Coontree Loop Trail Map

Route of the Coontree Loop Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...

Coontree Loop Trail Map

Route of the Coontree Loop Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...

Coontree Picnic Area Trailhead -- 2,250'

The trailhead for the Coontree Loop is the Coontree Picnic Area, which is located along US-276 about 3/4-mile south of Looking Glass Falls...

Coontree Picnic Area Trailhead -- 2,250'

The trail itself begins just across the highway from the south entrance to the picnic area...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,250'

Starting the Coontree Loop...the trail as it enters the forest from US-276...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,260'

Hill cane covers the ground all around as the trail heads out...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,280'

This first section is pretty much flat as the trail crosses the floodplain alongside Coontree Creek...

Coontree Creek -- 2,280'

Pulling up alongside the stream from which the trail gets its name...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,300'

Before long the trail decides to jump Coontree Creek via this old but sturdy log bridge...

Coontree Creek -- 2,300'

Looking upstream from the log bridge in the previous shot...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,320'

Not far beyond the bridge is the point where the loop portion of the Coontree Loop begins. Right or left doesn't really matter here from a energy standpoint. In this album we'll go right to do the loop counterclockwise...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,320'

The trail as it begins if heading counterclockwise...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,300'

Approaching the eastern unnamed tributary of Coontree Creek...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,300'

Crossing the tiny unnamed eastern tributary of Coontree Creek, the valley of which the trail will now be ascending to reach the ridge...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,320'

Let the climb begin...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,400'

The woodland, as the trail begins to climb, is quite pretty as it's a mixed of tall pines and hardwoods...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,450'

Soon the path is far above the tiny tributary...it can be heard but not clearly seen as it's far below on the right at this point...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,500'

Steadily gaining elevation...though the grade never gets all that strenuous along this stretch...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,620'

As the trail nears the upper crossing of the tributary, the ridge it's headed toward can be more clearly seen (in winter) through the trees ahead...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,640'

The tributary the path has been following thus far is little more than a trickle here, at the upper crossing...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,650'

Looking back down the valley as the trail starts up the hill beyond the crossing in the previous shot...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,680'

The woodlands up here are remarkably open...it's fairly rare in North Carolina to be able to see so far through the trees...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,700'

The trail now gets a bit more serious about getting up to the ridge, so in a few places the slope gets fairly steep...

Coontree Loop Trail -- 2,760'

A beautiful view up a neighboring bowl in the hillside...