Standing Indian Campground

[fredmugs]

I am considering staying at the Standing Indian Campground this weekend and then hiking down the Kimsey Creek trail to Deep Gap and looking around NOBO back to Rock Gap and then heading down the forest road back to the campground.

Does anybody have any experience completing this hike and/or staying at this campground?

I have a hammock so I guess I can setup near the Rock Gap shelter also.

[Two Speed]

Haven't stayed in the campground, but have hiked the Kimsey Creek - AT - Long Branch loop more than once. Short version: great area for a two or three day hike, lots of good camping along the Kimsey Creek Trail, so staying in the Forest Service campsites is optional, as far as I'm concerned. Drive into the parking lot at the trailhead and take off!

One technicality: Kimsey Creek Trail ascends to Deep Gap. Not bad, mostly mild and steady grades, but definitely up hill to the AT from the trailhead in the campground.

[orangebug]

That is a very good walk. There are very tough trails up Standing Indian, but Kimsey Creek is pretty mild in comparison. There are multiple trails off of the AT back down to the FS road and campground.

I'd recommend spending the few bucks for someone to watch your car in the campground, but there is free parking at the backcountry site nearby. Kimsey Creek trail starts close by. You could bale out at Glassmine Gap and walk directly down to your car. This is a very mild hill, and might be a better way up and around going southbound.

[Speer Carrier]

I'll echo the fact that this loop is a great two to three day hike. I've stayed at the campground, and if you do, you'll have to pay a fee. Best bet is to park at, I think its called back country, but someone will correct me, and start from there.

If you take the Kimsey Creek Trail, you'll walk accross the campground to start. Great hammocking camping any where along the route. The trip back to the campground after Rock Gap is on regular roadway as I recall.

[Doctari]

I did almost that hike (allmost) exactly, great hike. I parked at rock gap, stayed the night at the shelter, then hiked as you describe, but back to my truck at rock gap.

It's an easy road walk to SI CG, bypass the "Main entrance" & walk a short way to the hikers kisoc, take a right, follow the kimsey creek sign/blazes. Kimsey creek is somewhat uphill, bit not too bad.

I seem to remember it taking me about 3 days, maybe it was 4, anyway I was taking my time as I had 6 days that trip (1 each to & from trailhead) so,,,,,,,

Have a great hike.

Doctari.

[Gray Blazer]

It's a family campground and it could possibly fill up. There is free camping if you continue on past the pay campground. The road ascends Albert Mt. and you can camp at many places along the road. When you can't drive any further, get out and continue on foot, turn rt. when you get to the AT and ascend perhaps a quarter of a mile and you're at the Albert Mt. Tower. Great Loop using Kimsey Creek Trail and Rock Gap to S.I. Campgroung road. Probably take 2 days to complete loop. Listen to what everyone else says about parking. I have left my wreck of an automobile at Deep Gap w/o problems, but, you never know.......

[Jaybird]

I am considering staying at the Standing Indian Campground this weekend and then hiking down the Kimsey Creek trail to Deep Gap and looking around NOBO back to Rock Gap and then heading down the forest road back to the campground.Does anybody have any experience completing this hike and/or staying at this campground?..............

fredmugs:


i hope the campgrounds area has better TRAIL MARKINGS/BLAZES than they did in 2002..."TeePee" & i jumped off the A.T. there @ did the Kimsey Creek Trail to the campgrounds (where we were to be picked up)...got lost & turned around by 4 seperate trails that run thru the campgrounds area....ALL BLUE BLAZED trails.....OUCH!! stayed lost for about an hour or two...luckily finally stumbled onto the right trail & into the campgrounds...

have a great hike!

[Gray Blazer]

fredmugs:


i hope the campgrounds area has better TRAIL MARKINGS/BLAZES than they did in 2002..."TeePee" & i jumped off the A.T. there @ did the Kimsey Creek Trail to the campgrounds (where we were to be picked up)...got lost & turned around by 4 seperate trails that run thru the campgrounds area....ALL BLUE BLAZED trails.....OUCH!! stayed lost for about an hour or two...luckily finally stumbled onto the right trail & into the campgrounds...

have a great hike!

