Crowders Trail

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Features Birding · Fall Colors · Views · Wildlife

The Crowder's Trail is a 2.8-mile, moderate trail that winds along the base of Crowder's Mountain from the visitor's center to the Backside Trail at the Linwood Road Access.

A full out-and-back journey on this trail amounts to a nice 5.6-mile trip. The Crowder's Trail itself winds through the pine-oak forests that are gradually being over taken by oaks. Below the summit, this trail is lightly used, offering users a nice experience.

The going here is much less strenuous than the hike to the summit. However, most visitors do make a nice loop out of the Crowder's Trail by connecting to two or three other trails in the area, most of which take visitors to the iconic summit of Crowder's Mountain.

The Crowder's Trail starts at the Crowder's Mountain State Park visitors center at the Sparrow Springs Access. Please note that on weekends, this parking lot fills quickly and visitors arriving later in the day might have to drive to a different lot to access the park.

The trail meanders for a while through the forest before crossing the road. The trail continues to the junction of the Rocktop Trail and Crowders Trail. Staying on the Crowders Trail will take visitors along the base of Crowders Mountain for an enjoyable and moderate hike through the pine-oak forest.

This is a less-traveled trail and may offer a little more peace and quiet with a lot of nice hammock-ing stops along the way. Most choose to complete a loop and take the strenuous Rocktop Trail up to the summit of Crowders Mountain. The trail is very rocky but the views are well worth the effort.

From the Rocktop Trail, visitors have the choice to head down the Tower Trail (which is a gravel road), connecting to the Backside Trail and then back to the Crowders Trail OR staying on the Rocktop Trail to the very popular overlook with views of Charlotte then down connecting back to the Crowders Trail.

Connecting to the other trails heading up to the summit makes for a very challenging loop and staying on the Crowders Trail can be a rewarding route as well, especially for visitors who seek a less strenuous outing.