Hiking in Gorges State Park

Hiking in Gorges State Park

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

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Gorges State Park is a 7500-acre state park in Transylvania County, North Carolina. The land along Jocassee Gorges was purchased by the state from the Duke Energy Corporation in 1999. The park lies adjacent to the Nantahala National Forest and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission's Toxaway Game Land. It’s now North Carolina's westernmost state park, and one of the newest in the state.

Gorges State Park is characterized by plunging waterfalls, rugged river gorges, sheer rock walls and one of the greatest concentrations of rare and unique species in the eastern United States. With an elevation that rises 2000 feet in only four miles, in conjunction with rainfall in excess of 80 inches per year that creates a temperate rain forest, helps to support the numerous waterfalls the park is famous for.

Several plant species more typical of the tropics thrive where the constant spray from the park's waterfalls and plunging whitewater streams shower the rock walls and talus slopes with mist. Scientists aren’t sure how these plants are able to grow so far from the tropics. One theory is that spores from the tropics blew north and settled in the region. Another explanation is that these species remained in the region from tens of thousands of years ago when a warmer climate existed in North America. Examples of the tropical plants found in the park include Carolina Star Moss, Oconee Bell, Small Whirled Pomona, Fraser’s Loosestrife and Pringle's Aquatic Moss.

Many animals can be found within Gorges, including black bear, wild turkey, fox, coyote, wild boar and deer. North Carolina's largest known population of green salamanders can also be found in Gorges. The secretive salamander hides in the damp, shaded crevices of cliff faces.

The forests of the park provide for abundant habitat for neo-tropical migratory birds as well, including the largest population of Swainson's warbler in the mountains of North Carolina.


Hiking in Gorges State Park

Gorges State Park offers rugged terrain that will challenge any outdoors enthusiast. Hikers who traverse the steep, backwoods trails will be rewarded with views of dazzling waterfalls or perhaps an encounter with one of the numerous rare species of the park.


Trails from the Grassy Ridge parking area:

Bearwallow Falls is a moderate 3.2 mile trail.

Bearwallow Valley Trail is a moderate 2.5 mile trail that takes hikers to one of the highest overlooks in the park. At 3,200 feet above sea level, you’ll enjoy views into South Carolina as well as Lake Jocassee and Lake Keowee.

Waterfall Overlook Trail leads to a small observation platform overlooking a long cascade on Bearwallow Creek.

The Rainbow Falls Trail really has two "trailheads", but it officially starts in Gorges State Park before entering into Nantahala National Forest. Running for three miles, the trail descends to the Horsepasture River above Stairway Falls, and then proceeds to Rainbow Falls and Turtleback Falls, before ending at the National Forest boundary just below Drift Falls. After meeting with the river, the trail narrows and becomes much steeper and rougher up to the falls. Please note that the steep, rocky, eroded side trail up to NC 281 is no longer part of the official trail.


Trails from the Frozen Creek parking area:

Auger Hole Trail is a strenuous 12-mile roundtrip multipurpose trail that bisects the heart of the park and ends at the Foothills Trail. Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders are allowed on this trail. There are two river fords where hikers are likely to get their feet wet.

Buckberry Ridge Nature Trail is an easy, 0.75 mile walk.

Canebreak Trail is a moderately strenuous 10-mile roundtrip trail that ends at Lake Jocassee and the Foothills Trail. The trail follows an old forestry road along the entire route. The lake can be seen from the suspension bridge on the Foothills Trail. Camping is permitted at the Cane Brake campsites on Lake Jocassee.

The Foothills Trail runs 6.7 miles through Gorges State Park, and is one of the park's most popular pathways. The trail winds along the southern portion of the state park and wraps around Lake Jocassee where primitive campsites are available. This section of trail is actually one of the more popular segments of the larger 77-mile path that runs through Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina.

Ray Fisher Place is a 5.4 mile moderately difficult hike to a primitive campsite with six sites.

In addition to hiking, visitors have opportunities for mountain biking, horseback riding, camping, boating and fishing in the park. Mountain biking and horseback riding are currently permitted on the Auger Hole Trail from the Frozen Creek Access to Turkey Pen Gap on the western boundary of the park.

