Bearfence is only 1.4 miles round trip with about 311 feet of elevation gain, but the short distance is misleading — the route includes a genuine hand-and-foot rock scramble over exposed quartzite to reach a 360-degree summit view. Dogs are not permitted.

The quartzite gets lethally slick when wet, so this is not a rainy-day substitute for a longer hike. An Appalachian Trail bypass route exists for anyone not comfortable with exposed scrambling or heights — take it rather than pushing through the rock section unprepared.