Road Access - Tray Gap, Georgia

[tree_doctor]

We're planning to do Hogpen Gap -> Tray Gap in Georgia this Memorial Day weekend (2017).
However, we just learned that the USFS roads to Tray Gap are not the most accessible roads.
(We're driving a couple of 4-door sedans: a Toyota Corolla and a Pontiac G6).

We've seen some conflicting reports, but we're fairly certain that both Indian Grave Gap Road and Tray Mountain Road
are inaccessible/un-driveable without four-wheel drive (4WD). Is that true?

However, we can't seem to find clear/consistent evidence about Corbin Creek Road.

• Is Corbin Creek Rd. a viable option to get to Tray Gap? (i.e., is it accessible without 4WD??).
• Specifically, could a Toyota Corolla drive Corbin Creek Rd to Tray Gap alright?
• Does anyone have any spring 2017 updates about this road?
• Pictures or video confirmation would be great too

Thanks for any advice/info you can provide!

[FreeGoldRush]

Would it be ok to expand this request a little and comment on the accessibility of the following locations between Neel Gap and Fontana Dam? I have identified each of these as accessible by car but have no personal experience with any of them. Opinions would be very welcome. Thanks!

Hogpen Gap 38.6Unicoi Gap 52.9Addis Gap 64.2Dick's Creek Gap 69.6Deep Gap 85.4Albert Mountain (0.2 trail to parking on USFS 67) 100.3Winding Stair Gap 109.8Wayah Bald (trail to parking area) 119.7Tellco Gap 129.2NOC 137.3Stecoah Gap 150.7NC 28. 164.7 or Fontana Dam 166.3

[JC13]

I saw multiple types of non-4wd vehicles near Tray Gap last year in July. Not sure how they got up there though...

As for the second request.
Hogpen is definitely accessible.
Unicoi is a highway crossing with a pull off.
Dick's Creek is a highway with pull off.
Winding Stair is a highway with pull off.
NOC is a paved road.
Stecoah is a highway/state road with pull off.
NC28/Fontana are both easy access.

[Slo-go'en]

When I passed thru Tray Gap a few weeks ago, in the fog and light rain, I got there just in time to see two guys in an oversized ATV try to drive up the AT! Thankfully they couldn't get far and had to back out and turn around.

You can probably get a sedan up to Tray Gap. It will be very slow, bumpy and dusty or muddy ride, but you'll get there. The main trick will be finding the right path through the maze of FS roads.

[Uncle Joe]

Tray Gap Rd is passable with a non-4x4 from the Helen side. When you hear about Tray requiring 4WD that's the East side once you cross the Gap. Do not plan to go past the Gap.That's all Jeep and 4x4 terrain.

There is a small creek crossing if you come from the Haiwassee side of Indian Grave Rd. I've seen a Civic cross it but it largely depends on water levels. Lots of cars traverse Indian Grave Rd to day hike the waterfall at High Shoals Falls. You should be fine.

Corbin Creek Rd. to my knowledge is not passable by car.

[MuddyWaters]

Advice?

Pick accessible trailheads
Plan your hikes from major access point to major access point
Like unicoi to dicks creek, etc

If you ever want to link up sections to some ridiculous , innaccessible backwoods location, you got to get back there again. Likely by shuttle.

In the extra time it takes you to get to and from these remote spots, you could have walked the extra mileage to somewhere more accessible.

You got 18.7 miles
A dayhike with no pack
Doable by many with pack in 1 day

Yeah, it might mean spending nights in woods
That is the point after all, for most people

[Seatbelt]

Just a thought. If you are planning to hike northbound(NOBO), why not just climb Rocky Mountain and turn around and come back down to Unicoi Gap where you have plenty of room for parking. The trail from Rocky north to Indian Grave or Tray is nothing outstanding in my opinion. If you are not wanting to climb Tray Mtn that is.

[Seatbelt]

Should have said Tray GAP.

[generoll]

the roads (plural) are all accessible to automobiles with reasonable ground clearance. they are in poor repair with lots of bumps and ruts. there is a shallow ford on FS 283 off Ga 75, but it has large rocks in the stream bed and is safe to cross. I don't especially like going up there, but it's doable.

[bushwhacker88]

Tray gap is accessible to nearly all vehicles. Corben creek rd. is in better shape right now than Indian Grave gap rd. but we took a Honda Accord and a Toyota Corrolla by Indian Grave gap to Tray Mtn. in a torrential downpour last week. Had to back up one time and hit a waterbreaker pretty hard to make it over it as the F.S. had recently pushed a soft pillow of dirt across it. We came back down Corben creek rd. after dropping off the Corolla it was in much better shape will use it from now on for shuttles.

[Harmless]

Just in case someone comes along later, I've been to Tray Gap many times in my all-terrain Corolla.

• Sometimes Tray Mountain Road is an easy drive. Sometimes you could lose a small child in the deep ruts.
• You can get to the final stretch of Tray Mountain road via Tray Mountain Road from GA-75, or via Indian Grave Gap Rd. Both are consistently drivable (slowly) in my Corolla. Indian Grave Gap Rd begins with a ford. I've never gotten stuck in the ford, but there's always a first time.
• I've reached it via Corbin Creek Rd with no trouble. Just a little 'washboarding.' Others report Corbin Creek as undriveable, and I believe them.

This particular set of roads is highly variable. The Forest Service makes a decent effort to maintain them, but they are popular with the let's-spin-our-tires-and-throw-mud 4WD crowd. I've been at Tray Gap when there was a crowd of them, taking turns deliberately digging holes in the road by spinning their tires. (Yes, I was a coward for not objecting.)