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 Reporter |
Summary: Bakers Mountain Park is a small county park in western Catawba County, NC. It's nothing spectacular, but a nice place to go and get away from it all for a while. The ranger here is an avid birder, and very knowledgeable about the area. They have some strange hours, so call before you go. The small trail system, about six miles, has a number of different combinations of trails you can put together for numerous loop hikes. Pick up a map at the park office. The trails are pretty well marked and there is a map at almost every intersection. Definitely make sure you go to the observation platform for good views to the east. Also check out the old homesites, waterfall, and boulder outcropping. Most of the trails here are very steep. Don't let the short distances fool you. Take water with you. Trailhead: Take exit 121 from I-40. At the top of the ramp, turn right (from both sides, I-40 East and West) South onto Old Shelby Road. Stay to the left at the intersection with George Hildebran Road. After traveling approximately 4.1 miles from I-40 turn left onto Bakers Mountain Road. There should be a brown and white sign with Bakers Mountain Park written on it at this intersection. The road dead ends at the park office. (Lat:35.65665 Lon:-81.41537) Trail Guides for Bakers Mountain Loop Hike: Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: Bakers Mountain Park, Catawba County, NC Parks - 828-324-8461 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Tim Johnson, who has posted 15 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 6 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Dick on 6/18/2012 Error: Reserved Word Found: -- 
Reviewed by Hold on 6/4/2012 This is a sweet little park. It has some nice historical sites and good scenery. It is a GREAT place to train for longer hikes or just to get some exercise. Lots of variety of trail type and grade. Although Catawba County seems to do a wonderful job of managing it, it doesn't do such a great job of making people aware it is there. It never seems to be very crowded. It has some pretty long and steep sections here and there on the way to the top and around..... enjoy! 
Reviewed by Randall on 6/7/2011 This is a great place to get a quick mountain hiking experience without having to drive on crowded mountain 2 lanes assuming you live in the Hickory area. Great place to train for extended hikes on the AT or Smokies. Trails are the most well-marked of any park system anywhere. I just wish the park contained all of the mountain instead of just the North-West slopes. RW
Reviewed by Viewer on 6/4/2011 Beautiful and clean, nice staff, definately will return but make sure you have plenty of water this time of year. Fred Jones
Reviewed by Viewer on 5/30/2011 The staff in this very deprived location were so kind to share their refridgerated water with us and we had never seen or meet these people before. I truely beleive they would give you the shirts off their backs to make your experience here to be the best it can be. These are what Americans really should be and I highly reccomend this park for anyone passing through Catawba County.
Reviewed by Viewer on 5/30/2011 It is shamefull that the residents of Catawba County are not faithfull stewards of this unknown gem. There is no sign to lead folks to the park, there is no way to know the hours until one locates it by accident. It's like the county want's it to fail until you meet the staff and then you realise that you found a gold mine for a preservation based county park. This is the most beautiful place in the Catawba County foothills. James Williams
Reviewed by HS Black on 1/3/2011 Went January 1st while there was still a lot of snow on the mountain. It was beautiful, the trails are well marked with lots of topo maps and interesting educational information. The staff is very welcoming and friendly. A real plus for the Hickory area.
Reviewed by Will VanHoose on 4/24/2010 Very good hike. We like the old Mica mine. Some steep climbs. Like the pond. We saw large dragonflies (red/blue) and lizards. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: North Carolina Hiking, North Carolina Trails, North Carolina Hikes, Catawba County Hiking, Catawba County Trails, Catawba County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
