Big Bald & the Nolichucky River
This section covers a large amount of land from Big Bald to Indian Grave Gap. The Appalachian Trail (AT) is the principle trail through this area and many of the hikes described below will be along the AT. Like other areas described in this website, the Big Bald Area borders North Carolina and some of the hikes described are in North Carolina.
The hikes described below are: the AT from the Nolichucky River to Curly Maple Shelter, the AT from the Nolichucky River to Temple Hill Ridge, the High Road to Lost Cove, the AT from Sam's Gap to Big Bald, and the AT from Sam's Gap to Hog Back Ridge Shelter. |
Nolichucky River to Curly Maple Shelter on the AT
Distance: Approximately 8.4 miles round trip
A variety of Spring wildflowers including Trailing Arbutus, Gaywings, Red Trillium, and Jack in the Pulpit bloom along the deep forest trek to Curly Maple Shelter from the Nolichucky River following the Appalachian Trail northbound. This worthwhile wildflower hike is a moderate-to-difficult level day-hike, approximately 8.4 miles in length round trip with a mix of downhill, fairly level ground, uphill, and at moments steep uphill. Starting from the Nolichucky River, the AT is fairly level, turning more uphill for a small moment not long after crossing the railroad tracks. The trail then descends along a hillside paralleling the path of the Nolichucky River. Views of the gorge and the river down below can be seen through the trees for this section of the hike. A side trail leading to a campground and the Nolichucky River is passed on the right as the AT bends away from following the river. From here the path parallels the Jones Branch, crossing the creek four (4) times on the way to Curly Maple Shelter. Fortunately there are four (4) bridges for these four points. There are other stream crossings along the trail but all can be accomplished without getting wet do to the great trail maintenance done along this part of the AT. Like all sections of the AT, the path is well marked by the white blaze. Not long after crossing the fourth bridge on the way to the shelter, the path gets more uphill. The switchbacks definitely ease the steepness for much of the way, but there are still some steep moments where your calves might curse you. The trail will eventually give reprieve and a chance to break at Curly Maple Shelter. This is a there and back again hike so the way back is mostly downhill, except toward the end where the trail parallels the Nolichucky River, not long after crossing the side trail leading down to a campground. A great way to do this hike is to take two vehicles, parking the first at the Nolichucky River and taking the other up to the parking area at Indian Grave Gap and hiking southbound along the AT. The distance from Indian Grave Gap to the Nolichucky River is 8.3 miles, with much more of the way being downhill then the above described route. Further Online Resources: TEHCC: Curly Maple Shelter Hiking Bill: Indian Grave Gap to Nolichucky River (Current as of Spring 2013) |
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Driving Directions:
From ETSU, take University Parkway headed toward Elizabethton. Turn right onto I-26, headed South toward Erwin. Upon reaching Erwin, take Exit 40 turning left onto TN-36 and then turning right onto TN-36 also known as Temple Hill Road.
Signs mark the way to Chestoa. Follow TN-36 for 0.8 miles before turning left onto River Road. Follow River Road to a four way stop and turn left onto the Chestoa Pikeway, crossing the bridge over the Nolichucky River. Just after crossing the bridge, turn right onto Jones Branch Road. Immediately after turning right, there is pull-off parking on the right and the AT is on the left. If this parking area is full, Chestoa is located just a little further down and also has parking. Driving Directions to the start of this hike using Google Maps is linked here. |
Nolichucky River to temple hill ridge on the at
Distance: Approximately 5.2 miles total, 2.6 miles one-way, but varies dependent on turnaround point
The day-hike described above to Curly Maple Shelter briefly offers obstructed glimpses of the Nolichucky before turning away from the river's path and making the ascent toward Indian Grave Gap. For those wishing to get a better glimpse, the AT headed southbound from the Nolichucky River opens up to many beautiful views of the Nolichucky River Gorge, Erwin and the mountains surrounding the city. Across the street from Uncle Johnny's Hostel, after crossing the bridge over the Nolichucky River, the AT headed southbound cuts back into the forest and very quickly begins to climb toward Spivey Gap. At the start of the hike, the AT accomplishes this by making several switchbacks to lessen a steep climb up to Temple Ridge. Not long after losing sight of the neighborhood behind Uncle Johnny's Hostel, the AT switchbacks several times onto Cliff Ridge. Several perches open up on Cliff Ridge offering panoramas between the limbs of Carolina Hemlock, Great Rhododendron, and other flora. Past the cliff views, the AT tends to stay on the ridge and more closely follows the ridgeline when it does not, making for some much steeper uphill stints than the previous switchbacks. The AT yo-yos over a few hill tops on the ridgeline before turning left on a slight descent, leaving the ridge, and rounding around Temple Hill on the hillside. A tree with double white blazes mark where the AT veers left off of the ridge and onto the hillside. The ground is fairly level and a few large fallen trees look like they make a fine boundary to a camp spot with potential. The fallen trees obscure where a vanishing forest road splits away from the AT heading up Temple Hill to where a fire-tower used to be. Where this vanishing forest road splits away from the AT, as the AT turns left along the hillside is approximately 2.6 miles from the start of the hike and the turn-around point for this particular day-hike, making for a hike of 5.2 miles total. At 3.3 miles, Temple Hill Trail is reached at Temple Hill Gap and at 5.5 miles, No Business Knob Shelter is reached if a longer hike is desired. As a there and back again hike, navigation is mostly straightforward, with the way being well marked with the White Blaze. The exception to this may be the turn-around point. Given the steepness, this hike is a difficulty level of moderate. Further Online Resources: Carolina Mountain Club: Hike Data CMC: Spivey Gap to Nolichucky River Route Profile Appalachian Trail Parking: Spivey Gap to Nolichucky River (Current as of Winter 2014) |
Driving Directions:
From ETSU, take University Parkway headed toward Elizabethton. Turn right onto I-26, headed South toward Erwin. Upon reaching Erwin, take Exit 40 turning left onto TN-36 and then turning right onto TN-36 also known as Temple Hill Road.
