Tackle a steep climb and hike up to the Pinnacle at Pinnacle Park in Sylva, North Carolina. Up and up an extremely rocky trail you'll go, but the near 360° views from the Pinnacle are worth the workout. Standing upon this stunning perch will make you feel like you're king of the mountain.

Park at the end of Fisher Creek road. A moderate size lot can get crowded on the weekends. Make sure to mind the no parking signs to leave room for bus and emergency vehicle turnarounds. Parking is free, but make sure to fill out the permit information and leave it in the drop box before you head out.

The hike begins behind the metal gate. Right from the start, the old road that provides most of the trail up is covered in lose rocks ranging from gravel sized to baseball sized. There are sections where every step is at an angle or lose and wobbly, making the already steep ascent much more difficult and will significantly slow your pace.

You'll pass a few smaller side trails, following the purple and gold blazes at intersections. Major intersections also have signs. Take the West Fork at the intersection, passing a large boulder with a massive crack on the way. The rocky nature of this section of the trail combined with the 1700 feet of elevation gain makes the going slow.

At 1.9 miles, turn left for The Pinnacle. If you're up for a much more difficult hike, you can add on Blackrock Mountain from this intersection on the way back. Most of the trail to the Pinnacle is significantly flatter, but still rocky. Just before the end, drop down steeply through a rhododendron thicket before climbing out onto the elevated rock formation of The Pinnacle to take in views in all directions. Soak up the sun and take a break, because heading down the rocky trail will still be a challenge.