RockTop Trail
Gastonia, NC | CrOwders Mountains State Park
Trail Date: April 23, 2019
Difficulty |
Distance |
Time |
Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
Moderate |
6.3 Miles |
2.56 Mies |
1,414 Feet |
Things to Know
| Dog Friendly |
| Loop Trail |
| Marked |
| Mountain Tops |
This trail currently holds the longest hike for me at 6.3 miles long with the highest elevation gain at 1.414 feet.
So the thing for me is that I don't like repeating the same trail twice and I've been to Crowders several times before. However this time instead of taking my usual RIGHT the trail went LEFT taking us across the street and immediately into some elevation.
You first have to climb up a mini-mountain and then you can tell that you're doing nothing but hiking uphill. I will say at one point you are walking across the flat top of a mountain, so just make sure your dogs aren't ones to bolt or potentially pull you.
You first have to climb up a mini-mountain and then you can tell that you're doing nothing but hiking uphill. I will say at one point you are walking across the flat top of a mountain, so just make sure your dogs aren't ones to bolt or potentially pull you.
NOw this is why I rated this trail moderate.
So the walk across the mini-mountain IS NOT bad. It's a steady incline from there on up. Now the tricky part is after you come down the stairs...there's for some reason still inclines that you have to walk up to put you back on the main trail that will lead you to to your car.
The dogs (specifically
Toby
) was not with the shits. Eventually, you could tell that the dogs were tired as they started to lag on the hills. However, once you get back to the main trail leading you back it's all downhill that much I can tell you. My Biggest Takeaway/ Accomplishment: was the simple fact that we did a little over 6 miles in under 3 hours.
Things to Note: make sure to pack enough snacks, such as granola bars...crackers...etc; for not only yourself but the pups as well. They want food too. Also, don't forget extra water and dog bowls for the pups.
Lastly, don't forget your biodegradable poop bags because you always want to leave the trail how you found it.
