View Full Version : Big Frog Wilderness/TN??
howdy...
was wonderin if anyone has done any hiking in the big frog wilderness in tennessee?
im looking to head down there in a few weeks and have some questions about the area....
thanks....
Gambit McCrae
09-18-2014, 08:11
I did a portion of the BMT down around that area I believe about 2 years ago. Ended at Thunder rock Campground on the occoe river, started somewhere south of there about 20-25 miles. Walking up Big Frog wasnt one of the longest climbs Ive had but wasnt a joke either
Agreed on the climb up Big Frog. I hit that at the end of my longest solid stretch of hiking to date (about 19 hours) in the early morning hours. Not sure if it was my exhaustion or the hill itself, but after averaging 2-3mph for the entire stretch to that point, I fell apart on the climb. Had to stop to catch my breath every minute or so and was a wreck at the top. It's also not marked at the summit, so if you hit it in heavy fog and near zero visibility as I did, it seems like there are three trails branching off with no warning. Two are to small campsites, the third (to the right) is the BMT itself.
im looking to do a series of loops in that area........
i dont have my map in front of me but was looking at doing loops involving the ridge trails and dropping down...
are there plenty of campsites in that area?
rocketsocks
09-18-2014, 16:59
im looking to do a series of loops in that area........
i dont have my map in front of me but was looking at doing loops involving the ridge trails and dropping down...
are there plenty of campsites in that area?Tipi Walter may have the skinny you need...probably out hikin' now though...as in, when is he not. Shoot him a PM.
yeah.....he hasnt been active on any boards recently which leads me to think he's out and about......
im looking to do a loop of--
licklog ridge trail>hemptop trail>big frog>
spend night in area of low gap......
next day do big frog trail>rough creek trail>licklog ridge trail
spend night.......
out licklog ridge trail to car.....
anyone been in these parts?
Raven955
09-22-2014, 13:08
Just got back from:
Licklog Ridge>overnight and next day on Big Frog>Down Big Frog>Fork Ridge>Rough Creek>West Fork>FR221 back to Licklog Trailhead.
Licklog is poorly maintained. I spent a lot of time hacking at brush. It is moderate to difficult. (Difficult if out of shape like me).
Big Frog and Fork Ridge are wonderful. Rough Creek is good also. The only problem I had was finding where the trail crossed the creek so I ended up going back up Rough Creek to West Fork and going out to FR221.
The biggest issue is water. There is a spring on the south side of the trail right before getting to Big Frog. Otherwise,not much on water except where the trails are in the valley areas.
Also, Big Frog and Fork Ridge split is not marked. Remember, the individual trails are not blazed. Most of intersections are marked but not all.
thanks..
that will help....
guessing licklog is easier to follow now that you've hacked it back.....
The biggest issue is water.
there should be water down near rough creek and all those parts, right?
Raven955
09-23-2014, 11:44
I saw plenty of water where rough creek crossed going back up to Licklog Ridge (please post pics of the crossing on rough creek. I could not find where it crossed). And there was water going out West Fork. But it is dry once you get out of the valley areas. The spring at the top of big frog even dropped over an inch overnight.
Happy hiking.
thanks....
i may or may not have a camera with me as mine is currently broke and not sure if im going to carry my iphone......
also, i may end up doing this in reverse just to see about the trail crossing the creek and filling up on water....
Raven955
09-23-2014, 15:27
I was thinking of doing the reverse next time also. The intersection of rough creek and licklog is marked with a sign.
are the rest of the trails marked or obvious?
as in, if im on hemptop trail, will i be able to find licklog trail? or will i have to hunt it down?
Raven955
09-23-2014, 17:29
it is spotty on the trail markers. for instance...chestnut ridge off of big frog mtn is not marked. barking legg trail off of big frog is only marked with stone cairns (actually a couple of them and sticks on the ground showing the way). The split of Fork Ridge and Big Frog is not marked that I could see. Everything else was pretty well marked with signposts.
