Mountain · 1 route

Hawkbill Rock

4,955 ft · North Carolina

Summit
4,955 ft
Routes
1 way up
Season
Year-round

Route up Hawkbill Rock

  1. SnowballHardFrom Bee Tree Gap at MP 367.6 Trailhead (about 4,882 ft) · about 2,650 ft of climbing7.0 mi round tripSee the route
Map of the route up Hawkbill Rock, with each route's start numbered and the summit marked
Snowball · starts at Bee Tree Gap at MP 367.6 TrailheadMap © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors

About Hawkbill Rock

Hawkbill Rock is a summit of 4,955 feet in the Appalachian Ranger District of the National Forests in North Carolina, about 6 miles from the town of Barnardsville. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 76°F and September highs near 70°F with lows in the mid-50s. That station sits about 600 feet lower than the summit, so temperatures up top run cooler. Several trails start close by. Snowball is about a mile away, and Craggy Pinnacle Trail and Reese Trail are both within 3 miles. For time on the water, Reems Creek offers canoeing about 4 miles off.

Forecast on Hawkbill Rock

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and bee tree gap at mp 367.6 trailhead for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Questions about Hawkbill Rock

How tall is Hawkbill Rock?

4,955 ft (1,510 m).

How many routes go to the summit of Hawkbill Rock?

One: Snowball.

Where do the routes up Hawkbill Rock start?

Snowball starts at Bee Tree Gap at MP 367.6 Trailhead (about 4,882 ft).

When is the best time to climb Hawkbill Rock?

Year-round.

Mountains nearby

More mountains in North Carolina

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 61–76°F and lows of 42–61°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Swannanoa 2 Sse, NC weather station, 9.3 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.

  1. Jan41° high25° low6 days with snow
  2. Feb44° high27° low5 days with snow
  3. Mar52° high33° low5 days with snow
  4. Apr62° high42° low2 days with snow
  5. May69° high50° low
  6. Jun73° high57° low
  7. Jul76° high61° low
  8. Aug75° high59° low
  9. Sep70° high54° low
  10. Oct61° high44° low
  11. Nov52° high34° low2 days with snow
  12. Dec44° high28° low5 days with snow

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Barnardsville, North Carolina · 5.7 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Appalachian Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

Is Hawkbill Rock open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in National Forests in North Carolina. It doesn't name Hawkbill Rock, so check the source for the area it covers (2 listed).

As of · Source: USFS · National Forests in North Carolina. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Best time to visit Hawkbill Rock

Best months: May and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

  1. Jan

    41° / 25°

    13 wet · 6 snow

  2. Feb

    44° / 27°

    12 wet · 5 snow

  3. Mar

    52° / 33°

    13 wet · 5 snow

  4. Apr

    62° / 42°

    12 wet · 2 snow

  5. May

    69° / 50°

    12 wet

  6. Jun

    73° / 57°

    14 wet

  7. Jul

    76° / 61°

    14 wet

  8. Aug

    75° / 59°

    13 wet

  9. Sep

    70° / 54°

    10 wet

  10. Oct

    61° / 44°

    9 wet

  11. Nov

    52° / 34°

    10 wet · 2 snow

  12. Dec

    44° / 28°

    12 wet · 5 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Swannanoa 2 Sse, NC, 9.3 mi away at 4,320 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.