Uphill from Laurel falls TN to Moreland Gap shelter?

[wolfywolfy]

I am planning on a section hike from Hampton, TN to 19E. Looking at the map It looks like a 5 mile straight up climb from Laurel falls (Dennis cove in the middle) up to the Moreland gap shelter. I realize maps can be deceiving and I want to hear from others who have hiked this area before. If It helps I recently hiked up Hughes Gap so I know what that is like.

[Gambit McCrae]

Yep, its uphill. Once you get to Moreland Gap Shelter it plains off nicely all the way to mountaineer falls and really all the way to 19e. Moreland Gap Shelter is a center block shelter and not much of a spot. I would push on to Mountaineer Shelter with how flat it is thru there.

[LittleRock]

Yeah, it's mostly uphill. Can't speak to difficulty since I was NOBO and going downhill. If you've already done the climb up Roan it shouldn't be any tougher than that.

I highly recommend starting at the side trail from Hampton instead of Watauga Lake to avoid the huge PUD over Pond Mtn.

[Gambit McCrae]

Yeah, it's mostly uphill. Can't speak to difficulty since I was NOBO and going downhill. If you've already done the climb up Roan it shouldn't be any tougher than that.

I highly recommend starting at the side trail from Hampton instead of Watauga Lake to avoid the huge PUD over Pond Mtn.

Pond mtn. was what I thought OP was speaking of prior to looking at profile map. And what a terribly pointless climb that is.

I went up the sobo climb to Moreland gap a few years ago, I would consider it to be what I like to be in the "attention getter" category, not of the "real attention getter" category of some of the longer climbs on the trail.

[Slo-go'en]

The climb up Pond Flats is a pain. Doesn't matter which direction, you climb nearly 2000 feet in either direction. Then you got another 2000 foot climb out of Laurel falls. Not something I'd want to do on the first day if it's also hot and humid, which it probably will be if your doing this in the near future.

You could save some agony by starting at Dennis Cove, although Laurel falls is kind of nice. Definitely do the short blue blaze to Jones falls on the way to 19E.

[Tennessee Viking]

This is nothing compared to Hughes Gap.

If the OP is doing Pond Mtn. Its a good climb just for that.

Hampton Blue Blaze and Sobo - I used to walk this area a lot. Its not bad. The worst of the climb is right at Laurel Falls with the climb up the steps. Some of the old ankle break straight up hill climbs have been moved to switchbacks/sidehill.

The Coon Den and Canute Place climbs are more gradual than anything.

There is a blue blaze by-pass trail back at Laurel Fork Shelter; however, you will miss the Laurel falls.

[wolfywolfy]

I am planning on a section hike from Hampton, TN to 19E. Looking at the map It looks like a 5 mile straight up climb from Laurel falls (Dennis cove in the middle) up to the Moreland gap shelter. I realize maps can be deceiving and I want to hear from others who have hiked this area before. If It helps I recently hiked up Hughes Gap so I know what that is like.


I have done everything from Erwin to 19E and survived, ha ha. I heard about Pond mtn but no one talks about the hill SOBO from below Dennis cove to over Dennis cove. I really want to see and spend some time at Laurel falls and thought about camping there on my first night. If climbing out of there is really hard then I would stop at moreland gap area but if it is not as hard as Hughes gap I could continue on to the Mountaineer area. Some boy scouts last weekend told me to take the blue trail at pond mountain and bypass it.

[Slo-go'en]

The closest you can camp to Laurel falls is at the shelter, 0.7 miles south. The falls are in narrow ravine.

[Tennessee Viking]

The SOBO climb is no difficulty out of Dennis Cove. Pass the old barn then up a creek. The cliffs above Dennis Cove is an easy switchback climb and pass the cliffs. Then its rolling trail passing Coon Den. As you get close to Canute Place there is a series of switchbacks (fairly new relo), I remember a steep hill from 10 years ago. From Canute its a switchback climb up and along a ridge to Moreland Gap. After climbing up from Moreland Gap, its pretty much down hill to Elk River.

The only big climb you will have along the way to 19E is Elk River to High Point. But there are several places that level out. Then its all down hill through Bishop Hollow. Camp at Mountaineer Falls or Elk River. Avoid camping close to Campbell Hollow out to 19E.