Cove Creek Trail Map

"As Pretty As It Sounds"

GPS Coordinates: 35.30969, -82.81596 (Forest Service Road 225A Junction)

GPS Coordinates: 35.29131, -82.81664 (Caney Bottom Trail Junction)

Album Direction-Of-Travel: Southbound

Highlights: Cove Creek Falls

Length (one-way): 2.6 miles

Petzoldt Rating: 4.00(S to N); 3.20 (N to S)

Difficulty: CHALLENGING (S to N); EASY (N to S)

Total Elevation Gain: 700' (S to N); 300' (N to S)

Elevation Gain/Mile: 269'/mile (S to N); 114'/mile (N to S)

Min. Elevation: 2,760'

Max. Elevation: 3,100'

Blaze Color: YELLOW

See Following Trip Reports for more info:

Caney Bottom/Cove Creek Loop

Cove Creek Falls Loop

Connecting Trails:

Caney Bottom Trail (#361)

Cove Creek Trail (#340)

Cove Creek Trail Map
Route map of the Cove Creek Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...
Cove Creek Trail Map
Route map of the Cove Creek Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...
Cove Creek Trail @ F.R. 225A -- 3,100'
The Cove Creek Trail as it departs Forest Service Road 225A, which marks the official northern terminus of the path. As popular as the Cove Creek Trail is, only a small fraction ever bother to hike the short quarter-mile section between here and its upper junction with the Caney Bottom Trail...
Cove Creek Trail @ F.R. 225A -- 3,100'
The Cove Creek Trail as it departs Forest Service Road 225A...
Cove Creek Trail @ F.R. 225A -- 3,100'
Looking back at the northern terminus of the Cove Creek Trail as it departs Forest Service Road 225A...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,100'
Starting out through the rhodo and laurel...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,080'
Rains have done a number on the steeper slopes, cutting deep channels in the trail...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,060'
In a couple spots up here the forest is in pretty rough shape...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,040'
Simply stunning...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,020'
The route has much flattened out completely at this point...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,020'
Crossing through a large campsite as the path nears its upper junction with the Caney Bottom Trail...
Cove Creek/Caney Bottom Trail Upper Junction -- 3,020'
A quarter-mile after setting out at F.R. 225A the Cove Creek Trail reaches its upper junction with the Caney Bottom Trail. The Cove Creek Trail continues south (straight ahead) from the junction...
Cove Creek/Caney Bottom Trail Upper Junction -- 3,020'
Looking back at the upper junction of the Cove Creek and Caney Bottom Trails...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,020'
Immediately after heading south from the junction a small tributary is crossed via a short boardwalk...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,020'
The magnificent forest surroundings continue...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,030'
The route remains remarkably flat...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,030'
Yet another short footbridge takes the trail across another tributary of Cove Creek...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,040'
Cruising through a cathedral of trees...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,050'
Though the trail is now technically climbing, you can hardly tell so gentle is the grade...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,060'
Looking down through the surrounding woodlands as the trail enters the drainage of Cove Creek...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,070'
Just before reaching the upper crossing of Cove Creek, the trail passes an unofficial connector path to nearby Forest Service Road 225 on the right...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,070'
The trail as it drops to its crossing of Cove Creek from the north...
Cove Creek Trail @ Cove Creek -- 3,060'
A rather fancy three log bridge takes the trail across its namesake creek, about 3/4-mile below the upper junction with the Caney Bottom Trail...
Cove Creek Trail -- 3,070'
The trail as it crosses the flats adjacent and just south of the Cove Creek bridge...