Signs mark the way to Chestoa. Follow TN-36 for 0.8 miles before turning left onto River Road. Follow River Road to a four way stop and turn left onto the Chestoa Pikeway, crossing the bridge over the Nolichucky River. Just after crossing the bridge, turn right onto Jones Branch Road. Immediately after turning right, there is pull-off parking on the right and the AT is on the left. If this parking area is full, Chestoa is located just a little further down and also has parking. There might be parking available at the small pull-off where the AT cuts back into the forest across the street from Uncle Johnny's Hostel. Driving Directions to the start of this hike using Google Maps is linked here. |
High Road to Lost Cove
Distance: Approximately 4 miles round trip
Logging was a key industry in this region's past and the trails are a reminder of that. Many of the hiking trails in this region used to be forestry roads originally built for the purpose of logging. One trail located a little less than 40 miles from ETSU's main campus leads to an abandoned logging community known as Lost Cove. Lost Cove was constructed on a mountainside in the remote Nolichucky River Gorge near Erwin. Lost Cove is so close to the border between North Carolina and Tennessee that in the past there were disputes between the two states on which state had jurisdiction over the community. Questions of jurisdiction and remoteness attracted moonshiners and earned Lost Cove a notorious reputation as being a bit lawless. The community died away after the railway quit providing passenger services along the route. The last residents left town in the late ‘50s. There are a few ways to get to Lost Cove but they basically can be divided into the high road and the low road. The low road involves following the Nolichucky River from Unaka Springs by hiking along the railroad tracks. Many fisherman access the Nolichucky River by walking these railroad tracks but technically the low road is on private property and qualifies as trespassing. The low road is also the longest of the three routes I am familiar with. The shortest route to Lost Cove is approximately 4 miles round trip. The Lost Cove Trail starts on an old forestry road that initially leads through dense forest before the trail switches back and leads to an open meadow. The open meadow provides some pretty views of the Blue Ridge and the Nolichucky River Gorge. The trail can be a bit tricky to spot as the path turns up the hill after coming out of the forest and into the meadow. Initially, the trail is marked with blue blazes but as the trail leads down, back into the forest from the meadow, yellow blazes mark the trail. As the trail descends down the mountain, navigation requires slightly more attention because of fallen leaves and spacing of the trees. The Devil's Creek Trail meets with the Lost Cove Trail not far from the remains of Lost Cove. Stay on the Lost Cove Trail and eventually the trail will lead to what was most likely the main and only road through the community. To the right along this road, is one of the last standing structures at Lost Cove. The building is in pretty rough shape and is well tagged with the names of many previous visitors to this site. The way left leads to the bulk of what remains of Lost Cove. There is a small stream that can be crossed by hopping rocks. Among the scattered remains are rusting tin roofing, two stone chimneys, a shed cluttered with trash and beer cans, and a slowly disintegrating ancient pickup truck. Past the shed, the route continues steeply down to the Nolichucky River. Lost Cove Trail can be hard to spot after exploring Lost Cove. Just remember, Lost Cove Trail is close to the stream crossing not far from the rock wall that parallels the main road. The way back is mostly uphill with some steep climbs. (I originally published this information with the East Tennessean and is linked here). (Current as of Fall 2011) |
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Driving Directions:
To get to the trailhead from ETSU, turn right onto University Parkway. Follow University Parkway toward Elizabethton and make a right onto Interstate 26 headed toward Erwin.
