Parking at or near Beauty Spot

[beaudetious]

I'll be doing a three day hike from Sam's Gap to Beauty Spot and was wondering where it was safe to park my truck. I generally like to walk to my truck so I can be done with my hike when I get there (instead of waiting for shuttles, etc.).

Any suggestions?

One I was thinking of was arranging a shuttle with Uncle Johnny's so that they can drive me to my truck at the hostel but they don't go all the way to Beauty Spot... just Indian Grave Gap.

[Gray Blazer]

Brave souls leave their vehicles at Beauty Spot all the time. I know I have. Don't leave anything sittig out.

[beaudetious]

Shoot. A clean towel and a hot gatorade. That's about it.

[beaudetious]

Plus the truck's already beat up enough. Maybe they'll feel sorry for it and leave it alone. :)

[HikerMom58]

Yeah, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving my truck any where along the trail, certainly not Beauty Spot. It would be an extra 2 mile walk back down to Indian Grave Gap to meet your shuttle, unless you felt comfortable leaving your truck at Rock Creek Recreation Area so you wouldn't have to meet a shuttle there. Hummmm... I don't know.

[Tennessee Viking]

There has been recently vandalism of the Beauty Spot fencing and heavy ATV traffic on the bald itself while hikers were camping recently. The Unaka Mtn Road gates are closed seasonally somewhere around December to March. And may close at months time for random re-grading. But there is parking at Iron Mtn Gap and Indian Grave Gap. And small turnout where the trail crosses Unaka Mtn Road.

[beaudetious]

I just talked to Uncle Johnny who gave me a great idea I didn't even consider. I'll park at his hostel, get a ride back to Sam's Gap (where I'm starting) from my son and then hike back to Johnny's. From there I'll get a shuttle (for $40) to Iron Mtn Gap. Then walk back to my truck (mostly downhill). Seems pretty reasonable. It will only set me back $46 including parking. Sounds doable to me. I'd prefer to keep on hiking and maybe get a shuttle from Iron Mtn but who knows what time I'd make it there and 18+ miles uphill sounds daunting to me (at this stage of my hiking career). I've done that downhill before (actually 22 or so from TriCorner shelter in the Smokies to Standing Bear Farms plus a little detour to Mt. Cammerer fire tower) so I'm not too worried about it.

[Gray Blazer]

Plus the truck's already beat up enough. Maybe they'll feel sorry for it and leave it alone. :)



My Gray Blazer was so beat up, the locals used to fix it for me while I was walking.