Shope Creek Road at Big Spring Shelter N.C.

[Carl in FL]

My maps show a trail at or near Big Spring Shelter in the Nantahala N.C. (mile marker 98.6) that heads East to a Forest Service Road (no number), which eventually becomes Ball Creek Road. I don't see a trail name.

Google maps, however, show this as a road, and call it Shope Creek Road. The satellite views are inconclusive. The terrain/topo maps can't make up their mind. A thread search here didn't help either.

Anyone know the real story? Thanks!

[Ron Haven]

My maps show a trail at or near Big Spring Shelter in the Nantahala N.C. (mile marker 98.6) that heads East to a Forest Service Road (no number), which eventually becomes Ball Creek Road. I don't see a trail name.

Google maps, however, show this as a road, and call it Shope Creek Road. The satellite views are inconclusive. The terrain/topo maps can't make up their mind. A thread search here didn't help either.

Anyone know the real story? Thanks!

Just north of thed Otto, NC fire dept is the Shope Rd. This isnt a forest service rd. As you get to what the locals call the switch back there was at one time in the past a logging rd up to the Big Springs area. The unmarked FS Road you see is probably FS83.

[Carl in FL]

Thanks, Ron. Yep, I see Shope Road on the map at Otto.

Below that is Coweeta Lab Road, and if you follow that west it will fork off to the right (Ball Creek Road goes to the left). That right fork is labeled both Coweeta Lab Road and Forest Service Road. The left fork, Ball Creek Road, becomes an alternating Ball Creek/Forest Service and I am fairly confident that is FS83.

Now, the upper part of the fork definitely says "Shope Creek" on Google Maps after a while. That stretch of FS could also be FS 83, I suppose, and the switchback is right where the name changes. From the satellite view, it is quite possible the Forest Service Road never even gets that far.

Both forks are labeled Private on the topo maps, so I guess I should figure on there being no side trails.