At 7,460 acres, the Middle Prong is on the small side for a wilderness, and lacks the crazy traffic of many other wilderness areas close to it. Why? It’s certainly not for a lack of scenery. Nor is it because of access: the Mountains-to-Sea Trail runs along the south edge of the wilderness and is never hard to follow. (The same can’t be said of the trails that spur off the MST and penetrate the wilderness to the north.) It provides a great hike, and because it parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway, a great drive as well. The hike we've chosen goes on the MST and then connects to Green Knob Trail, taking you up through wildflower-filled meadows and grassy balds to the aforementioned Green Knob.
More info: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/northcarolina/recreation/middle-prong-wilderness, NCHikes.com: Middle Prong Wilderness.
Basic Information
Address of Start: Lake Logan Rd, Canton, NC 28716. It's on NC 215, just north of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
GPS Coordinates: 35.3086, -82.90916
Map of the area: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/north-carolina/green-knob-trail-from-mst or buy a full map of the area here: https://www.pisgahmapcompany.com/shop-trail-guides/p/shiningrock
Difficulty: Strenuous
Distance: Approx. 9 miles.
Trails: Mountains-to-Sea Trail, Green Knob Trail