Jackrabbit Mountain Loop Hike Route Map

Sitting on a narrow peninsula on the eastern shore of Lake Chatuge just south of Hayesville, NC, the Jackrabbit Mountain Recreation Area is much more well known for its biking than its hiking. My work site the day prior had in fact placed me at the much busier mountain biking trailhead at the southern end of the recreation area. I discovered, though, that just across the road from the nearby campground was a two-ish mile hiking trail which I thought might make a nice family hike the next day. As it turned out, it was the perfect day for a hike with clear skies and the chance of hitting 70-degrees...a great day to explore a lesser known corner of the mountains...

Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 35.010824, -83.768079

Route Type: Loop Difficulty: MODERATE (Petzoldt Rating: 3.20 )

Hike Length: 2.4 miles Hike Duration: 1:30

Trailhead Temp: 55'F Trail Traffic: 5-10 people

Min. Elevation: 1,900' Max. Elevation: 2,250'

Total Vertical Gain: 400' Avg. Elevation Gain / Mile: 167'

Trails Used (blaze color): Jackrabbit Mountain Loop A (blue)

4-6-2013

Jackrabbit Mountain Trail (2.4 miles; d=3.20)

Jackrabbit Mountain Loop Hike Route Map
A VERY rough approximation of our route hiking Loop 'A' at Jackrabbit Mountain...as depicted a la Google Earth...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop Hike Route Map
The loop we'd be following with a bit better detail surrounding it...
Jackrabbit Mountain Trailhead
The trailhead is located just across the road from the Jackrabbit Mountain Campground though to find parking, you'll have to leave your car at the nearby boat launch...
Our Route...
Our hike would take us around the 2-mile outer loop. On this crummy, almost useless, map the height of land denoted as Jackrabbit Mountain is near the upper junction of yellow and blue trails while the lakeside portion of the hike is along the left-hand side...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
With a warm April sun warming our backs we started the gentle climb up the ridge...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
Not a hint of spring quite yet...things will look much different in a month...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
Early on the trail follows this narrow ravine as it climbs the ridge...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
A cute little footbridge allows for a dry crossing of this tiny ribbon of water...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
Every so often a tuft of grass or, like here, some early-leafing vines lent a hint of spring color to the walk...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
Every so often the trail steepened a bit but these sections were more the exception more than the rule...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
In case the blaze wasn't enough to keep us on track, an arrow shows us which way we should be heading...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
The only interpretive sign on the hike explains our surroundings which contained some old, rotting trees...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
Higher up the ridge we passed through a large stand of Virginia Pine...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
A little less than a mile in the trail crested the ridge near the top of the 'mountain'...
Jackrabbit Mountain Summit - 2,250'
Welcome to the summit of Jackrabbit Mountain, elevation 2,250 feet...about as low a summit as I've climbed in North Carolina...
Jackrabbit Mountain Summit - 2,250'
Through the trees from the summit the pale blue of Lake Chatuge could be seen below with the much higher peaks of the North Georgia mountains rising beyond...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
Following the summit ridge we were surrounded for a time by some very young pines...
Sessile Trillium
Out of nowhere...A WILDFLOWER!!! I had really not been thinking I'd find any at this still-early date but here it is...a Sessile Trillium, beautiful...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
Now that I knew they were out there my attention instantly switched from trying to see the views to watching the hillsides for any sign of early blooms...
Sessile Trillium
It wasn't long before we spotted more of the Sessile Trilliums, some of which like this one, had fully opened...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
As you can see here the eastern slopes of Jackrabbit Mountain are quite steep...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
Now on a constant descent the trail weaved its way amongst the oaks toward the lake...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
You can hardly tell in this photo but the tiniest hints of red buds were dotting the limbs of this oak...spring is on its way...
Jackrabbit Mountain Loop 'A' Trail
At this point it almost seemed like the trail was going to drop us directly into the lake up ahead. It would actually be a while longer before we reached the shore...