Haywood Gap Trail (#142)
Read More
Route map for the Haywood Gap Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app (on multiple trips) and depicted a la Google Earth...
Route map for the Haywood Gap Trail as tracked by the Gaia GPS app (on multiple trips)...
Haywood Gap Trailhead (F.R. 97/F.R. 97H) -- 3,640'
The lower trailhead for the Haywood Gap Trail is located here, along Forest Service Road 97 about two miles above NC-215...
Haywood Gap Trailhead (F.R. 97/F.R. 97H) -- 3,640'
The Haywood Gap Trail is oddly still designated as old Forest Service Road 97H where it enters the woods...
The Haywood Gap Trail as it enters the woods from Forest Road 97. As you can see, it follows a pretty level grade, which continues much of the distance between here and the Middle Prong...
A few dozen yards in, the trail passes a worn old kiosk...not sure what info it may have once shared but it's empty now...
Within a few minutes walk the sound of falling water will greet your ears from ahead...
Haywood Gap Trail @ Little Beartrap Branch -- 3,640'
Little Beartrap Branch looking upstream, from where it drops across the trail. Little Beartrap Falls is a short and very difficult bushwhack upstream...
Little Beartrap Falls -- 3,750'
The uppermost portion of Little Beartrap, seen here, is by far the most scenic part of the waterfall. The way the single strand of water above fans out across the rock face below is a delicate and beautiful sight. That said I'm not sure the somewhat dangerous climb up is worth it, so be warned...
Little Beartrap Falls -- 3,750'
A quick vid of the upper portion of Little Beartrap Falls...
Continuing southbound on the Haywood Gap Trail from Little Beartrap Branch...
In only a few hundred feet the path crosses yet another, much smaller, stream known as Berry Branch...
Beyond Berry Branch the trail turns to head out around the edge of the ridge...
Barely a tenth of a mile from Berry Branch the trail rounds the ridge by way of this old road cut...
You can clearly hear what sounds like large cascades crashing far below. It might be tempting to strike out through the woods but it's best to wait for the spur trail a short distance ahead...
A quarter-mile from the last one, I reached yet another old road cut on another sharp bend in the trail...
About a tenth of a mile past the second road cut, the path reaches this shallow cut on a short straight stretch. If you look closely you can see another shallow cut in the trees ahead. The spur trail down to Middle Prong Falls starts on the left about halfway between these two cuts...
Middle Prong Falls is awesome. The power of the river combined with the deep rugged gorge though which it flows created a scene of absolute majesty. The spur trail to get here is steep, narrow, and at times dangerously slick, be aware...
A quick vid of the beautiful and powerful Middle Prong Falls...
The Haywood Gap Trail as it continues south from the Middle Prong Falls spur...
Looking up the steep adjacent hillside...
The elevation is steadily increasing, though you'd be forgiven for not noticing so gradual is the uphill grade...
Here a barely visible old logging track breaks right while the trail curves by on the left to begin its descent to the Middle Prong...
The descent is moderately steep as the trail seeks out a crossing point of the Middle Prong...
