Crabtree Falls, Little Switzerland, NC

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
8/14/2021	3.7 miles	2 hours 15 minutes	570'	1.9 mph	216.2

Map: Crabtree Falls

Parking: Blue Ridge Parkway, Milepost 339.5

Directions: Hike a counterclockwise loop.

We seem to be in a holding pattern of a daily chance of thunderstorms. The chance always seems to be the highest at 5pm, right when I get off of work. This weekend is no different. We figured we could get a short hike in before they were supposed to start. We drove to Crabtree Falls, a waterfall in the Little Switzerland area. The skies were sunny. The parking lot was pretty packed, but we found a space. We found a sign for the trail to the falls. The trail starts out paved, and then then switches to a wide smooth dirt trail. We passed an ampitheater and a couple of campgrounds. From there we headed onto a more normal trail, somewhat rocky. The rocks were wet, so I took it slow. The trail wasn't overcrowded despite the full parking lot. The falls were pretty crowded, but we found a place to sit away from other people. This wasn't one people were really wading in. But, it was a beautiful waterfall. We both liked it a lot, and sat for a long time. When we noticed clouds overhead, we left and continued the counter clockwise route (a shorter trip can be done by hiking out the same way you hike in). The trail was rockier continuing this way. Shortly after we continued hiking, we got caught in a thunderstorm. Ack. It came quickly. We rushed back to our car. We decided to head into the town of Little Switzerland. It appears to be a tiny town, centered on a few tourist attractions. There was a cafe / store / bookstore, but it looked crowded, and I don't feel safe being in a crowd, so we just continued driving by. There are some phenomenal views between Crabtree Falls and Little Switzerland. I think it was at the Three Knob Overlook, where you can see the Black Mountains ridgeline in the distance, today partially obscured by low clouds. From there we headed home, driving through a severe thunderstorm, including hail.