Valle Crucis Community Park
Park
26 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mast Farm · Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Valle Crucis
Few parks or trails are on the map in Valle Crucis
19% of Valle Crucis’ land is conserved, about 535 acres. 210 acres are parks and preserves, 870 per 1,000 residents. 6.4 miles of mapped trail cross Valle Crucis, 1.4 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
19%
535 acres · of 4.4 sq mi of land
Trails
6.4 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
210 ac
870 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
64%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
4,209 ft
Rocky Face
Lakes & rivers
1
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Valle Crucis Community Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Valle Crucis Scenic Overlook
Managed by NC DNCR
33 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
535 conserved acres
19% of Valle Crucis’ land. Who manages Valle Crucis’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits359 ac
State natural resources33 ac
Not recorded505 ac
Unknown Easement · 361 acState Other or Unknown · 322 acPrivate Conservation · 119 acState Historic or Cultural Area · 63 acConservation Easement · 31 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 173 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 13 of 15 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC Land and Water Fund Conservation Agreement State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 146 | Restricted |
| Valle Mountain Registered Heritage Area State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 121 | Unknown |
| Blue Ridge Conservancy Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 119 | Unknown |
| Valle Crucis Scenic Overlook State Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 63 | Unknown |
| NC Land and Water Fund Project State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 55 | Unknown |
Things to do
3 places to go in Valle Crucis
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Valle Crucis
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Valle Crucis
Crab Orchard Falls
DirectionsPeaks in Valle Crucis
Rocky Face4,209 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.7 mi
Crab Orchard Falls Trail - Northern Ascent0.7 mi
Hermitage Trail0.6 mi
Crab Orchard Falls Trail0.5 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Valle Crucis: April, June and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 43 | 47 | 54 | 64 | 71 | 77 | 80 | 79 | 74 | 65 | 55 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.9 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Valle Crucis →
Questions about parks and trails in Valle Crucis
Where can I hike in Valle Crucis?
The longest trail networks: Valle Crucis Community Park, 0.3 miles; Valle Crucis Scenic Overlook, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Valle Crucis’ trails?
Valle Crucis Community Park and Valle Crucis Scenic Overlook don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Valle Crucis?
21,417 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Valle Crucis or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 210 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Valle Crucis neighbors.
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Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →