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Tuesday, April 12, 2016

DeBord Falls and Emory Gap Falls - Frozen Head State Park


In early April 2016, I retraced my spring 2013 hike to DeBord Falls and Emory Gap Falls in Frozen Head State Park. I wrote about my previous hike here. Comparing the pictures, I noted that the entrance sign has been repaired and stained in the intervening years. Flat Fork Road, including the parking area at the end of the road has been repaved.

On the weekday that I visited the park, only a few cars were at the trailhead and I only saw about a half dozen people on the trail. I started and ended my hike at the Panther Creek Trail trailhead at the end of Flat Fork Road. After crossing North Prong Flat Fork on a concrete bridge, the wide trail follows the stream up the valley. The trail follows the route of a logging railroad that was built about a century ago. Although it isn't needed for the part of the trail that I hiked, the trail is marked with blue blazes. Just a couple hundred feet into the hike, an unnamed stream flows down from Bird Mountain and crosses the trail on its way to the North Prong.

At 0.1 miles the first of two unnamed streams flow down from Old Mac Mountain across the valley from the trail. This stream drops into North Prong Flat Fork by way of a 15 foot waterfall that is visible from the trail. A fence near the trail guards against falling down the bluff into the creek and provides for an excellent view of the intersecting stream. The second stream on the right is visible at 0.35 miles from the trailhead.

At 0.6 miles, a sign marks the junction of a hundred foot long spur leading to an overlook for DeBord Falls. The trail continues down 30 steps to the top of the falls before switching back to descend steeply to the base of the falls. A large rock splits this twelve foot drop in North Prong Flat Fork into twin falls that drop into a nice plunge pool.

After returning to the Panther Branch Trail, turn right to continue to head upstream. In another 100 yards, the trail crosses a bridge over another unnamed stream flowing down the flanks of Bird Mountain.

One quarter mile past DeBord Falls is the Emory Gap Trail junction. A right turn here will lead down to a pedestrian bridge over Emory Gap Branch with nice views of the stream. To continue to Emory Gap Falls, I retraced my steps from the bridge and headed up the white blazed Emory Gap Trail.

The narrower, one-half mile Emory Gap Trail follows Emory Gap Branch upstream for about 800 feet before switching back to gain altitude. After switching back again to head upstream, the trail ends at a jumble of boulders below Emory Gap Falls. While visible from the end of the trail, rock hopping or scrambling across boulders is required to get an unobstructed view of the 25 foot falls.

At 2.7 miles round-trip, this is a great spring-time hike to stretch your legs, see a couple of waterfalls, and enjoy the colors of the blooming spring ephemeral plants.

Topographic map with GPS route

Elevation profile

Dogwood and Redbud trees add color at the Visitor Center

Panther Branch Trail trailhead and kiosk

North Prong Flat Fork

The trail is a single lane dirt and rock road

An unnamed stream falls into North Prong Flat Fork

A wet-weather stream flows across the trail

Footpaths on either side of a muddy section of the trail

North Prong Flat Fork

Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia)

Star Chickweed (Stellaria pubera)

Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata)

A second unnamed stream is visible across North Prong Flat Fork

Another view of North Prong Flat Fork

Stay left to avoid bumping your head

Single-lane bridge over...

...an unnamed stream

Sign for DeBord Falls spur trail

Spur trail to DeBord Falls

Falls from the overlook

Thirty steps lead down to the top of the falls

Another view on the way down

Top of the falls

View from the trail to the base of the falls

View from the end of the trail

DeBord Falls


Looking back at the trail to the base of the falls

Back on Panther Branch trail, another single-lane bridge spans...

...another unnamed stream

The trail climb high above North Prong Flat Fork

Smooth Phlox (Phlox glaberrima)

Another rock hopping opportunity

The path not taken: Panther Branch trail bridge over Emory Gap Branch

Emory Gap Branch

Looking back down Emory Gap Branch at the bridge not taken

White Trillium above Emory Gap Branch

The switchback is well marked

The trail rock hops across this drainage

A sturdy bridge takes the trail back over the same drainage

More water on the trail

The trail continues under the dead tree to the falls

Emory Gap Falls from the end of the trail

A closer view

White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

View of the falls after rock hopping across the branch


Entry to Frozen Head State Park is free.

The park website is http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/frozen-head.

1 comment:

  1. This hike looks delightful! Thanks for identifying the wildflowers.

    ReplyDelete