Climber falls at Grandfather Mountain, prompting complex rescue, NC squad says

A hiker fell at Grandfather Mountain State Park while attempting the strenuous climb to the top of MacRae’s Peak, according to rescuers in western North Carolina.

It happened around 1 p.m. Sunday and resulted in the incapacitated hiker being strapped to a gurney and pulled into a helicopter, Linville-Central Rescue Squad reported in a March 22 news release.

The woman “sustained a leg injury” while traveling a designated trail, the N.C. State Division of Parks and Recreation told the Charlotte Observer. The hiker’s identity has not been released.

“Linville-Central was alerted to a report of a hiker who had fallen from the last ladder before MacRae Peak. Our members ... responded and located the subject at the bottom of the ladder,” the squad reported.

“After initial medical treatment they started the process of a long carry out with several sections requiring lowering the subject by rope. Based on the length of the carry out, the technical aspects and the mechanism of injury, the decision was made to contact NC HART (helicopter) for a hoist operation.”

NC Hart stands for Helo-Aquatic Search & Rescue team, and it is part of the N.C. Department of Public Safety.

The hiker was hoisted off the mountain and flown to a landing zone, where the hiker was transferred to Highlands Emergency Air Rescue & Transport for transport to a hospital, officials said.

MacRae Peak, which stands at 5,845-feet, is one of three peaks atop Grandfather Mountain and the trail is “one of the most strenuous hikes in the southeastern United States,” according to Brooks and Holler hiking guide.

“From start to finish, this trail is not for the faint of heart. Climbing ladders up sheer cliffs, shuffling along narrow rock chutes, and pulling yourself up slippery slopes using steel wired ropes are all in a days work on this trail,” the guide says.

Grandfather Mountain State Park is about a 110-mile drive northwest from uptown Charlotte.

This story was originally published March 23, 2026 at 7:37 AM with the headline "Climber falls at Grandfather Mountain, prompting complex rescue, NC squad says."