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/.

Bald River Falls - Cherokee National Forest

On our way back from Baby Falls, we found parking was available at Bald River Falls so we stopped for a quick visit. Together, the two plunges of Bald River Falls are approximately 80 feet high. With our visit in early April 2019, we expected to see more signs of spring.

To reach Bald River Falls from the Tellico Plains, Tennessee, Visitor Center, drive about five miles east on the Cherohala Skyway (TN-165) then turn right on paved River Road (National Forest System Road 210). Drive about 6 miles to the bridge over Bald River. The waterfall is easily viewed on the right. After crossing the bridge, there is a paved parking lot on the right. Parking is provided for about a dozen vehicles.

I've posted about previous visits to Bald River Falls in June 2012, October 2012, April 2013, July 2014, May 2017, and December 2017.

Falls from NFRS 210 bridge

Falls from near the end of the bridge

Falls from riverside

A slightly wider riverside view

Another look from the end of the bridge

For scale, note the person standing at the top of the falls

There is no entry fee for the Cherokee National Forest.

The Cherokee National Forest website is https://www.fs.usda.gov/cherokee.

Baby Falls on Tellico River - Cherokee National Forest

Early April 2019 found us in the Tellico Ranger District of the Cherokee National Forest. We had planned to stop at Bald River Falls, but the parking lot was full so we drove one-third mile to the Baby Falls day-use area. 

To reach Baby Falls from the Tellico Plains, Tennessee, Visitor Center, drive about five miles east on the Cherohala Skyway (TN-165) then turn right on paved River Road (National Forest System Road 210). Drive about 6½ miles to a paved parking lot on the left. The day-use area is squeezed into the area between a sharp bend in the Tellico River and the road. Parking is provided for about a dozen vehicles. In addition, there are a few picnic tables and a vault toilet. There is no water at this site.

Baby Falls is located downstream from the day-use area and can be viewed by walking along the edge of the road on a gravel path. The waterfall spans the width of the river and is about 15 feet high.

Tellico River from the day-use area

Another view from the day-use area

A third view

Approaching the brink of the falls

Baby Falls

A wider view

Looking over the brink

View upstream

There is no entry fee at Cherokee National Forest.

The Cherokee National Forest website is https://www.fs.usda.gov/cherokee.

Brown Gap to Max Patch Road - Appalachian Trail

We continued hiking on the Appalachian Trail along the Tennessee and North Carolina border north of Interstate 40 in early January 2019. We skipped the 10.1-mile segment from Green Corner Road to Brown Gap as it was beyond our abilities for a winter day-hike with four hours of commuting added. So we started hiking north again from Brown Gap. To reach Brown Gap from Interstate 40, take exit 7 in North Carolina, the Harmon Den exit. Head north (compass east) on gravel Cool Springs Creek Road for 3.2 miles to a parking area and pit toilet on the left. Drive through the parking area to the northwest corner and continue on Cool Springs Creek Road another 1.2 miles to Brown Gap. A gate marks the state line and the border between the Cherokee and Pisgah National Forests. Parking is very limited, but we had the place to ourselves. Be aware that all roads beyond the interstate are gravel. You may encounter deep ruts, small washouts, and logging trucks. That said, we managed to traverse all these roads in a mini-van.

The first mile north from Brown Gap climbs 700 feet for a gradient of over 13% then it flattens out for the remainder of the hike to Max Patch Road. There are no streams or other water sources along this short hike. Parking off of Max Patch Road is also very limited, so we parked our second vehicle one-third mile further up Max Patch Road at the parking area for Max Patch.

Topographic map with GPS route overlay

Elevation profile

Cool Springs Creek Road from the Tennessee side of Brown Gap

The ultimate No Parking signs

The trail starts on an old logging road...

...but quickly veers off to a well-worn footpath

Sidehill climbing

There's a blaze, so the trail must be here somewhere

Long shadows and sawed fallen trees

More sidehill climbing

Crossing the saddle between two ridges

A rootball divot on the trail

Entering a thicket

Even more sidehill climbing

Approaching a summit

Ridgeline walking

The trail maintainers still have some work to do

Crossing another saddle on a very straight path

An important sign post as the AT turns sharply left

Double blaze reinforces the turn put us on the correct path

The path widens to a single lane

Approaching Max Patch Road

The end is in sight

The trail continues across the road and so will we on another day

In general, there is no fee to enter or hike in the Cherokee or Pisgah National Forests.

The Cherokee National Forest website is https://www.fs.usda.gov/cherokee.

The Pisgah National Forest website 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/.