Take Exit 43 leading to US-19, TN-351, and Temple Hill Road. Make a left turn onto Dewey Frye Road from the exit ramp and then make a right onto US-19. Stay on US-19 as it turns left toward Burnsville diverging from TN-351. Continue on US-19 as it winds around the mountains and crosses over into North Carolina. Not long after passing an area for Appalachian Trail pull-off parking at Spivey Gap, make a left onto White Oaks Flat Road. Follow this road for 1.1 miles before making a left onto Flat Top Road. Flat Top Road is unpaved but well maintained for the 2 miles leading up to the trailhead for Lost Cove. The parking area is just a little past the trailhead. Both the trailhead and parking are located on the right side of the road. Driving Directions to the start point for this hike using Google Maps is linked here. |
Sam's Gap to Big Bald along the AT
Distance: 13 miles round trip
At 13 miles round trip, the trek to Big Bald from Sam's Gap makes for a long day-hike but the views from Big Bald are breath-taking and worthy of a trek of a far greater distance. The hike from Sam's Gap headed North is mostly through deep forest but the trail does open up a couple of times before reaching Big Bald. Wildflowers are abundant on this trek. Some of the species to be found are: Trillium, Indian Paintbrush, Mountain Stonecrop, Waterleaf, False Solomon's Seal, Yarrow, King Devil, Turk's Cap Lily, Bergamot, and many others. The 6.5 miles to Big Bald is mostly reasonable uphill with some steep moments and also some small sections of downhill. This is a there and back again hike, so the way back is mostly downhill, with just a few climbs and steep descents. The AT is well-marked and well-maintained through this section, just follow the white blaze. There are no tricky navigation moments but there are a few road crossings at Street Gap and along Big Bald; all are also well-marked. Fence posts and trail signs have been placed along the path as the trail crosses through openings. There are a few stream crossings along the way, but they can be easily rock-hopped even during wet times. During wet weather, the AT through this part can be slick and sloppy. The main source of difficulty for this hike is just the distance and some steep uphill at moments. Further Online Resources: Appalachian Treks Carolina Mountain Club: AT Mileage (Current as of Spring 2013) |
Driving Directions:
From ETSU, take University Parkway in the direction of Elizabethton. Take a right onto I-26 headed toward Erwin. Stay on I-26 for approximately 26 miles before taking Exit 50.
From Exit 50, turn left onto Upper Higgins Creek Road. From Upper Higgins Creek Rd, turn left onto Flag Pond Road. Follow Flag Pond Rd for about 5 miles. The parking for the AT is on the right just after crossing under I-26. Driving Directions to the Sam's Gap Start Point using Google Maps is linked here. |
Sam's Gap to Hog Back Ridge Shelter on the at
Distance: 4.4 miles total, 2.2 miles one-way
Hog Back Ridge Shelter is located 2.2 miles from Sam's Gap headed southbound on the AT. The way is mostly through forest, but 1.8 miles into the hike, a short side-trail veers off to a rocky outcropping with a winter vista. Summer foliage reduces the view from the rocks. Beginning from Sam's Gap, the AT journeys underneath I-26, turning right onto a driveway leading up to a cemetery, but cutting right off of the hard-surface road before reaching the cemetery. The White Blaze marks the way. From here, the AT begins a fairly steep climb toward High Rock before descending to Hog Back Ridge Shelter. There are several steep stints before reaching the side-trail leading to the winter vista. Once reached, the side-trail is on on the right and is marked by a blue sign that looks like it might have been placed by a giant. Light blue blazes mark the way to the rocky outcropping. Past the vista side-trail, the AT descends for a brief moment but has two (2) more fairly steep uphill stints before steeply descending toward the side-trail leading to Hog Back Ridge Shelter. A sign marks the side-trail near where it splits left. The side-trail is marked with blue blazes. This is a there and back again hike, so the way back is 2.2 miles from the shelter back to Sam's Gap making for 4.4 miles total distance to hike. The steep descent down to the Shelter from High Rock is a mean climb on the way back. The AT through this section tightly follows the Tennessee-North Carolina border. For much of the route an old barb wire fence used as a boundary between the two states also acts as a memorable landmark on the way. Otherwise, the AT is well-marked with the White Blaze to and from the shelter. At 4.4 miles and with easy navigation this hike is of moderate difficulty level do to some tough uphill grades. Further Online Resources: Carolina Mountain Club: AT Mileage AllTrails.com: Sam's Gap to Hog Back Ridge Shelter (Current as of Winter 2014) |
Driving Directions:
From ETSU, take University Parkway in the direction of Elizabethton. Take a right onto I-26 headed toward Erwin. Stay on I-26 for approximately 26 miles before taking Exit 50.
From Exit 50, turn left onto Upper Higgins Creek Road. From Upper Higgins Creek Rd, turn left onto Flag Pond Road. Follow Flag Pond Rd for about 5 miles. The parking for the AT is on the right just after crossing under I-26. Driving Directions to the Sam's Gap Start Point using Google Maps is linked here. |