike Highlights:
• The views, the views! Of Linville Gorge, Lake James and Table Rock. Just when you think you’ve seen the best possible view, turn a corner and find another one.
• The entire Olsen Trail.
• Great rocks; a geologist’s dream.
• When you reach the area where the forest cover takes over again, expect beautiful, lush foliage, including rhododendron, and a temperature drop in the shade.
• The trail goes up, up, up, then flat, and when you turn around, the trail goes down, down, down. No sawtooth-style ups and downs.
Blue Ridge Dayhiking 
You must be logged in to post a comment.