Key Links:
Gorges State Park
Gorges Park Map
The Foothills Trail






Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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The Top 10 Longest Trails in the Southeast

The Top 10 Longest Trails in the Southeast

Sunday, September 16, 2012

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There are some that would argue that the Appalachian Trail is getting a little too crowded. So if you’re in that camp, and maybe looking for a little more solitude, or possibly just some new places to explore, I thought I would present long distance hikers with some other choices in the southeast - some you may not be aware of. The following represents the top 10 longest trails in the southeast:

The Florida Trail: At 1562 miles in length, the Florida Trail is the southeast’s longest trail. As one of only eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States, the Florida Trail traverses through a diverse landscape as it extends from Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida's panhandle to Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida. Along the way it passes through some of the state's most picturesque areas including the Apalachicola, Ocala, and Osceola National Forests, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and several state parks. In addition to the poisonous snakes, panthers and bears, keep a look out for alligators!

Appalachian Trail: Although the A.T. runs for a total of 2179 miles from Georgia to Maine, only a thousand of those miles actually pass through the Southern Appalachians (the section south of Harpers Ferry), thus making it the second longest trail in the southeast. The A.T. arguably offers some of the best hiking in the southeast, passing through places like the Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks, Big Bald, Roan Mountain and Mt. Rogers. As a result of its popularity, some of these sections attract a lot of hikers.

Mountains-to-Sea Trail: The Mountains-to-Sea Trail stretches roughly 1,000 miles from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks. Although only 500 miles of footpath are built right now, people can still hike across the state using temporary connectors on back roads and state bike routes. The trail is a showcase for North Carolina’s diverse landscape. Thru-hikers will experience mountains, rugged gorges, small Piedmont farms, coastal swamps, colonial towns, and barrier islands. It climbs both the tallest mountain peak and the highest sand dune in the Eastern United States, passes through three national parks, two national wildlife refuges, three national forests, seven state parks and three lighthouses, including the nations tallest.

Pinhoti National Recreation Trail: The Pinhoti National Recreation Trail is a combination of the Alabama Pinhoti Trail and the Georgia Pinhoti Trail. Its southern terminus is on Flagg Mountain just outside Weogufka, Alabama, and stretches 335 miles to its northern terminus at the intersection with the Benton MacKaye Trail near Ellijay, Georgia. From here hikers have the opportunity of extending their hike all the way to Maine by heading southeast on the Benton MacKaye Trail for roughly 70 miles to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Completed in early 2008, the Pinhoti Trail is characterized by heavily wooded forests, far reaching ridgelines, countless creek crossings and spectacular views. Part of the trail includes dirt and paved roads, but otherwise provides ample solitude.

Benton MacKaye Trail: Nearly 300 miles in length, the Benton MacKaye Trail runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Davenport Gap on the northern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail passes through some of the most remote backcountry in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, including eight federally designated Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas. For those looking for a large loop hike, you can combine the Benton MacKaye with the Appalachian Trail. From Springer Mountain, the Benton MacKaye heads off in a westerly direction, while the A.T. traverses eastward. The two cross each other again near the Shuckstack Fire Tower in the southern Smokies.

Palmetto Trail: The Palmetto Trail is South Carolina’s mountain-to-sea trail. When completed, the cross-state, multi-use trail will take hikers from Oconee State Park in the western mountains, to its eastern terminus at the intra-coastal waterway at Awendaw Creek. With nearly 290 miles of trail open to the public, roughly two-thirds of the eventual 425-mile Palmetto Trail is now complete. The Palmetto Trail features maritime, sandhill, and piedmont forests, knife-edged mountaintops, and two Revolutionary War battlefields. Some sections of the trail are urban bikeways, greenways and rail-to-trail conversions.

Sheltowee Trace: The Sheltowee Trace is a 269-mile multi-use trail that traverses the length of the Daniel Boone National Forest in eastern Kentucky. The trail is named in honor of Daniel Boone. Sheltowee, meaning Big Turtle, was the name given to Boone when he was adopted into the Shawnee Indian tribe as the son of the great war chief, Blackfish. Designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1979, the Trace passes through Cave Run Lake, Red River Gorge, Natural Bridge State Park, Laurel River Lake, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park and the Big South Fork National Recreation Area. Along its course hikers will see waterfalls, arches, panoramic ridge-top views and massive sand­stone cliffs.

