CHEOAH BALD

LOCATION: Western North Carolina
HIKE STARTS: Wayah Bald
HIKE ENDS: U.S. 19
TOTAL DISTANCE: 34.6 Miles
HIKE TYPE: One Way, Shuttle Hike
HIKE DIFFICULTY: Difficult
TRAILS USED: Appalachian, Bartram
TRAIL TRAFFIC: Moderate to Heavy
TRIP TYPE: Multi-Day Hike
MANAGEMENT: Nantahala National Forest

HIGHLIGHTS: Cheoah Bald at 5062 feet is the northern terminus of the Bartram Trail and it shares the summit with the Appalachian Trail. The views from here are spectacular from a grassy meadow that looks south over the Nantahala Gorge and from a small clearing that looks north to the Smoky Mountains. We hiked a thirty mile route over Cheoah Bald that included ascents of Wayah and Wesser Balds. The route climbs over 3000 feet from the Nantahala Outdoor Center (N.O.C.) to Cheoah Bald and it is a long and challenging ascent. We finished this shuttle hike by descending Cheoah on the Bartram Trail for five miles to U.S. 19.

Exploring the Appalachian Trail: Hikes in the Southern Appalachians

 

 

Appalachian Trail North Carolina-Cheoah Bald Guidebook

Nantahala Trail Map

 

 

Appalachian Trail North Carolina-Cheoah Bald Map

MORE DETAILS

bullet click to see a video from this winter backpacking trip near Wesser, NC:  January 26, 2012 
bullet click to see trail photos from this hike to Cheoah Bald: January 26, 2002
bullet click to view a detailed trip report for this backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail: January 26, 2002 (password required)
bullet click to view maps for this hike in the Nantahala National Forest: area map, detailed map – day 1, detailed map – day 2-3, profile map – Appalachian Trail: day 1-2, profile map – Bartram Trail: day 3
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