18 Carl Sandburg’s Connemara Farm

A WELL-DEFINED PATH LEADS FROM THE LAKE TO THE SANDBURG HOME.

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GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES: N35° 16.408' W82° 26.682'

DISTANCE & CONFIGURATION: 4-mile out-and-back

HIKING TIME: 2.5 hours

HIGHLIGHTS: Carl Sandburg’s homestead and great views from Big Glassy Mountain

ELEVATION: 2,163 feet at trailhead to 2,780 feet on Big Glassy Summit

ACCESS: The park is open year-round, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. There is no fee to access the grounds, hike the trails, or visit the dairy barn.

MAPS: USGS Hendersonville

FACILITIES: Restrooms at the bottom of the wheelchair ramp near the parking lot

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: A shuttle is available from the parking lot kiosk to the Sandburg house

COMMENTS: Guided tours of the Sandburg house are offered every half hour. Sign up at the visitor center underneath the porch of the main house. The fee is $5 for adults; $3 for seniors; free for children age 15 and under.

CONTACTS: (828) 693-4179; nps.gov/carl

Overview

Showcasing Carl Sandburg’s homestead, this route leads around the lake at the property’s entrance, continues beside the white clapboard farmhouse, and heads up the hill for views from the exposed granite rock face on top of Glassy Mountain.

Route Details

The Pulitzer Prize–winning author and poet Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) retreated from Michigan to the mountains of North Carolina in 1945 to find seclusion and inspiration for his writing, as well as a more temperate climate for his wife’s award-winning herd of dairy goats. At his home in Flat Rock, the writer spent 22 happy years in active retirement. In 1967 the “Poet of the People” passed away, and a year later the U.S. Congress designated Connemara, the family farm, as a National Historic Site. Today the 264-acre country landscape is open to the public and offers 5 miles of well-maintained hiking trails.

The trail to the top of Big Glassy Mountain, the highest point on Connemara Farm, starts with a gentle warm-up loop around the 0.4-mile lake trail. To begin your hike, walk down the wheelchair ramp from the parking lot to the lake. Turn left and hike south on a dirt path that travels clockwise around the water.

After 0.2 miles the lake trail intersects a path leading to the Sandburg house. Stay on the lake trail and continue to hug the shoreline for 0.4 miles, until you reach a rock wall on your left. At the rock wall, turn left and walk uphill on a shaded dirt path that separates a grassy field on the left from a paved driveway on the right.

At the top of the hill, this 0.3-mile trail will terminate at a road intersection. To the left, the road leads to the Sandburg house and visitor center, but the hike continues straight and follows the road past the modern restroom facility and historic Connemara outbuildings. Just past the spring house, the road turns right toward the goat barn. At this point the trail turns left and heads south beside the wood shed on a gentle uphill slope.

Hike steadily up the slight incline through a tunnel of mountain laurel bushes that typically show their pink and white blossoms in mid-May. A side trail to the left leads to views on top of Little Glassy Mountain, but by staying on the main path you will arrive at a four-way trail intersection after 0.9 miles of total walking.

At the intersection, do not turn to the left or right, but continue your hike on the Glassy Mountain Trail. You will know you are on the right trail when the grade of the path increases as it continues up the mountain. For three-fourths of a mile, the trail ascends through a mixed forest of pine trees, tulip poplars, oak trees, and red maples. The heart-pounding climb is kindly broken into sections by wooden benches strategically placed on the side of the trail. Take time to sit by the small pond to the left of the trail, or stop at the next clearing to enjoy the yellow ragwort wildflowers (in spring) or watch a small lizard scurry across the gray granite rock.

After a cumulative 1.7 miles, the trail turns right and levels out along the ridge. Follow the path for another 0.2 miles through the forest and across an exposed rock to reach a set of stairs that leads out to Glassy Mountain Overlook. The view from Glassy Mountain extends out over Etowah Valley and toward Mount Pisgah. With your eyes, follow the ridgeline from the tower on top of Pisgah to the left and you will visually be able to trace the southwest route of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

After resting and enjoying the view on top of Glassy Mountain, return to the parking lot on the same route that took you there. Be sure to take a cool-down lap around the level lake trail to conclude the hike.

But don’t leave the property without visiting the dairy goats at the Sandburg Barn. The Sandburg goats are a perennial favorite with children and adults. These year-round residents are descendents of the prizewinning dairy goats that Carl Sandburg and his wife, Lilian, raised. The friendly animals roam free in an open field. Guests are invited to enter the field and pet or take pictures of the goats. In late spring there are usually baby goats, or kids, frolicking around the barnyard. In 1960 the Sandburg’s most famous goat, Jennifer II, was internationally recognized for producing 2.5 gallons of milk per day. That’s some goat!

Nearby Attractions

The Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theater of North Carolina, is directly opposite Carl Sandburg National Historic Site on Little River Road. Call (828) 693-0731 for information and tickets. Directly to the southwest of the Little River Road–US 25 intersection, there is a quaint conglomeration of shops in the heart of historic Flat Rock. After the hike consider eating lunch at Flat Rock Bakery, Hubba Hubba BBQ, or Dean’s Deli and look for a unique gift at the eclectic stores that line US 25.

Directions

Travel I-26 south from Asheville to Exit 53. Turn right off the exit onto Upward Road. Travel 1.2 miles and come to a traffic light at US 176. Continue straight across US 176, at which point the road becomes North Highland Lake Road. Travel North Highland Lake Road 1.1 miles until it dead-ends at US 25. Turn left onto US 25 and travel 0.8 miles to a traffic light at the intersection with Little River Road. Turn right onto Little River Road and in 300 yards turn left into Carl Sandburg National Historic Site.