Cove Creek Trail Map

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

Cove Creek Trail Map

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

Cove Creek Trail @ F.R. 225A -- 3,100'

The Cove Creek Trail as it departs Forest Service Road 225A, which marks the official northern terminus of the path. As popular as the Cove Creek Trail is, only a small fraction ever bother to hike the short quarter-mile section between here and its upper junction with the Caney Bottom Trail...

Cove Creek Trail @ F.R. 225A -- 3,100'

The Cove Creek Trail as it departs Forest Service Road 225A...

Cove Creek Trail @ F.R. 225A -- 3,100'

Looking back at the northern terminus of the Cove Creek Trail as it departs Forest Service Road 225A...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,100'

Starting out through the rhodo and laurel...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,080'

Rains have done a number on the steeper slopes, cutting deep channels in the trail...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,060'

In a couple spots up here the forest is in pretty rough shape...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,040'

Simply stunning...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,020'

The route has much flattened out completely at this point...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,020'

Crossing through a large campsite as the path nears its upper junction with the Caney Bottom Trail...

Cove Creek/Caney Bottom Trail Upper Junction -- 3,020'

A quarter-mile after setting out at F.R. 225A the Cove Creek Trail reaches its upper junction with the Caney Bottom Trail. The Cove Creek Trail continues south (straight ahead) from the junction...

Cove Creek/Caney Bottom Trail Upper Junction -- 3,020'

Looking back at the upper junction of the Cove Creek and Caney Bottom Trails...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,020'

Immediately after heading south from the junction a small tributary is crossed via a short boardwalk...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,020'

The magnificent forest surroundings continue...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,030'

The route remains remarkably flat...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,030'

Yet another short footbridge takes the trail across another tributary of Cove Creek...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,040'

Cruising through a cathedral of trees...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,050'

Though the trail is now technically climbing, you can hardly tell so gentle is the grade...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,060'

Looking down through the surrounding woodlands as the trail enters the drainage of Cove Creek...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,070'

Just before reaching the upper crossing of Cove Creek, the trail passes an unofficial connector path to nearby Forest Service Road 225 on the right...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,070'

The trail as it drops to its crossing of Cove Creek from the north...

Cove Creek Trail @ Cove Creek -- 3,060'

A rather fancy three log bridge takes the trail across its namesake creek, about 3/4-mile below the upper junction with the Caney Bottom Trail...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,070'

The trail as it crosses the flats adjacent and just south of the Cove Creek bridge...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,050'

The trail now backs a considerable distance away from the creek as it circles the outside edge of this relatively broad area of flat terrain...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,030'

Soon, however, the route finds itself alongside the edge of the steep hill rising from the west side of Cove Creek...

Cove Creek Trail -- 3,000'

Descending from the upper crossing of Cove Creek down to the spur for Cove Creek Falls the trail now embarks on a meandering journey down the valley...

Cove Creek Trail -- 2,970'

Entering one of a few tiny coves the trail twists in and out of on its way south down the valley...

Cove Creek Trail -- 2,940'

The trail as it circles back out of the cove it's seen entering in the previous shot...

Cove Creek Trail -- 2,920'

As the trail nears the spur for the falls from the north the surrounding hillsides get increasingly steep...

Cove Creek Trail -- 2,900'

The Cove Creek Trail as it nears the spur down to Cove Creek Falls from the north...

Cove Creek Trail/Cove Creek Falls Spur Junction -- 2,880'

The spur trail to Cove Creek Falls is located about a mile below the upper bridge and/or about 1/3-mile above the lower junction with the Caney Bottom Trail. It's a hard spot to miss as you can see here as there's a fairly significant opening and a sign denoting where it begins...

Cove Creek -- 2,760'

The spur path is short, barely over a few hundred yards long, but it's very steep and slick on its way down to Cove Creek just below the falls...

Cove Creek Falls -- 2,760'

Cove Creek Falls is a beauty. At around 50-feet in height its equally impressive at both high and low water flows. It's also very popular, especially in the summer, so don't go here expecting to be alone...

Cove Creek Falls -- 2,760'

Cove Creek Falls is a beauty. At around 50-feet in height its equally impressive at both high and low water flows. It's also very popular, especially in the summer, so don't go here expecting to be alone...

Cove Creek Trail -- 2,860'

The trail continues down the valley from the falls under cover of rhododendron...

Cove Creek Trail -- 2,840'

South of the falls, the trail once again backs away from the creek for a time as it continues its meandering journey along the steep hillsides...

Cove Creek Trail -- 2,820'

As you can see the trail is now a long ways above the floor of the valley...you can still hear Cove Creek somewhere far below but it's completely hidden by distance and foliage...

Cove Creek Trail -- 2,800'

Nearing the south end of the Cove Creek Trail through yet another stunning bit of woodland...

Cove Creek/Caney Bottom Trail Lower Junction -- 2,780'

The southern end of the Cove Creek Trail is reached where it once again meets the Caney Bottom Trail, this time at their lower junction. Heading straight here via the Caney Bottom Trail one will reach Forest Service Road 475 in about 3/4-mile.

Cove Creek/Caney Bottom Trail Lower Junction -- 2,780'

Looking back up at the Cove Creek Trail as it heads north, from its southern terminus, at its lower junction with the Caney Bottom Trail.