Hemptop trail is not actually marked as such. It is listed as BMT showing the intersection with Licklog Ridge trail.
ok....
did this loop over the weekend...
started friday by going up licklog to big frog mountain>spent the night>came down big frog to rough creek then across rough creek to spend night along it>then out rough creek to licklog ridge on sunday....
great weekend.....
i took an iphone but it died the first day as i was using GPS and that drained the battery so i have no pictures of the crossing....but i did find it....
[Licklog is poorly maintained. I spent a lot of time hacking at brush. It is moderate to difficult./QUOTE]
thanks for the hacking.....for me, some parts were overgrown but i found the trail to be easy to follow....and for the rest that i was on as well (BMT was really nice and clear)....
[QUOTE]There is a spring on the south side of the trail right before getting to Big Frog.
yeah....found and used this spring for my water for the night near summit (i didnt stay at summit site but rather, not right at the intersection but back in a touch).........the spring was flowing decently.....its a nice little flow.....
Also, Big Frog and Fork Ridge split is not marked. Remember, the individual trails are not blazed. Most of intersections are marked but not all.
i found this intersection to be marked.......fork ridge (bmt) went off to the right and big frog went to left.......the big creek intersection was not marked except by stone cairn and a flagging tape........
some of the trails are blazed from years ago-----i noticed rough creek had a white double box kinda blaze.......
chestnut ridge off of big frog mtn is not marked.
i think that's wolf ridge trail..........and yeah.........it wasnt marked at that intersection with the campsite and the trail going to summit.....i could see the trail but it was kinda tough as at first thought it might have just went to other campsites............
ok.....gotta run out the door but ill describe the rough creek crossing when i get back............
ok...
as for the rough creek crossing.....
here's how i did it...
coming down from big frog (and somehow i missed the pond that is near the intersection with big frog.....saw two prime campsites but not the pond)...
ok....coming down rough creek, the trail goes down a bank and joins up with the BMT at west fork trail...........this is an oldroad bed..........go up this less than a tenth and the trail turns to left and goes across creek........looking straight ahead---theres a small campsite and a culvert in the stream behind it...
ok.........after this crossing----go up the trail to the gap and the intersection where the BMT splits uphill to the right....
rough creek goes down a hill here....
coming down the hill---you can start to hear and see the creek...........
then the trail makes a sharp like ten foot drop from a bank to an oldroad bed...............rough creek trail turns to the right----there's sticks that block the way to the left (which used to be an oldroad bed/trail)...
here's the part i think is confusing...
after getting on the roadbed---go up this about a tenth of a mile.........there two blowdowns that have been cut.....one is smaller than the other.....after the small one---before the large one and theres a fire ring right here-----the trail goes down the bank to hit the creek...
at the creek---cross over basically straight from the trail...
after crossing, theres a blaze on a tree.........look to the left and there is a log on the ground...
turn right to follow this log to another little water crossing............there's a flagging right here as well...
follow the log to the crossing---go up about ten feet and cross over and look up the hill and one can see the oldroad bed....
the old roadbed is rough creek trail...........
follow it up for less than a mile and it runs into licklog ridge trail.........
there's a few old small white double square blazes along this trail....
hope that helps..........
Raven955
10-21-2014, 12:01
That helps tremendously. I will be sure to remember the next time I am up there.
I hiked this area with my brothers back in Oct '13. First day was up Big Frog Trail from the trailhead on FS 221 (near Thunder Rock Campground). A little tougher than I expected. Camped at the top of Big Frog Mountain. At times we were completely covered by fog/clouds, very eerie. Nearby Elderberry Spring was completely dry but we knew this was possible so packed enough water.
Next day went down Hemp Top to Wolf Ridge to Grassy Gap then back on Big Frog to the trailhead. Either Hemp Top or Wolf Ridge was a little overgrown, can't remember which now. Grassy Gap was interesting. Whole thing is midslope (almost completely flat) and so it keeps curving out with the spurs and then back in on the hollows.
We saw a group of wild boar on Wolf Ridge (I think, could have been the beginning of Grassy Gap). We were wondering, "why is this ground all torn up" then they came into view. They looked at us then headed in the other direction but we got out of that area in a hurry anyway.
Overall nice overnight hike.
At times we were completely covered by fog/clouds, very eerie.
yeah...
thats how friday night/saturday morning was......