Hint: Kimsey CREEK Trail.....Follow the creek....

[max patch]

fredmugs:


i hope the campgrounds area has better TRAIL MARKINGS/BLAZES than they did in 2002..."TeePee" & i jumped off the A.T. there @ did the Kimsey Creek Trail to the campgrounds (where we were to be picked up)...got lost & turned around by 4 seperate trails that run thru the campgrounds area....ALL BLUE BLAZED trails.....OUCH!! stayed lost for about an hour or two...luckily finally stumbled onto the right trail & into the campgrounds...

have a great hike!

That happened to me once too, although we got back on track a lot quicker than you did. The trail made a turn and we didn't -- saw when we backtracked that the Kimsey Creek "blaze" was on a narrow post that was at the wrong angle to be seen from the trail.

[Pennsylvania Rose]

I did this EXACT loop in November about 7 years ago. It was wonderful! Took me 2 1/2 days. I wandered around the campground for over an hour before I found the start of the Kimsey Creek Trail. Felt really stupid since I had come down the KCT from Deep Gap just a few years prior. But I couldn't remember for the life of me where I had come out. It got dark on me about halfway up to Deep Gap, so I night hiked and slept under a rhododendron at the parking area. I only saw 2 people the whole time - a father and son headed south.

[fredmugs]

Although I won't admit that I got lost I did somehow manage to get off the Kimsey Creek trail and get onto another trail (Park Creek or Gap???) where I ended up on forest road 71 but about 3 miles north of the Deep Gap parking lot. This other trail is not on my AT map but others I met along the way say that this has happened to them also. The strange part is I continuously had blue blazes in front of me and the trail went in the same general direction as Kimsey Creek. Somehow there was a fork in the trail that I missed. I wasn't too thrilled to hike 3 miles along the forest road prior to 18 miles on the AT and another 2 back to the car from Glassime Gap. Fortunately it was a fairly easy stretch of trail to hike!

[Egads]

Although I won't admit that I got lost I did somehow manage to get off the Kimsey Creek trail and get onto another trail (Park Creek or Gap???) where I ended up on forest road 71 but about 3 miles north of the Deep Gap parking lot. This other trail is not on my AT map but others I met along the way say that this has happened to them also. The strange part is I continuously had blue blazes in front of me and the trail went in the same general direction as Kimsey Creek. Somehow there was a fork in the trail that I missed. I wasn't too thrilled to hike 3 miles along the forest road prior to 18 miles on the AT and another 2 back to the car from Glassime Gap. Fortunately it was a fairly easy stretch of trail to hike!

I did this exact same thing yesterday. Ended up on the Park Creek Trail. The maps do not show any intersections on the Kimsey Creek Trail, all the trails are blue blazed, and there is inadequate signs.

http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/...ala_basin.html

Does anyone have a real map of this trail?

Thanks,
Egads

[Waterbuffalo]

can you park at Standing Indian in the winter?

[peakbagger]

Gee I am not the only one getting lost on the trail from the campground to Deep Gap. We took our time, followed what few signs there were and still ended up 3 miles north of Deep Gap on the Forest Service road. ! We were slacking south that day so the extra miles werent a major issue.

[daddytwosticks]

Waterbuffalo...I think you can park at the kiosk right outside of the campground year-round. This is located on the forest service road. I know I hiked this area last year around Thanksgiving and park at the information kiosk outside the campgrounds.

[Old Hiker]

Just be careful with what you leave in the car. At the beginning of our section hike in 2010, there was a pick-up with bear prints on both side windows! We were hiking the last week of July.

[Waterbuffalo]

Thanks a bunch Im planning my Febuary trip so looking for sections I havent completed yet.