North Mills River Trail Map

Route map of the North Mills River Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...

North Mills River Trail Map

Route map of the North Mills River Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...

North Mills River Trail/F.R. 142 Junction -- 2,400'

The northern terminus of the North Mills River Trail is located at this wide (former) pull-off along Forest Service Road 142, about 3/4-mile from the Trace Ridge Trailhead. The trail begins through the gap in the wooden barriers on the right...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,400'

The North Mills River Trail as it departs Forest Service Road 142, heading southbound...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,400'

Initially the North Mills River Trail follows a wide and flat old forest road...that doesn't last long, though...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,390'

There are a number of large grassy campsites along this section of the trail...no doubt they're quite popular in the warmer seasons...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,390'

Natural or not? I'm leaning towards not but I'll let you be the judge...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,390'

After a couple minutes along the old road the trail makes its turn toward the river...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #1) -- 2,380'

This is a critical decision point for anyone considering hiking this trail. If this first ford doesn't look appealing to you, turn back now...over the next mile you'll have to make EIGHT MORE just like it...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #1) -- 2,380'

Looking across the first, northernmost, crossing of the North Fork from the opposite bank...only eight more to go...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,370'

Back on dry land again, albeit briefly...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #2) -- 2,360'

Into the water again...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #2) -- 2,360'

Looking across the second ford (southbound) from the opposite bank as the previous photo...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,360'

You'll now have about a quarter mile of dry land ahead, between crossings #2 and #3...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,350'

Curving through a pretty, open cove...

North Fork Mills River -- 2,340'

A couple large boulders provided a pretty view down the North Fork towards the third crossing...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #3) -- 2,340'

The third crossing is wide, but a bit shallower than its predecessors...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #3) -- 2,340'

Looking across the third ford (southbound) from the opposite bank as the previous photo...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,340'

The trail as it departs the third crossing, heading southbound...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,340'

The route now crosses a small protrusion of land, where the river is forced eastward briefly...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #4) -- 2,330'

Where the third ford was a bit shallower, the fourth is a deep one again...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,330'

Up from the river again, but this time only for a couple hundred feet...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #5) -- 2,320'

The fast flowing water at the fifth crossing makes it a bit trickier than the others before it. You may want to consider making use of one or two hiking poles for stability...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,330'

The trail as it heads south from the fifth crossing...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,320'

Though the crossings are a bit of a challenge, at least the terrain in between them is easy to travel...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #6) -- 2,310'

A muddy start to the sixth crossing (heading southbound)...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #6) -- 2,310'

The view upstream, of the North Fork, around mid-ford...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,310'

The sixth and seventh crossings are only separated by a few hundred feet...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #7) -- 2,300'

Dropping back to the river...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #7) -- 2,300'

Looking across the seventh ford (southbound) from the opposite bank as the previous photo...

North Mills River/Yellow Gap Trail Junction -- 2,300'

The Yellow Gap Trail is now passed (seen here on the right) at an unmarked junction just past the seventh ford, if headed southbound...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,300'

Entering a pine cathedral...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #8) -- 2,290'

The eighth crossing (southbound) is by far the widest...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,290'

Passing a small weir...I assume it has to do with providing fish habitat but, if someone knows for certain, I'd love to know what these are all about...

North Mills River Trail (Ford #9) -- 2,280'

The trail now arrives at its ninth and southernmost ford of the North Fork...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,290'

After its ninth ford, the trail returns to dry land for good...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,280'

The trail as it passes a small grove of club moss blanketing the forest floor...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,280'

Having squishy pine needles underfoot is a welcome change from the bare rocks of the river channel...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,270'

Arriving at the southernmost crossing of the North Fork, which is thankfully a bridged one...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,270'

The suspension-style bridge across the North Fork is fairly typical for the Mills River area (where, of course, there is a bridge)...

North Fork Mills River -- 2,270'

Looking upstream from the suspension bridge...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,270'

Looking across the bridge, as if crossing northbound...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,270'

Looking back at the east approach to the bridge...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,270'

Shortly after crossing the bridge the trail enters a large field, which covers much of the broad point of land at the south end of the North Mills River Trail...

North Mills River/Trace Ridge Trail Junction -- 2,260'

The junction of the North Mills River and Trace Ridge Trails isn't directly marked. You have to look up along the wood-line to the left, where the Trace Ridge starts up the hillside, to spot its sign...

North Mills River/Trace Ridge Trail Junction -- 2,260'

A view of the junction from the opposite direction, with the Trace Ridge Trail heading up the hillside to the right...

North Mills River Trail -- 2,260'

The North Mills River Trail actually extends a few hundred feet past the Trace Ridge Trail junction, dead-ending at the North Fork through the low shrubs ahead...

North Mills River Trail South Terminus -- 2,250'

The south terminus of the North Mills River Trail is here, where it dead-ends at the North Fork a few hundred feet beyond the junction of the Trace Ridge Trail. You can make out a path departing the river bank across the way here. It's an unofficial fishermans path which leads a short distance to nearby Yellow Gap Road.