Pressley Cove Trail Map

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

Pressley Cove Trail Map

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

Pressley Cove Trailhead (F.R. 477) -- 2,300'

A small pull off is located across from the lower terminus of the Pressley Cove Trail, located along F.R. 477 about 1.3-miles up from U.S. 276...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 2,320'

The Pressley Cove Trail begins by immediately heading up the hillside across from the parking area...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 2,380'

After the short initial climb the trail swings left, under cover of thick rhododendron, to enter Pressley Cove itself...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 2,440'

The trail as it starts its ascent along the west side of Pressley Cove...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 2,500'

Winding along the steep hillside...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 2,550'

A surprising amount of elevation has already been gained at this point...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 2,620'

As the trail briefly comes alongside the creek, the rhodo's fill in a bit again...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 2,700'

Warm up time is over...now the real climb begins...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 2,800'

Climbing steeply between columns of hardwood...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 2,900'

It's a fairly tiring climb, but Pressley Cove is still very very pretty...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 2,960'

As it enters the narrow, uppermost part of the cove the trail hops across the stream to continue its ascent via the opposite bank...

Pressley Cove Creek -- 2,960'

Small but beautiful...this is the view of the creek looking upstream from the lower crossing...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 2,980'

Turning up the east side of the valley now...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 3,020'

This upper portion of the trail is the steepest thus-far as it hugs the side of the narrow gorge at the top of the valley...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 3,050'

There were some pretty little cascades below the trail but most were heavily covered in rhododendron and downfall...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 3,100'

The trail exits the top of the narrow gorge via this incredibly scenic little log bridge...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 3,100'

This doesn't let up...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 3,150'

Entering the upper reaches of Pressley Cove...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 3,200'

Hopping across a tiny runoff stream...

Pressley Cove Trail -- 3,230'

The trail finally levels off for its final couple hundred yards...

Pressley Cove Trail @ F.R. 5099 -- 3,240'

The Pressley Cove Trail as it reaches its upper terminus at Forest Service Road 5099...

Pressley Cove Trail @ F.R. 5099 -- 3,250'

The upper terminus of the Pressley Cove Trail (bottom, right) as seen from Forest Service Road 5099.