Green River Cove Trail, NC

I met my friend Laura to hike this beautiful trail in Saluda, NC on 5/1/2021.

Be aware that there is no cellular signal on this road so you must download any driving directions or trail maps beforehand or use a satellite signal. Parking is a small pullout on your right overlooking the river when you are driving from the south as I did. It is located after passing “Wilderness Cove Tubing” and crossing over the bridge. It’s rather small, able to accommodate about 4-5 cars.

Also be aware of the road if your GPS like mine guides you to drive from the South (exit 59 from I-26) to reach the trailhead. This portion of Green River Cove Rd is very twisted. I was glad I did not encounter other cars as I conquered the hairpin turns. My friend came in from the north and avoided this challenge.

The trailhead is located across the street from the parking area. It starts out with a steep set of angled steps but it levels off until the end when it drops down toward the river in another steep incline. I would label the trail as moderate. By the time we reached our cars, we had hiked about 7 miles.

The trail was beautiful this time of year, very green with a variety of wild flowers. The sound and views of the river made the hike very pleasant. We saw a number of kayakers brave the whitewater when we reached the end of the trail. We ate our lunch by the river perched on the rocks. The trail is popular, we met families and couples on this hike. I thought it was straightforward to follow and do recommend it. A large portion after crossing the creek was covered with poison ivy, I always wear pants for this reason so you need to be careful if allergic. Happy hiking!

Reference AllTrail Green River Cove Trail