View Full Version : Cabin at High Rocks
Has anyone been to High Rocks lately. If so is the cabin still there and does anyone have any photos of it?
bulldog49
05-24-2010, 15:09
Has anyone been to High Rocks lately. If so is the cabin still there and does anyone have any photos of it?
In the Smokies?
Yes, in the Smokies just off the southern end of the the Welch Ridge trail near the start of the Cold Spring Gap trail.
bulldog49
05-24-2010, 16:29
Yes, in the Smokies just off the southern end of the the Welch Ridge trail near the start of the Cold Spring Gap trail.
I've hiked that trail several times but never bothered to take the spur trail up to the rocks. Never knew there was a cabin up there.
Hikes in Rain
05-24-2010, 20:01
It's the caretaker's cabin for a now-removed fire tower. I think the rangers will rent it out from time to time, but the site is a popular stealth camp site because of the marvelous views afforded by the rock spur.
The cabin is still there but is very, very weathered. When we were there last May, a ranger was there with other film/photograhpy folks in tow desiring to make a plea for re-storing the historic cabin atop "High Rocks". I only wish the firetower still remained since the view could have been even better atop this high elevation view.
This is my initial post, so thanks for inspiring me to join, but also please forgive me since I have not yet figured out how to attach pics. I have a couple pics of the cabin with a weathered blue plastic tarp draped overhead so please be patient while I figure out how to post pics.......
Here's the pics... Hope it works...
BTW, heading out to Cataloochee over the weekend. My first encounter, and hope I see the elk. But if not, at least I'm in the GSMNP, hiking and away from it all. Hope to see you all on the trail!
bigcranky
05-25-2010, 15:25
You'll see the elk as you drive in past the campground and ranger station. Kinda hard to miss them.... :)
Enjoy the hike.
Parking at the tunnel at the end of the road to nowhere then taking lakeshore trail to whiteoak branch trail to forney creek trail to campsite # 70 then jonas creek trail to welch ridge trail. Side trip to high rocks then bear creek trail to campsite # 75 then out the next day. No elk in that part of the park last i heard.
sidebackside
05-25-2010, 17:01
Chelko thanks for starting this thread. You learn something new every day. I've been hiking up in the Smokies for years and have never heard of this cabin. Thanks for the pics BigMW.
Chelko,
Sorry, I didn't mean to hi-jack the thread but bigcranky was probably implying I would see the elk in Cataloochee.
Last year we took Lakeshore, Forney Creek, Bear Creek to #75 the first night. Second night we ended up stopping at #70 because of my nephew's knee swelling up. We were supposed to continue on to #69. Anyhow, we had horse friends at #70 who were up hootin' and hollerin' until late in the night! These folks even had horseshoes (the game) and other items stashed around the campground prior to their arrival. They partied pretty hard but I was so tired I didn't really notice that much. Hope you have a much better experience.
BTW, Jonas Creek was kind of a morale killer when we were forced to wade some fairly deep (about knee deep or so) sections we did not anticipate having to ford and ended up getting our boots wet..... Wished we had brought along footware appropriate for wading the creek. Now we have have such attire!!!!
bigcranky
05-25-2010, 17:49
Right, I was talking about elk in Catalootchee. Sorry for the hijack.
The cabin photos were very cool.
Hikes in Rain
05-25-2010, 20:57
Wow, you're right, that cabin is getting in bad shape. Wonder what it would take to get a restoration started before it's too late? Besides money, of course.
bulldog49
05-26-2010, 08:30
Chelko thanks for starting this thread. You learn something new every day. I've been hiking up in the Smokies for years and have never heard of this cabin. Thanks for the pics BigMW.
I'm kicking myself for the times I've hiked right past High Rocks and didn't stop to see it.
Hikes in Rain
05-26-2010, 10:01
Haven't been there personally, but the info I have says no. Sources are relatively nearby, but you'd have to hump it all there; too far for a casual trip for water. (I also think campng there isn't legal!)
The little brown book says there is a sistern ther for rain water collection that still functions.
TIDE-HSV
05-28-2010, 10:19
I've stealth-camped there, but a long time in the past. Of course, it's totally dry, so all of our water had to be hauled up. I don't know what the water source is for the cabin.
I am headed up to High Rocks next week. Now if Saturday would hurry up I could be on my way.
TIDE-HSV
06-01-2010, 00:46
I am headed up to High Rocks next week. Now if Saturday would hurry up I could be on my way.
Give us a report afterwards. As I said earlier, don't depend on any water up there. We hauled ours up and I didn't see any water source. The views are magnificent...
shoe,
What route are you taking up there?
gollwoods
06-05-2010, 20:11
there is a spring on welch ridge trail pretty far from high rocks however
TIDE-HSV
06-05-2010, 20:33
there is a spring on welch ridge trail pretty far from high rocks however
I don't remember it, but I don't doubt you. When we camped there, it was August, as I remember, and we knew from the outset we'd have to haul enough water up to last the night and start the next day. Four people went back down, but a friend and I followed Welch Ridge on into the AT at Silers Bald. Looking at my topo, I see there's a sag in the ridge, and that's probably where the spring was. I know we had to get water before the AT...
Heading out tomorrow morning for campsite # 70 then over to welch ridge with a stop at high rocks then down to #75. Will try to take some photos of the cabin and post next week.
Sweetpea-NC
06-13-2010, 18:34
We just got back from a nice 4 day backpack trip, that included a quick trip up the High Rocks trail. After bushwhacking the entire way up High Rocks (the blackberry bushes were overgrown and so thick that in some places it was taller than me!) the view from the top was well worth it. The cabin looked broke. Of course it is old. Will post pic's when I get them uploaded.
shoe,
What route are you taking up there?
We took the Lakeshore Trail from Fontana to Hazel Creek to Cold Spring Gap to Welch Ridge to High Rocks then down the Bear Creek Trail.
It sure was a haul up Cold Spring Gap Trail but it is the Smokies.
I can't find my camera at the moment so I can't post pictures
Finally found my camera.
Here are the pics I took of the High Rocks cabin on June8,2010
TIDE-HSV
06-15-2010, 23:12
Wow! It's almost not there any more.
Hikes in Rain
06-16-2010, 06:29
Now that's a shame. The park should never have let it get in that condition.