Hidden In The Blue Ridge Mountains Is A Creepy Trail Where You Hike Through The Ruins Of A Plane Crash

For a trip suffused in both panoramic views and fascinating local lore, head to North Carolina's scenic Grandfather Mountain State Park. Located at the western edge of the state, the park encompasses the lofty Grandfather Mountain, a landmark in the Blue Ridge Mountains known for its rich ecology and miles of trails that traverse bridges and cliffsides. Close to the summit of the mountain, the Bridge Trail leads to a walk across America's highest suspension footbridge. But for curious adventure seekers, it's the east side of the mountain that has the most intriguing trail.

At just over 7 miles round trip, the Daniel Boone Scout Trail affords views of Grandfather Mountain's clustered peaks and the aromatic cover of a spruce-fir forest. The wreckage of a small Cessna aircraft lying just off the path adds an eerie and poignant angle to the hike. The plane crash site is easy to miss for hikers who are focused on scrambling up the ladder-aided section of the Daniel Boone Scout Trail. It's somewhat tucked away in the woods off to the right of the trail.

The Cessna 182Q, along with its 47-year-old pilot, met its doom in 1978 as it was heading from Florida to Pennsylvania. As it approached Grandfather Mountain, the plane entered a precarious climate, with low, shadowy clouds and rain, causing it to fatally crash at the base of Calloway Peak. Since it would be difficult to remove the wreckage from the mountain, it's been left to accumulate rust and graffiti ever since.

To get to the Daniel Boone Scout Trail, you'll have to head to the east side of Grandfather Mountain State Park. The Boone Fork Parking Area, where your route will begin, is about a 1.5-hour drive from the regional Tri-Cities Airport in Tennessee or closer to a two-hour drive from the Asheville Regional Airport, which offers more flight connections. The closest international airport would be in Charlotte, 100 miles away. If you're looking for somewhere nearby to post up overnight, Valle Crucis, a charming town with cozy cabins and art, is about 30 minutes away.

There's no fee to park and hike. The Daniel Boone Scout Trail isn't directly accessible from the parking lot — you'll first have to walk about 0.6 miles on the Tanawha Trail, where the Daniel Boone Scout Trail begins from a righthand turnoff. The trail is marked with white diamonds and proceeds up to the top of Calloway Peak. Though it has some challenging sections, the hiking blog Hiking the Appalachians and Beyond describes it as "generally well-graded with ample switchbacks, making it a fairly enjoyable ascent," but cautions that it's "very rooty," which makes the descent back somewhat tricky. Be sure to wear shoes with excellent traction. 

Around the 3-mile point up the trail, you'll arrive at the steepest section of the trail, which involves climbing ladders up a rock face to surmount Calloway Peak. Crucially, just before the first ladder is where the plane crash can be found. A small side trail goes about 50 feet into the forest, leading to the crash site. When you get back to the main trail, the final stretch brings you to Calloway Peak's summit, where you'll be nearly 6,000 feet high, looking out over the Grandfather Mountain ridgelines and distant peaks like Table Mountain on the horizon.