Hawk's Bill Crag / Whitaker's Point Trailhead, Ponca

Nice afternoon hike. Easy in and out hike for a regular hiker. Little inclines and declines. The beginning going down is the steepest part. Which leads to a dreadful ending on the way out. Hop the rocks over streams. If you don't have good balance, bring a walking stick for this part. There are a couple streams to cross. There are also a lot of photo ops along the edge, not just the Whitaker point. When we got to Whitaker point, it was VERY windy. I don't know if this is a regular thing or just that day. If balance isn't your forte ....might want to crawl onto the cliff. It's quite relaxing out there. Note .....the rode isn't marked well. My GPS said a different ride than what the store map said. The store map was correct. NC9560(something like that). It's a dirt road by the river bridge. It's a bumpy and steep climb, so I wouldn't recommend a low to the ground car. And if it's been raining, a car probably wouldn't suffice. This hike took us 2 hours to do. That's with stopping for pee breaks and lots of pictures.

This location is a must see. That being said, it’s a very busy trail. There’s a 6-mile drive on a dirt road to get to the trail head but the road is not awful. There is quite a bit of parking but being so busy, there is a chance of not having a place to park without impeding the flow of traffic. The trail itself is clearly marked and the views are beautiful. My 9-year-old son and I have a great time out here when we go.