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Mountains-to-Sea Trail
4.4 ★★★★☆ 20 Google reviews · Running trail in Asheville, North Carolina · Hours vary
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Loop distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Not reported
Confirmed from Mountains-to-Sea Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Mountains-to-Sea Trail
Friends moved to Asheville over a year ago and it was our first time visiting them. They told us that you can get on a path to walk right down the street from their house near where Route 40 and 240 meets. I expected a walking path but was pleasantly surprised that it was a hiking trail.
BEAR ENCOUNTER - Left from the Folk Art Center's parking lot. About a mile into the hike, I met with a bear, who was on the upslope side of the trail. After chatting with the best for a few minutes, he ran down, across the trail, and over the parkway. Got to the Haw Creek Overlook, and it was all worth it.
The MTS is very accessible in many locations along the Blue Ridge Parkway. It is so easy to pop on somewhere, close to Asheville, for a quick hike on well-maintained trail. Thank you “friends of MTS” for taking such good care of the trail!
Good trail for an out and back hike. You can go as far as you like, no limit really. Some good sections where you are away from the road. And a few good views. The drawback to this hike is that you spend a lot of time close to the road with audible road noise.
Trail conditions & character
“Views are really good I really enjoyed it and its almost impossible to get lost because the trees are marked white for the mountain to see trail”
Plan your run at Mountains-to-Sea Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
Running trails near Asheville
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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Reed Creek Greenway
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