Abandoned trails and campsites in GSMNP

[forrest!]

OK, so it's been 20 years since I hiked in the park. I used to spend quite a bit of time there, covering the whole AT and most of the side trails on the NC side before I moved on to other hiking destinations.

But I want to go go back to the Eagle Creek/Hazel Creek area. Imagine my surprise to find that there are trails and campsites missing. I suppose the park cut back what it could maintain?

There used to be a trail that went from Eagle Creek up a side creek to Jenkins Ridge Trail and then down to Proctor (Campsite 84) on Hazel Creek. I see that the part from Jenkins Ridge Trail down to 84 is still there, but the part from Eagle Creek up to Jenkins Ridge doesn't show on the maps anymore. There was a campsite along that section of trail too. I remember it was a very nice old road that was built as construction practice by the military during WWII. There was even a bridge over Eagle Creek.

Does anybody know when it was abandoned? Is the bridge over Eagle Creek still there? Of course you know where I am going with this question - I want to still use it if it is reasonably passable.

[RED-DOG]

tHAT TRAIL IS STILL THEIR IT JUST HAS'NT BEEN MAINTAINED IN A FEW YEARS BUT THE BRIDGE is still passable.

[forrest!]

Thanks Red-Dog. Sometime this fall (date to be determined) I will hike up it and report back...

[scree]

Just from curiosity, I'm looking forward to hearing the difference. Reminded me of how there used to be a fire road going all the way up to Byrds Nest Shelter #1 on Old Rag, and now the woods have grown back and you can't even make out a trace of it.

[The Solemates]

Just from curiosity, I'm looking forward to hearing the difference. Reminded me of how there used to be a fire road going all the way up to Byrds Nest Shelter #1 on Old Rag, and now the woods have grown back and you can't even make out a trace of it.

it doesnt take long. but it does depend on the amount of forest undergrowth, which differs obviously based on region, and how wide the road was in the first place. ive cut trail one year and returned the next year to find that i oculd barely make it out.

[forrest!]

Finally got around to hiking the old Pinnacle Creek Trail that I used to use 20 years ago to get from Eagle Creek to Hazel Creek. It's not on the Park map anymore and is unmaintained. Here's my trip report:

The bridge is gone across Eagle Creek. Actually I think the log is still there, downstream of where it should be. Must of been some flood to knock it down. So you have to ford Eagle Creek to get to the trail. If you are coming from the Lakeshore Trail then you have to ford Eagle Creek twice.

There are signs at both ends that say "unmaintained trail". The first half is in pretty bad shape. More fords over Pinnacle Creek than I can count. Sometimes difficult to follow, but once you get the hang of it, it's not too bad. You can pretty much assume that if you seem to have lost it, it forded the creek to the other side. Lots of Rhododendron and Dog Hobble. Once you get to the old campsite 88 (the sign is still there!) then it improves considerably. No more fords. This is were it starts to follow the old road. From there to the ridge is almost easy going.

It's 3.7 miles according to my old data book. It took me 2.5 hours in a light rain to go up. Normally I would hike that in about 2 hours. Not much slower than I would have done a maintained trail.

So if you want a shortcut to the heart of the Hazel Creek area, it's still passable. By shortcut, I mean 16 miles from Fontana Dam to campsite 84.

By the way, back when I was a young man and carrying 40-50 lb packs, I would take two days to make that hike, and stay at the old campsite 88 the first night. Now that I am an old wise man and only carrying 20 lbs, I can hike it easily in one day.

Forrest

[Dogwood]

Thanks Forest. Always great to hear from insiders offering routes off the literal beaten path.