Swan Cabin, Graham County (5-18-13)
Read MoreStarting out at Santeetlah Gap, Forest Road 81 heads deep into the forest, paralleling Santeetlah Creek as it heads towards the Tennessee line. I'd be following this road for about 6.5 miles bfore making the turn up to the cabin...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
There's a number of pretty cascades all along FR-81, enough I probably could have spent the whole day just photographing them. This small one cascades underneath the road a few miles in...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
Video of the aforementioned unnamed falls...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
Yet another pretty cascade that crosses under FR-81...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
About 6.5 miles in you have to turn right on Forest Road 81F, which isn't marked. You have to watch for the sign which reads Wolf Laurel Trailhead...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
About 3/10 of a mile up FR-81F you can see a large waterfall off to the left that only requires a short scramble down to. This is the Lower Falls on Cold Branch. I discovered there was one above this as well, also visible from the road, but the thick tangle of rhododendron I would have had to fight my way through dissuaded me from trying to get down to them...
IMG4318pSwan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
Video of Lower Falls on Cold Branch...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
Luckily I was watching where I stepped, as I scrambled my way back up to the road, or I would have ruined this little guys day...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
A short distance up 81F and you'll see the gated road to Swan Cabin on your left. As I was here working, I was able to open the gate and drive in. Otherwise, you'd have to walk from that point...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
Swan Cabin from the end of the driveway...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
A fire pit, picnic table, grill, and lantern posts...all the amenities you could want out here in the backcountry...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
Surrounding the cabin is a huge, open field which could use a good mow...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
If I were to stay here, I imagine I'd spend quite a bit of time in this chair...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
Inside the 80+ year old cabin the amenities are rustic, to say the least. Surrounding the main living area, pictured here, are two bedrooms in the rear and what looks to be more sleeping quarters in the loft...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
A look at the main living/dining room from the opposite window...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
Luckily, the pit toilet doesn't date back 80 years...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
From the parking area an old sign points to Cold Branch Falls...I had read that there was a waterfall nearby the cabin so I decided to check it out...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
I didn't really have a clue how far it was to the falls but the day was a refreshing one so I figured I'd walk for a while and see what I could see...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
A ghostly Painted Trillium that is slowly fading with the season...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
A few minutes in the trail started to become quite overgrown, I don't think many people make out here...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
Trail clearance here is around 3-feet so if you have back problems you might want to skip this one...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
A blanket of green, as only the forests of the Southern Appalachians can provide...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
A handy cross-cut allows passage through a huge moss-draped log...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
At this small, root-choked rock outcrop the trail makes a hard left just before reaching the falls...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
Next to the falls is this nice little monument to what I assume was a pretty swell hiking companion...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
The trail drops you off right at the base of the falls. There wasn't a whole lot of room to maneuver so this was about the only angle I could get...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah
After finishing up at the falls it was time to head home, as I was heading out these striking Fire Pink flowers jumped out at me as I drove by...there was a bit of everything to enjoy this day...
Swan CabinNantahala National ForestNational ForestcabinrangerJoyce KilmerCherohala SkywaywildflowerwaterfallhikeRobbinsvilleSanteetlah