Devil’s Courthouse is a 5720-foot rock feature just off the Blue Ridge Parkway (mile marker 422.4) in North Carolina. Although the summit requires a short, steep hike, I’m categorizing it as an attraction because it’s right off the road. There is an overlook parking lot that fills up fast during the warmer months.
The trail is maybe ½-mile to the top. It’s paved for the first half and then becomes rocky ground. The summit features a relatively flat area with walls around the perimeter. Here’s a view of the panorama from the summit.
It’s an imposing bluff. Cherokee lore holds that a slant-eyed giant dwells in a cave on the top of the mountain. I love heights, so I had some fun exploring the area. I avoided any flora and fauna like the warning signs suggested.
You can’t get to it from here, but Courthouse Falls is in the valley on the other side of the mountain. If you want to see more of the area, you’re very close to Black Balsam Knob, Graveyard Fields, and Shining Rock.
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