Cumberland Trail: The Cumberland Trail in east Tennessee follows a line of ridges and gorges along the eastern escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau. When completed, the trail will stretch more than 300 miles from the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park on the Tennessee-Virginia-Kentucky border, to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area just outside Chattanooga. In between it will pass through four Tennessee Wildlife Management Areas, a National Park Wild and Scenic Area, two State Parks, and two protected State Natural Areas. Designated as a Tennessee State Scenic Hiking Trail, hikers have access to numerous waterfalls, scenic overlooks and deep gorges. Right now there are roughly 175 miles of hikeable trails, and it’s estimated that it will take another 8 to 10 years before the entire trail is completed.

Bartram Trail: The Bartram Trail follows the approximate route of naturalist William Bartram who traveled throughout the southeast from 1773 to 1777. During his travels Bartram wrote vivid descriptions of the plants and animals he saw, as well as the Native Americans he encountered. Designated as a National Recreation Trail, the 115-mile Bartram Trail crosses over some of the most scenic mountains in North Carolina and Georgia. Starting from Cheoah Bald in the Nantahala National Forest, hikers will cross over Wayah Bald and Rabun Bald before reaching the southern terminus of the trail in the Chattahoochee National Forest near the Georgia-South Carolina state line. One of the more interesting aspects of the trail is that hikers have the option of canoeing a nine-mile section of the Little Tennessee River, near Franklin, in lieu of walking the nearby roadway here.

Foothills Trail: The Foothills Trail offers an extraordinary opportunity to explore the Appalachian foothills along the GA, NC, and SC border area. The 77-mile trail stretches from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park. Along the way hikers will visit Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina’s highest peak, the Cantrell home site, the massive granitic dome at Table Rock, and the cliffs and ledges atop Pinnacle Mountain that contain petroglyphs believed to have been made by ancient Native Americans.

Pine Mountain Trail: Although the Pine Mountain Trail currently ranks as only the 11th longest trail in the southeast right now, I included it here because it will move up to number 10 once the trail is finished. Once completed, the long distance trail designed for backpacking and hiking will span approximately 120 miles from Breaks Inter­state Park, to Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, and will pass through several natural areas such as Bad Branch State Nature Preserve, Kingdom Come State Park and Blanton Forest along the Pine Mountain range in eastern Kentucky. Currently, 44 miles of hiking trails are open.





Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Ultimate Hike on the Foothills Trail

Ultimate Hike on the Foothills Trail

Sunday, July 1, 2012

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Start training right now for the Ultimate Hike on the Foothills Trail this October. The reason you may want to start your training so soon is because the hike travels 28.3 miles - in just one day!

The hike is sponsored by Ultimate Hike, an organization that is helping to raise money towards finding a cure for children's cancer, the #1 cause of death by disease in children.

If you happen to live in the Chattanooga area, Outdoor Chattanooga will be holding an Information Meeting on July 17th, at 6:30 p.m., at their Coolidge Park facility on 200 River Street. The public is invited to learn how they can train for the event, which happens on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012. Leah Bartlett, from Cure Search, will be there to answer questions about training, fundraising and the hike experience. No pre-registration is required for the meeting. Additional information meetings will be held on July 18 at Rock/Creek and July 20 at Cloudland Canyon State Park.

Ultimate Hike events are scheduled for several locations around the country over the next several months. For more information, please click here.



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Hiking the Foothills Trail

Hiking the Foothills Trail

Monday, April 2, 2012

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Whether you are looking for a long-distance backpacking trip or an exciting day-hike, the Foothills Trail offers an extraordinary opportunity to explore the Southern Appalachians. About 77 miles in length, the Foothills Trail is located along the Blue Ridge Escarpment in Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina, and is within easy driving distance of Asheville. Join Foothills Trail Conference Board Member and naturalist, Heyward Douglass for this informative presentation on the Foothills Trail at the REI in Asheville.

This free presentation will be held on 4/17/2012, from 7:00 p.m. - 8:15 p.m. For more information, and to register, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Ultimate Hike Information Session

Ultimate Hike Information Session

Saturday, February 4, 2012

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The Ultimate Hike is a one-day event in which ordinary folks complete the extraordinary feat of hiking more than 26 miles in one day. The local opportunity will be held this spring on May 19th when participants will hike 26.5 miles of the Foothills Trail in an effort to raise money to help find a cure for pediatric cancer, the number one cause of death by disease in children.

