This peak (elevation 5,482 feet) was named after North Fork’s Walker family, one of the early families to settle in the upper North Fork valley. The Walkers owned much of the land and were engaged in timber and logging. Along this trail are giant hemlocks, lichen and moss covered rocks, stretches of beech forest, surround by spectacular views. This 5-mile, moderate hike begins at Balsam Gap and extends to below Bullhead Mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway and then returns. On this hike there are several long range views over the North Fork Valley and the Asheville Watershed.

Difficulty:  Moderate, 5.0 miles

 Note: This event has been split into two different hike times- Saturday, August 21 @ 8:00AM – 2:30PM & Sunday, August 22 @ 8:00AM – 2:30PM in order to keep hike group numbers low and to better adhere to evolving county and state coronavirus protocols.     

This event is sold out for 2021. The museum hikes committee is taking a waitlist for individual hikes and will attempt to add hikers as spots are available. Please direct any inquiries to svmhikes@gmail.com.    

Updated Coronavirus Protocol:

Due to the very high percentage of fully vaccinated people on our hikes and the relaxed COVID guidelines, we will be returning to our customary hike route and transportation plans. We will now be doing one-way hikes that will require a short carpool/driver shuttle system. People in the shuttle cars should mask up and leave some windows open. **If you are uncomfortable with these arrangements, please let the hike committee know at svmhikes@gmail.com and your credits will be reserved for future hikes.**

We will observe the following hiking procedures due to COVID:

• Please bring a mask to the event to use during carpooling.
• No one who is sick or running a fever should attend
• If not vaccinated, masks should be worn in all group settings like sign-in and congregation
  times.
• Social distancing while on the trails is recommended.