After you park at the pull-off and climb the fence along Bamboo Road, this is where the cows sometimes saunter downhill under the great stone bridge going to enjoy the shade and take a drink from Goshen Creek. My wife says I’m stupid but I laugh.
“Cows don’t kill people.” But we looked it up later, and they actually do.
Especially if cornered, which is what this white cow was when I went to talk to it. It turned toward me, its back to a fence, and I stepped forward. It lowered and shook its head ‘no.’
RELATED | A QUICK GUIDE TO THE MOUNTAINS-TO-SEA TRAIL AT GOSHEN CREEK
Later on Google we discovered that farmers get killed by cows more than swimmers are killed by sharks. The cows lower their heads, shake their heads “no,” and bump the chest. A thousand pound chest bump.
So don’t talk too closely to the cows. After all you’ve come here to hike so just park your car, climb the fence at the obvious spot (it’s actually a ladder), and walk the space under the bridge to the fence on the other side. Climb it (also a ladder). This is the Mountains-to-Sea trail and this particular section along Goshen Creek is rocky and rooty—but pleasantly so—and it’s one of the friendliest hikes in Watauga County.
It meanders gently uphill shaded by a forest of hardwoods and rhododendron, carved roughly parallel to Goshen Creek. Your kids could do it if you’re careful, and there’s even spots along the way where you can wade and enjoy painfully frigid pools of fresh creek water in the shade.
For Trail Runners
This is a spectacular 5K that’ll test your agility and footwork on the rocky and root-filled portions. On the way out and on the return you’ll find satisfying stretches of fun and fast downhill and overall you’ll leave with a good, quick afternoon workout–including hills. And if you have more time, walk the steps up to George Hayes Rd and turn right. This road will carry you down to the Blue Ridge Parkway where you can reconnect with the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and many more miles and hours–with ridge lines, vistas, and pastures–of exhilarating trail.
For Hikers
- Easy and Refreshing: For a quick roughly ½ mile lunchtime jaunt along the best part of this stretch of trail, hike the 0.3 miles to the bridge that spans Goshen Creek–a destination that’s a picturesque reward in itself.
- A Short Adventure: If you have time and inclination to stretch your legs, cross the bridge and head up and up. It won’t be long before you’re cresting and then rambling on a gentle shaded downhill toward a shallow ford of Goshen Creek at 0.7 miles with plenty of rocks for skipping or stacking and just enough water for toe dipping beside a giant fallen tree. If you have young kids in toe, this is the ideal spot to chill before you turn around.
Still Want More? This fallen tree across Goshen Creek–this is where the big questions begin. Do you follow the trail to George Hayes Road and then backtrack this beautiful trail back to your car for a satisfying 3+mile trek? Or do you just keep going, step by step, toward Jockey’s Ridge in the Outer Banks? No one can answer this question but you.