Little Sam Trail Map

"Echoes of the Past"

GPS Coordinates: 35.31963, -82.88965 (Flat Laurel Creek Trail Junction)

GPS Coordinates: 35.30748, -82.89334 (Mountains-to-Sea Junction)

Album Direction-Of-Travel: Southbound

Highlights: Mixed High Elevation Forest, Limited Views

Length (one-way): 1.4 miles

Petzoldt Rating: 1.86

Difficulty: MODERATE

Total Elevation Gain: 230'

Elevation Gain/Mile: 164'/mile

Min. Elevation: 5,510'

Max. Elevation: 5,740'

Blaze Color: YELLOW

See Following Trip Reports for more info:

Black Balsam-Chestnut Bald Loop

Sam Knob, Chestnut Bald, & Mt. Hardy

Connecting Trails:

Flat Laurel Creek Trail (#346)

Mountains-to-Sea Trail (#440)

Little Sam Trail (#347)

Little Sam Trail Map
Route map of the Little Sam Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...
Little Sam Trail Map
Route map of the Little Sam Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...
Little Sam/Flat Laurel Creek Trail Junction -- 5,500'
This is the northern terminus of the Little Sam Trail (left), as it departs the Flat Laurel Creek Trail about 1.2-miles from Black Balsam Road...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,550'
The trail will be gradually climbing for the next mile or so, and is fairly rough as it goes...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,580'
About a quarter mile above its northern terminus the trail passes through this rugged rock cut...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,600'
A brief break in the trees provides a look at nearby Mount Hardy (6,110')...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,640'
There's only on stream crossing on the Little Sam but it's a pretty one, as you'll see in the next couple shots...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,640'
Looking upstream at the crossing...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,640'
A quick vid taken just below the stream crossing...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,660'
In many places on this trail old, rusted cables protrude from the ground...evidence of the logging which took place in the area in the not-so-distant past...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,680'
One of the larger lengths of exposed cable...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,700'
Some of the larger outcrops along the trail are covered in these foliose lichen...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,740'
The most serious incline, which is a brief one, occurs just before the trail reaches the MST...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,750'
Just before reaching the MST there is a large rock outcrop you can scramble up for a view of the surrounding ridges...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,750'
Looking north from the top of the outcrop. Little Sam Knob (5,862') is the peak in the right...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,750'
Looking south from the outcrop you get a close view of the backside of Devil's Courthouse (5,670')...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,750'
Another view from the outcrop...
Little Sam Trail -- 5,750'
This middle-of-the-trail campsite is located just prior to the Little Sam's junction with the MST...
Little Sam/Mountains-to-Sea Trail Junction -- 5,750'
The Little Sam Knob Trail (left) at its southern terminus, where it meets the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in the vicinity of Chestnut Bald.