Each hiker is required to attend one of the information sessions held around the Asheville area. The REI Asheville store will hold an information session on February 24th, from 6:30 to 7:30, for anyone interested.

This event benefits CureSearch for Children's Cancer. For more information on the hike, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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The Top 10 Longest Trails in the Southeast

The Top 10 Longest Trails in the Southeast

Monday, December 13, 2010

1 comment

Some would argue that the Appalachian Trail is getting a little too crowded. So if you’re in that camp and you’re looking for a little more solitude, or possibly just some new places to explore, I thought I would present long distance hikers with some other choices in the southeast - some you may not be aware of. The following represents the top 10 longest trails in the southeast:

The Florida Trail: At 1562 miles in length, the Florida Trail is the southeast’s longest trail. As one of only eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States, the Florida Trail traverses through a diverse landscape as it extends from Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida's panhandle to Big Cypress National Preserve in south Florida. Along the way it passes through some of the state's most picturesque areas including the Apalachicola, Ocala, and Osceola National Forests, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and several state parks. In addition to the poisonous snakes, panthers and bears, keep a look out for alligators!

Appalachian Trail: Although the A.T. runs for a total of 2179 miles from Georgia to Maine, only a thousand of those miles actually pass through the Southern Appalachians (the section south of Harpers Ferry), thus making it the second longest trail in the southeast. The A.T. arguably offers some of the best hiking in the southeast, passing through places like the Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks, Big Bald, Roan Mountain and Mt. Rogers. As a result of its popularity, some of these sections attract a lot of hikers.

Mountains-to-Sea Trail: The Mountains-to-Sea Trail stretches roughly 1,000 miles from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks. Although only 500 miles of footpath are built right now, people can still hike across the state using temporary connectors on back roads and state bike routes. The trail is a showcase for North Carolina’s diverse landscape. Thru-hikers will experience mountains, rugged gorges, small Piedmont farms, coastal swamps, colonial towns, and barrier islands. It climbs both the tallest mountain peak and the highest sand dune in the Eastern United States, passes through three national parks, two national wildlife refuges, three national forests, seven state parks and three lighthouses, including the nations tallest.

Pinhoti National Recreation Trail: The Pinhoti National Recreation Trail is a combination of the Alabama Pinhoti Trail and the Georgia Pinhoti Trail. Its southern terminus is on Flagg Mountain just outside Weogufka, Alabama, and stretches 335 miles to its northern terminus at the intersection with the Benton MacKaye Trail near Ellijay, Georgia. From here hikers have the opportunity of extending their hike all the way to Maine by heading southeast on the Benton MacKaye Trail for roughly 70 miles to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Completed in early 2008, the Pinhoti Trail is characterized by heavily wooded forests, far reaching ridgelines, countless creek crossings and spectacular views. Part of the trail includes dirt and paved roads, but otherwise provides ample solitude.

Benton MacKaye Trail: Nearly 300 miles in length, the Benton MacKaye Trail runs from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Davenport Gap on the northern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail passes through some of the most remote backcountry in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina, including eight federally designated Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas. For those looking for a large loop hike, you can combine the Benton MacKaye with the Appalachian Trail. From Springer Mountain, the Benton MacKaye heads off in a westerly direction, while the A.T. traverses eastward. The two cross each other again near the Shuckstack Fire Tower in the southern Smokies.

Palmetto Trail: The Palmetto Trail is South Carolina’s mountain-to-sea trail. When completed, the cross-state, multi-use trail will take hikers from Oconee State Park in the western mountains, to its eastern terminus at the intra-coastal waterway at Awendaw Creek. With nearly 290 miles of trail open to the public, roughly two-thirds of the eventual 425-mile Palmetto Trail is now complete. The Palmetto Trail features maritime, sandhill, and piedmont forests, knife-edged mountaintops, and two Revolutionary War battlefields. Some sections of the trail are urban bikeways, greenways and rail-to-trail conversions.

