Avery Creek Trail Map

Route map of the Avery Creek Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...

Avery Creek Trail Map

Route map of the Avery Creek Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...

Avery Creek Trailhead (F.R. 477) -- 2,540'

You might be forgiven for passing right by the trailhead for the Avery Creek Trail, which you can see hiding in the rhododendron alongside the tiny pull-off on the right...

Avery Creek Trailhead (F.R. 477) -- 2,540'

The trail leaves the pull-off by starting a moderate descent through thick rhododendron...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,500'

Tunneling from the trailhead down to the creek...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,450'

Soon, the trail pulls right up alongside its namesake creek...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,460'

For a bit under a mile the trail will now be following Avery Creek upstream along a remarkably flat grade...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,460'

About a quarter-mile in the trail reaches its first crossing of Avery Creek via a log bridge of standard design for this area...

Avery Creek -- 2,460'

Looking upstream over Avery Creek from the first crossing...

Avery Creek/Clawhammer Cove Trail Junction -- 2,470'

Immediately after crossing the bridge the Clawhammer Cove Trail arrives from the right while the Avery Creek Trail turns left...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,490'

The trail is now a bit farther above the creek than earlier but remains amazingly flat...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,500'

A fallen log creates a small cascade in the creek below...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,520'

Whitewater seen through the trees and the sound of cascading water announces the trails arrival at Avery Creek Falls...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,520'

Just under a half-mile from the trailhead the path passes above Avery Creek Falls. A couple of steep scramble paths lead down to the creek below it providing relatively easy access...

Avery Creek Falls -- 2,500'

Though not high...at perhaps 8-feet...Avery Creek Falls makes for a stunning sight, as you can see...

Avery Creek Falls -- 2,500'

Though not high...at perhaps 8-feet...Avery Creek Falls makes for a stunning sight, as you can see...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,530'

Leaving Avery Creek Falls, the trail immediately passes by this runoff-caused cascade spilling over the path from ledges on the right...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,540'

Turning back towards the creek again the trail jumps a small tributary...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,540'

This short stretch, at times, can be a bit mucky...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,550'

Passing a huge dead hemlock, unfortunately an all-too common sight in this area...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,550'

Barely a quarter-mile past Avery Creek Falls the trail jumps back to the other side of Avery Creek...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,560'

The short stretch of trail between the second crossing and the Buckhorn Gap Trail junction...

Avery Creek/Buckhorn Gap Trail Lower Junction -- 2,560'

Perhaps a hundred yards beyond the second crossing the Avery Creek Trail is joined by the Buckhorn Gap Trail, which arrives in from the left. The two trails now conjoin for the next tenth-of-a-mile...

Avery Creek/Buckhorn Gap Trail Lower Junction -- 2,560'

Perhaps a hundred yards beyond the second crossing the Avery Creek Trail (arriving on the right here) is joined by the Buckhorn Gap Trail. The two trails now conjoin for the next tenth-of-a-mile...

Avery Creek/Buckhorn Gap Trail -- 2,570'

At this point the trail pulls right up next to the cluttered creek...

Avery Creek/Buckhorn Gap Trail -- 2,570'

This is a beautiful stretch along Avery Creek...

Avery Creek/Buckhorn Gap Trail -- 2,580'

Just before reaching the upper junction of the Avery Creek and Buckhorn Gap Trails the path hops across the small side-channel via a wobbly log bridge...

Avery Creek/Buckhorn Gap Trail Upper Junction -- 2,580'

Arriving at the upper junction of the Avery Creek and Buckhorn Gap Trails. The Buckhorn Gap trail now makes a turn right to immediately cross a large bridge over Avery Creek. The Avery Creek Trail continues straight ahead...

Avery Creek/Buckhorn Gap Trail Upper Junction -- 2,580'

Looking right at the Buckhorn Gap-Avery Creek upper trail junction. The Buckhorn Gap Trail breaks right to cross Avery Creek, seen here...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,590'

Departing the junction the trail dips through a rather damp area surrounded by dog-hobble and rhodo...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,600'

Unfortunately any hike in the Avery Creek area includes passage through numerous groves of huge, dead hemlocks. It's sad to see these once-magnificent trees standing bare everywhere around...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,610'

Gently climbing along the creek...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,620'

Dog-hobble is a prolific understory plant along this part of the trail...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,630'

Looking across the rhododendron-covered valley bottoms...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,640'

Thanks to the all-but-flat nature of the trail up to this point, it's an easy one to walk (so far)...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,650'

Passing through a pleasantly open grove of mixed hardwoods and old hemlocks...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,660'

After a good rain there can be a handful of small streams, like this one, to hop as the trail crosses the flats along Avery Creek. None of them are worse than this, however...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,700'

Suddenly the flat part of the trail ends and now begins climbing moderately up the rapidly narrowing valley...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,740'

Shortly after the first good climb, now about 0.6-miles above the upper junction with the Buckhorn Gap Trail, the sound of falling water can be heard below. This would be Upper Avery Creek Falls which requires a brief, but steep, scramble down the bank to get a good look at...

Upper Avery Creek Falls -- 2,720'

After the short steep scramble down to, and then up along, the stream you'll reach the base of beautiful Upper Avery Creek Falls. There is frequently quite a bit of clutter clogging the pool beneath it but that didn't detract from the beautiful curved-veil look of the waterfall itself...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,760'

Looking back down the valley from the main trail, just above Upper Avery Creek Falls...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,800'

About a tenth of a mile past Upper Avery Creek Falls the trail itself hops Avery Creek. Even when the creek runs high it shouldn't be a terribly difficult crossing...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,850'

Starting the longest extended climb on the trail as it begins its ascent from the creek to the ridge above...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,900'

Winter views can be had from this stretch across the upper end of the valley to Buckwheat Knob...

Avery Creek Trail -- 2,950'

It doesn't take long before the trail leaves Avery Creek far, far below...

Avery Creek Trail -- 3,000'

The moderate grade doesn't let up along this stretch...