Mountain · 1 route

John Rock

3,200 ft · North Carolina

Summit
3,200 ft
Routes
1 way up
Season
Year-round

Route up John Rock

  1. John RockModerateabout 1,188 ft of climbing3.5 mi round tripSee the route
Map of the route up John Rock, with each route's start numbered and the summit marked
John RockMap © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap contributors

About John Rock

John Rock is a summit of 3,200 feet in the Pisgah Ranger District of the National Forests in North Carolina, about 4 miles from the town of Brevard. Fall is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Brevard show October highs around 69°F with lows near 43°F, and the summit sits higher than that station, so expect it to run a little cooler. The Cat Gap Loop and Butter Gap Trail both start about half a mile away. The Davidson River, a canoeing route, and the Hidden Wall climbing area are each about 1.2 miles off.

Forecast on John Rock

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Questions about John Rock

How tall is John Rock?

3,200 ft (975 m).

How many routes go to the summit of John Rock?

One: John Rock.

When is the best time to climb John Rock?

Year-round.

Mountains nearby

More mountains in North Carolina

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Mar–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–83°F and lows of 33–62°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Brevard, NC weather station, 4.6 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.

  1. Jan49° high25° low1 days with snow
  2. Feb53° high27° low1 days with snow
  3. Mar60° high33° low
  4. Apr69° high41° low
  5. May75° high50° low
  6. Jun81° high58° low
  7. Jul83° high62° low
  8. Aug82° high62° low
  9. Sep77° high55° low
  10. Oct69° high43° low
  11. Nov59° high32° low
  12. Dec51° high28° low1 days with snow

The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this spot, so expect it to run cooler up here.

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

Where it is

Nearest town
Brevard, North Carolina · 4.1 mi

Source: USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

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

Source: USFS forest alerts

Nearby

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

Is John Rock open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in National Forests in North Carolina. It doesn't name John 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 John Rock

Best months: March–May and September–November. 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

    49° / 25°

    10 wet · 1 snow

  2. Feb

    53° / 27°

    10 wet · 1 snow

  3. Mar

    60° / 33°

    12 wet

  4. Apr

    69° / 41°

    11 wet

  5. May

    75° / 50°

    12 wet

  6. Jun

    81° / 58°

    14 wet

  7. Jul

    83° / 62°

    15 wet

  8. Aug

    82° / 62°

    14 wet

  9. Sep

    77° / 55°

    10 wet

  10. Oct

    69° / 43°

    9 wet

  11. Nov

    59° / 32°

    8 wet

  12. Dec

    51° / 28°

    10 wet · 1 snow

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Brevard, NC, 4.6 mi away at 2,175 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.