ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — One of the most accessible hikes on the Blue Ridge Parkway is the Rattlesnake Lodge Trail, a quick mountain ascent over rocks and switchbacks on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
Fast facts
- Rattlesnake Lodge is located just before the Tanbark Ridge Tunnel on the BRP.
- From parking to summit, the trail to Rattlesnake Lodge is 1.4 miles one way or 2.8 miles roundtrip.
- Parking for the hike is a little precarious if crowded. While there is a small lot at the trailhead, most hikers will park along the side of the BRP before crossing the road.
- The trail is not too steep, but can be narrow in places.
Hiking through history
Rattlesnake Lodge is an interesting curio among other nearby trails. Rather than summiting with a grand view or ending at a beautiful waterfall, the climax of the climb is found in the crumbling ruins of the Ambler family estate.
According to signage posted at the site, Rattlesnake Lodge was constructed as a summer home for Dr. Chase P Ambler (1865-1932) and his family between 1903 and 1904. Ambler was a doctor and an environmentalist who served as an early champion of the Weeks Act, a 1911 law that allowed the federal government to purchase tracts of land for preservation as national forests. Locally, the bill led to the acquisition of land that would become Pisgah National Forest.
In a column written by John Parris on Sept. 28, 1961, when the 50th anniversary of the Weeks Act was celebrated in McDowell County “in a quiet, simple ceremony on the banks of this mountain stream, the first tract of national forest land purchased under provisions of the Weeks Law was dedicated to the memory of Dr. Chase P. Ambler of Asheville.”
The Rattlesnake Lodge estate featured the two-story lodge, complete with guest bedrooms, a kitchen and three large fireplaces, as well as a tennis court and terraced gardens. The Amblers sold the property in 1920, but Rattlesnake Lodge would burn down in 1926, “probably due to lightning,” according to an information plaque at the scene.
Though largely reduced to rubble, remnants of the tennis courts and the lodge can still be found at Rattlesnake Lodge. Though the Amblers are no longer welcoming guests, a campsite is also located at the site, where campers can imagine the summer home of yesteryear.
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