Asbury Trail? Cove Creek Gap to Mt. Sterling Gap in the Smokies

[madgoat]

I am planning an early october trip to the smokies, and was wondering if anybody had any experience with the Asbury Trail that they would share. Last time I hiked the Cataloochee Divide Trail, I noticed there was a trail sign for the Asbury Trail continuing on out of the GSMNP into the Pisgah National Forest. I was curious, so I did a little investigation and found that the trail continues on the border of GSMNP/Pisgah for 2 or 3 miles, and then crosses back into the GSMNP and extends to Mt. Sterling Gap.

It appears that the Asbury Trail is maintained by the local Boy Scout Council. The only documentation I could find about it was from the local council. This is the best information I have been able to find about it. The linked document includes a topo map with the trail marked. Note that the trail is somewhat obscured by the thick black line on the map.

This trail might simplify things for my group this fall, so I was hoping to include it in our trip itinerary.

So here are my questions to anybody familiar with the Asbury Trail.
1. Has anybody hiked this?
2. Is this trail open to the general public, or does one have to be with a Scout group to hike the trail?
3. I was considering dry camping somewhere along the border of Pisgah/GSMNP on the Pisgah side. From my understanding, camping is allowed anywhere in the Pisgah National Forest as long as it is 1/4 mile from a road or front country site. Is my understanding correct?
4. Does anybody have further information about this trail that they could share? I'm curious about mileage from Cove Creek Gap to Mt. Sterling gap.

Thanks everybody.

[TNhiker]

yeah.....ive been on one half of it....

when i first started going into cataloochee, at the gap before going down the road (coming from exit 20)---there was a sign at the gap (that's where the parking lot for cataloochee divide trail is)...........the trail was very overgrown......

a few years past, i had done some research on it----and going back into the valley, noticed that the trail has started getting cut back...

and since its on park's land----it is (at least in my opinion) open to the general public-----i can not see a reason why it wouldnt be being on public land....

it however does not appear on current maps.......it has appeared on some of the maps from the old blue book (that preceeded the little brown book) so that would be around 1972 or so.....

in the research i have done----found out that there was a minister that was names Ashbury and he would be a circuit (not sure if thats the correct term) minister----as in, he would minister at one church in the morning---ride his horse over to another church, do another service etc etc etc.....

the trail basically parallels the road for the most part.....

along the trail---there is at least one cemetery, maybe another....

the trail does come close to the road, especially down where the road to the valley turns from a dirt road to paved road.......the trail hits the end of the road where it deadends which would have been going out to I 40 if it were built.....

also, after this, the trail keeps going, and goes down by one of the bridges..........in this general area there is a boy scout group camp.........

i think the total mileage (*i think* as i didnt have gps with me, and i dont have a map right now) that the total from cove creek gap to mount sterling is just a touch over 12 miles...

i hiked it (since i only had one car) from cove creek gap down to the bridge and then hitchhiked the road back to my car (i was lazy in hiking that day)......

after the bridge, the trail uses the road for a touch then goes back into the woods and goes up to mount sterling gap......

i have not done that portion...

and its been years since ive been in cataloochee----so not sure how cut back that trail is now...

from my memory ( and i think i hiked it in 2004 or so---i would have to look at my notes) that the trail was fairly easy to follow and there might have been some blazes on it......



[QUOTE][3. I was considering dry camping somewhere along the border of Pisgah/GSMNP on the Pisgah side. From my understanding, camping is allowed anywhere in the Pisgah National Forest as long as it is 1/4 mile from a road or front country site. Is my understanding correct?/QUOTE]



this is correct-----however, i think all of the ashbury trail is still in national park land............i dont think it passes through forest land at all...

you could call the boy scouts and find out about using their camp----or, and i didnt say it, but just go ahead and camp in that area...........i really doubt youll see anyone on that trail at all..........


and you may google asbury and find out more info on the minister.........i think his first name is john........i think....

hope that helps........

[TNhiker]

i just printed that link so i could read it----but one of the first paragraphs states that the" trail is open to all persons without limitations"...........

[TNhiker]

but, in the same line it does ssay that no troop is permitted to be on trail without rangers knowledge and approval.......


are you going with a boy scout troop or just a general person group?

[TNhiker]

looks like his first name was francis....

here is just one link i found that shows his history....

http://www.piddlin.com/people/francis-asbury/



i dig later and find out some more if i have time....

[madgoat]

Thanks TN hiker. That is good information.

Asbury University and the Asbury Trail both share the same namesake. My pastor from years ago went to Asbury to get his MDiv.

I am just going with a couple of friends. No scouts. I think the explicit instructions in the Boy Scout pamphlet I linked are there to make sure that the park rangers are aware that somebody is on the trail. The campsite fees and forms that are part of the Boy Scout pamphlet are for scouts only.

I will probably call the backcountry information number and ask some questions, and maybe call the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Council as well.

[madgoat]

Well would you look at that. I just pulled up my GSMNP version of TOPO that I have used for several years for planning trips to the park. And right there on the Trails Illustrated Map is the Asbury Trail. It isn't named on the map, but the route is shown. Doing a quick trace of the trail in TOPO shows the route is about 7.5 miles from Cove Creek Gap to Mt. Sterling Gap. The map confirms that it shares the border with Pisgah for at least the first few miles. I have included a screen capture below. I put poorly drawn blue arrows at Cove Creek Gap and Mt. Sterling Gap to indicate the beginning and end of the trail. I also circled the rough area where I would like to camp in Pisgah National Forest.

Capture.jpg

If we did this trip, we would cache some water jugs at Cove Creek Gap when we were driving to the trail head. We would camp at campsite #41 the night before doing the Asbury trail. Hike Hemphill Bald and Cataloochee Divide, pick up our water cache, hike a couple of miles more and camp in Pisgah for the night around the blue circle, then continue on the next day to campsite #38 on top of Mt. Sterling.

Scouts who go on the trail and follow a few guidelines are able to earn a "Historic Trails Award" patch and a special patch for the Asbury Trail.

[TNhiker]

Well would you look at that. I just pulled up my GSMNP version of TOPO that I have used for several years for planning trips to the park. And right there on the Trails Illustrated Map is the Asbury Trail

yeah.....now that you mention it---i remember it being on some maps and not others....

there is a trail description in the blue book...........i dont have a scanner but ill see if i can get it scanned........

yeah....i read that packet and saw that a patch and a pin were available.......

and that was written in 2013 so its fairly (although it doesnt mention fees for campsites) recent....

also, in that packet----it mentions the cataloochee group site and the asbury site thats in a meadow..........the meadow one is the one im referring to........

[TNhiker]

Two other notes from reading through the info on that link---on page 5---the stairs in the top photo is where I turned around.....readin through sounds like the trail is more obscure going south to north from here..

the bottom photo---if you look below the street sign---there's another sign.....that gives some info on asbury and his travels.....if you look carefully---you see an image of a horse and rider....