North Boundary Road Map

Route map of the North Boundary Road as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...

North Boundary Road Map

Route map of the North Boundary Road as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...

North Boundary Road/F.R. 491 Junction -- 2,370'

As with its western end, the eastern terminus of the North Boundary Road is a bit ill-defined. Most maps I've found denote it as being here, at a Y-split where Forest Service Roads 485 & 491 part ways. The North Boundary Road is marked only as 485 on the left (see next pic) with the more overgrown 491 continuing on the right...

North Boundary Road/F.R. 491 Junction -- 2,370'

The North Boundary Road (which is simply designated as Forest Service Road 485 here) as it departs from its eastern terminus...

North Boundary Road -- 2,380'

After a short distance the North Boundary Road makes a sharp left turn in a more westerly direction...

North Boundary Road -- 2,420'

The grade becomes moderately-steep as the trail/road gets a bit more serious about climbing the ridge...

North Boundary Road -- 2,460'

Winding up the ridge toward Mease Gap...

North Boundary Road -- 2,500'

The road now enters a series of tight switchbacks, before making the final push up to Mease Gap...

North Boundary Road -- 2,550'

Mountain Laurel blooms just about ready to burst...

North Boundary Road -- 2,600'

The climb doesn't let up and, as you can see, the surroundings are pretty ho-hum...

North Boundary Road -- 2,650'

Looking down the green hillside as the trail approaches Mease Gap...

North Boundary Road @ Mease Gap -- 2,700'

Suddenly the terrain ahead flattens out with the trails arrival at Mease Gap. The trail/road will now cross over to the north side of the ridge and begin a route southwesterly...

North Boundary Road -- 2,720'

Past Mease Gap the trail continues to climb, but at a barely noticeable grade...

North Boundary Road -- 2,750'

Despite now being high atop the ridge, there is still very little to see...

North Boundary Road -- 2,800'

Though the scenery remains rather bland, the path has now all but reverted from road back to trail...

North Boundary Road -- 2,820'

Here the trail reaches its most northerly extent, and now turns south in the direction of Sheep Gap...

North Boundary Road -- 2,830'

You might expect the North Boundary Road to be much more of a major thoroughfare but, at least compared to other portions of Bent Creek, this section really isn't...

North Boundary Road -- 2,870'

Continuing the gradual climb...

North Boundary Road @ Sheep Gap -- 2,900'

This broad grassy opening atop the ridge is Sheep Gap. There's nothing here really of note...

North Boundary Road -- 2,920'

The uphill grade becomes more noticeable again to the south of Sheep Gap, but still remains quite easy...

North Boundary Road -- 2,950'

A few breaks in the trees now tease fleeting glimpses of the valley and ridges to the north...

North Boundary Road -- 3,000'

The trail is now steadily climbing, as it winds its way around the western slopes of Wolf Knob...

North Boundary Road -- 3,040'

Leveling off again...

North Boundary Road -- 3,040'

The North Boundary Road now crosses back to the south side of the ridge, just south of Wolf Knob...

North Boundary Road -- 3,000'

Back on the south side of the ridge, the trail resumes its rather banal journey...

North Boundary Road -- 2,960'

As it nears Ingles Field Gap from the north/east you get a sense that, through the trees to your right there is a view to be had somewhere in that direction. If you strike out in that direction within a hundred feet you'll emerge at the upper edge of a large shrubby clearing, which offers the view in the next shot...

Stradley Mountain View -- 2,920'

The view off the north side of the ridge near Ingles Field Gap overlooks the valley of Hominy Creek, with the Newfound Range beyond...

North Boundary Road @ Ingles Field Gap -- 2,940'

The North Boundary Road as it arrives at one of the busiest trail junctions of Bent Creek, Ingles Field Gap. Here the North Boundary Road heads E-W along the crest of the ridge (ahead and behind in this shot) with the Ingles Field Gap and Little Hickory Top Trails arriving from the south (left)...

North Boundary Road @ Ingles Field Gap -- 2,940'

Looking the opposite direction from a few steps closer to the gap than the previous photo, showing North Boundary Road on the left and the Ingles Field Gap Trail meeting it on the right...

North Boundary Road @ Ingles Field Gap -- 2,940'

Standing in the middle of Ingles Field Gap and looking west the North Boundary Road continues ahead on the right with the Little Hickory Top Trail heading out to the left...

North Boundary Road @ Ingles Field Gap -- 2,940'

Ingles Field Gap as viewed if arriving eastbound on the North Boundary Road...

North Boundary Road -- 2,950'

The North Boundary Road as it nears its arrival at Ingles Field Gap from the west...

North Boundary Road -- 2,960'

The scenery still doesn't vary a whole lot along this bit of the trail...

North Boundary Road -- 2,970'

Passing a quick break in the trees...

North Boundary Road -- 2,990'

The only decent view you get directly from the trail is here, just west of Ingles Field Gap, where the North Boundary Road passes along this old retaining wall...

North Boundary Road -- 3,000'

Well...technically the opening offers a view but, as you can see, it isn't exactly panoramic...

North Boundary Road -- 3,000'

The trail as it arrives at the viewpoint in the previous shot, seen arriving from the west...

North Boundary Road -- 3,050'

Steadily ascending again...

North Boundary Road -- 3,100'

Once again the North Boundary Road is now taking on a more road-like character, with the trees cut far back from the right-of-way...

North Boundary Road -- 3,150'

About a half-mile west of Ingles Field Gap the trail swings through a shallow gap to the south side of the ridge...

North Boundary Road -- 3,150'

Looking back as the trail crosses the shallow gap to the south side of the ridge...

North Boundary Road -- 3,160'

Despite the steep adjacent hillside, the thick canopy is still able to block any hint of a view...

North Boundary Road -- 3,180'

The green tunnel...

North Boundary Road -- 3,220'

Where things open up a bit you're able to enjoy the sight of some higher trees growing atop the ridge...

North Boundary Road -- 3,250'

The green tunnel continues...

North Boundary Road -- 3,280'

At this point the trail is travelling along the side of the ridge, just below Hickory Top...the going remains flat to slightly uphill despite the steep terrain to either side...

North Boundary Road -- 3,300'

Just over a mile from Ingles Field Gap things get a bit rockier and narrower...and the uphill grade increases a bit as the trail nears its western terminus...

North Boundary Road/Green's Lick Trail Junction -- 3,320'

Once again, like its eastern terminus, the western terminus of the North Boundary Road as a designated trail is a bit ambiguous. Most maps show it ending here, where it intersects the upper end of the Green's Lick Trail. Some, however, have it continuing along the old road grade for another 1.5-miles west to a spot called Yellow Gap.