Grandfather Mountain Guide | Wedding & Elopement Destination

Last week, I got the itch to visit one of our favorite places in North Carolina – at Grandfather Mountain. We love that this place is so rugged, but only a four hour drive from Raleigh. Plus it’s a stone’s throw from our favorite spots in that area like Asheville, Blowing Rock, and Boone. With this cold front coming through, we knew we could count on a couple days of good weather, so we packed up, threw Migo in the car with us, and headed out for a mini backpacking trip to Grandfather.

I have hiked the Profile Trail many times, but we have always wanted to be able to hike McCraes Peak in the golden hour. So we hiked up the mountain to a great little campsite near the top. The hike was only about 4 to 5 miles but it certainly wasn’t easy. In that distance we gained over 2000 feet, scrambled over rocks, and carried Migo up and down ladders and steep inclines. But it was totally worth it! Grandfather is full of giant rocky cliffs, windswept pines, and blue ridge views. It feels like you are in Colorado more than North Carolina- only without the grizzly bears. We set up camp right near Attic Window and headed off for McCrae’s Peak at sunset just as we had planned.. My friend soon joined me and we headed back to our tent for dinner. That night Migo kept me warm in my sleeping bag as the temperatures unexpectedly dipped to 40 degrees and the wind howled all around us. We were so cozy all huddled up in the middle of the woods. The next morning, we woke up at dawn to watch the sun rise and the fog laying in the mountain valleys before hiking back out and visiting our friends at Crest View in Asheville. It was a short getaway, but full of inspiring scenery and nature. Until next time! ~ Shelley , North Carolina Wedding and Travel Photographer

To check out more of my travel photos, check out my travel blog at https://www.hartmanoutdoorphotography.com/blog/travel/