Max Patch - Pisgah National Forest

We returned to Max Patch in early May 2019 to continue our piecemeal hiking of the Appalachian Trail. Before we could continue, we needed to climb to the summit of the grassy bald. On this day, the sky was cloudy but the trail was dry. 

To reach the gravel parking lot from Interstate 40, take exit 7 in North Carolina and head north on the gravel Cold Springs Creek Road. Drive 3.7 miles and turn left onto Harmon Den Road. Drive another 2.4 miles before turn left onto NC-1182, Max Patch Road. Drive 1.8 miles to a small parking lot on the right. Since the parking lot is often full, it is common to see vehicles parallel parked on both sides of the road. 

Surprisingly, the parking lot, kiosk, and the first 300 feet of the connecting trail are in Tennessee. The half-mile-long connecting trail climbs 150 feet for a gradient of over 5½%. From the connecting trail, the southbound AT climbs another 60 feet in a distance of just less than 750 feet yielding a grade of well over 8%. The total one-way distance from the kiosk to the summit is 0.6 miles with a climb of 210 feet. 

For more images of the views at Max Patch, please see my previous post regarding our visit in January 2019.

Topographic map with GPS route

Trail elevation profile

New kiosk at the parking lot

Blue blazed trail connects to the AT

View from the access trail

Another view from the trail

Entering the woods

Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia)

Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia)

Leaving the woods with Hogback Mountain (3440' 4 miles)
and Spring Creek Mountain (4250' 7.3 miles)

Max Patch summit to the right of the trail

My wife waiting patiently for me at the AT signpost

View of the North Carolina mountains from the trail intersection

Southbound AT leads to the summit of Max Patch

View from the AT

Entry to Pisgah National Forest is free.

The North Carolina National Forests webpage is https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/nfsnc/home.

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail website is https://www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy website is https://appalachiantrail.org/.