Sheltowee Trace: The Sheltowee Trace is a 269-mile multi-use trail that traverses the length of the Daniel Boone National Forest in eastern Kentucky. The trail is named in honor of Daniel Boone. Sheltowee, meaning Big Turtle, was the name given to Boone when he was adopted into the Shawnee Indian tribe as the son of the great war chief, Blackfish. Designated as a National Recreation Trail in 1979, the Trace passes through Cave Run Lake, Red River Gorge, Natural Bridge State Park, Laurel River Lake, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park and the Big South Fork National Recreation Area. Along its course hikers will see waterfalls, arches, panoramic ridge-top views and massive sand­stone cliffs.

Cumberland Trail: The Cumberland Trail in east Tennessee follows a line of ridges and gorges along the eastern escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau. When completed, the trail will stretch more than 300 miles from the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park on the Tennessee-Virginia-Kentucky border, to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park and Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area just outside Chattanooga. In between it will pass through four Tennessee Wildlife Management Areas, a National Park Wild and Scenic Area, two State Parks, and two protected State Natural Areas. Designated as a Tennessee State Scenic Hiking Trail, hikers have access to numerous waterfalls, scenic overlooks and deep gorges. Right now there are roughly 175 miles of hikeable trails, and it’s estimated that it will take another 8 to 10 years before the entire trail is completed.

Bartram Trail: The Bartram Trail follows the approximate route of naturalist William Bartram who traveled throughout the southeast from 1773 to 1777. During his travels Bartram wrote vivid descriptions of the plants and animals he saw, as well as the Native Americans he encountered. Designated as a National Recreation Trail, the 115-mile Bartram Trail crosses over some of the most scenic mountains in North Carolina and Georgia. Starting from Cheoah Bald in the Nantahala National Forest, hikers will cross over Wayah Bald and Rabun Bald before reaching the southern terminus of the trail in the Chattahoochee National Forest near the Georgia-South Carolina state line. One of the more interesting aspects of the trail is that hikers have the option of canoeing a nine-mile section of the Little Tennessee River, near Franklin, in lieu of walking the nearby roadway here.

Foothills Trail: The Foothills Trail offers an extraordinary opportunity to explore the Appalachian foothills along the GA, NC, and SC border area. The 77-mile trail stretches from Oconee State Park to Table Rock State Park. Along the way hikers will visit Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina’s highest peak, the Cantrell home site, the massive granitic dome at Table Rock, and the cliffs and ledges atop Pinnacle Mountain that contain petroglyphs believed to have been made by ancient Native Americans.

Pine Mountain Trail: Although the Pine Mountain Trail currently ranks as only the 11th longest trail in the southeast right now, I included it here because it will move up to number 10 once the trail is finished. Once completed, the long distance trail designed for backpacking and hiking will span approximately 120 miles from Breaks Inter­state Park, to Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, and will pass through several natural areas such as Bad Branch State Nature Preserve, Kingdom Come State Park and Blanton Forest along the Pine Mountain range in eastern Kentucky. Currently, 44 miles of hiking trails are open.






Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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2010 Best of the Outdoors

2010 Best of the Outdoors

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

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The votes are in! Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine has recently published the 2010 Best of the Outdoors in the January issue of its online magazine. The article highlights the results of their readers choice awards in which readers pick their favorites of the Blue Ridge region.

Exh year, readers have the opportunity to vote on their favorites among a variety of outdoor activities in the Blue Ridge, including their favorite trails, waterfalls, running and cycling events, skiing, adventure racing, climbing and paddling locations, among several other categories.

Some of the highlights of this year's poll include the top trails in the Blue Ridge region:

1. Art Loeb Trail
2. Black Mountain Crest/Deep Gap Trail
3. Tuscarora Trail
4. Foothills Trail
5. Red Creek Trail-Dolly Sods
6. Linville River Trail

The Great Smoky Mountains made it into the voting in only two categories.

* The Smokies were rated as the 4th best section of the Appalachian Trail. The Dragon's Tooth in Virginia ranked first, with Mt. Rogers and Roan Mountain finishing second and third, respectively.

* Mt. LeConte was voted as having the sixth best mountain summit in the Blue Ridge region. Roan Mountain was number one. Rounding out two through five were Old Rag, Max Patch, Mt. Mitchell and Cheoah Bald.

You can check-out all of the winners of every category by clicking here. Hey, if you don't like some of these results, make sure you vote next year!


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

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