Daniel Ridge Loop Trail (#105)
Read More
Route map for the Daniel Ridge Loop Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...
Route map for the Daniel Ridge Loop Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...
Daniel Ridge Trailhead -- 2,630'
The large parking area at the Daniel Ridge Trailhead is located along Forest Service Road 475 about 2.5-miles west of the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education (fish hatchery). This is one of the busiest trailheads in the District so expect crowds. Luckily most are just here doing the out and back to Toms Spring (Daniel Ridge) Falls, however, rather than the whole loop...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 2,630'
Built for Forest Service heavy equipment, not hikers, this large steel bridge over the Davidson River is crossed shortly after setting out...
Overlooking the Davidson from the steel bridge, with campsites visible in the trees beyond...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 2,630'
The loop portion of the trail begins here, a short distance past the bridge. For the purposes of this album we'll be heading straight-left to do the loop in a clockwise direction. If just here for the waterfall, taking a right is a shorter option as you'll arrive at it in only around 1/3-mile...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 2,640'
The Daniel Ridge Loop as it heads out in a clockwise direction from the previous intersection...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 2,640'
For the first while the Loop Trail follows the Davidson River quite closely. There are a number of beautiful little cascades along this stretch of the river...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 2,660'
This lower section of the trail is an easy walk as the uphill grade is fairly gradual...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 2,710'
Before long, however, the trail does start to climb a bit. What seemed to be a fairly fresh slide offered this, now-overhead, view of the Davidson River...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 2,750'
This is about as bad as the loop would get, incline-wise, along its entire route. A couple places were steeper but, as far as mountain trails go, isn't strenuous in the least...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 2,780'
As you can see this is a fantastic trail to enjoy the fall foliage from...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 2,850'
Though you can still hear the river it is by this point far, far below and out-of-sight...
Right Fork Daniel Ridge Creek - Unnamed Falls - 2,800'
A few more minutes walking and the Right Fork Daniel Ridge Creek comes into sight from the trail. This large, unnamed cascade can be seen from above but to get close involves a steep scramble down to the waters edge...
Right Fork Daniel Ridge Creek - Unnamed Falls - 2,800'
Another, closer shot of the beautiful unnamed cascade on the Right Fork Daniel Ridge Creek...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 2,920'
About a half mile below its junction with the Farlow Gap Trail, the loop passes the stone remains of an old bridge which once crossed the Right Fork Daniel Ridge Creek years ago...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 3,000'
The ridge above, ablaze in gold...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 3,100'
The path now never looses sight of the water. Between the colors (seasonally) and the never-ending crash of nearby cascades this is an amazing stretch of trail...
Daniel Ridge Loop/Farlow Gap Trail Junction -- 3,170'
Arriving at the Farlow Gap Trail Junction from the south. At the top of this bank the Daniel Ridge Loop Trail turns right while the Farlow Gap Trail turns left and almost immediately crosses the creek...
Daniel Ridge Loop/Farlow Gap Trail Junction -- 3,180'
A view of the junction as if arriving via the Farlow Gap Trail. The Daniel Ridge Loop curves by from left to right...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 3,220'
Funny thing...as opposed to what the its name might lead you to believe, the trail actually crosses up, over, and around Lanning Ridge...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 3,300'
Looking up the adjacent hillside...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 3,340'
A few maples working their magic...
Daniel Ridge Loop Trail -- 3,420'
After a brief climb the loop gains the ridge...the remainder of its route is entirely all downhill...