Sam Knob, Chestnut Bald, & Mt. Hardy, NC (18.0 miles; d=23.70)
Read MoreSam Knob, Chestnut Bald, & Mt. Hardy Hike Route Map
The approximate track of my grand loop to Sam Knob, Chestnut Bald, and Mt. Hardy as depicted a la Google Earth...
Sam Knob, Chestnut Bald, & Mt. Hardy Hike Route Map
I'd begin and end at Buckeye Gap (also known as Rough Butt Overlook). I then biked down the Parkway and NC-215 to the Flat Laurel Creek Trailhead. From there I first followed the Flat Laurel Creek and Sam Knob Trails to the summit of Sam Knob. Backtracking the Sam Knob Trail I then followed the Flat Laurel Creek, Little Sam Knob, and Mountains-to-Sea Trails over to Chestnut Bald. Finally, I followed the Mountians-to-Sea all the way back to Buckeye Gap making the side trip to Mt. Hardy on the way. Overall estimate of mileage...3 miles by bike (orange) and 15-16 by trail (red)...
Rough Butt Bald Overlook - 5,300'
Off I go...From the start, here, at Rough Butt Bald Overlook I'd bike the 3-miles (mostly) downhill via the Parkway and NC-215 to the Flat Laurel Creek Trailhead... Also, try not to judge to harshly the quality of my wheels...I'm a hiker, I bust out a bike maybe a handful of times a year, thus the K-Mart special...
Flat Laurel Creek Trailhead - 5,040'
The trip down NC-215 went quick (glad the brakes still worked like they should!) and I stashed my bike behind a tree near the Flat Laurel Creek Trailhead...
Flat Laurel Creek Trailhead - 5,040'
Setting out on foot from the Flat Laurel Creek parking area...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,040'
From the parking area the trail drops a short ways to the first of many water crossings on this hike...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,020'
Crossing Bubbling Spring Branch, only a minute or two into the hike. This is never a difficult crossing unless there's been torrential rains recently...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,040'
Beyond Bubbling Spring Branch the trail begins its gradual climb, wedged between thick rhododendron stands and the edge of the hill...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,060'
A little over half a mile in you come across a rather unusual bridge, considering the setting, that crosses a tributary of the West Fork of the Pigeon River beneath Wildcat Falls which you'll see in the next shot...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,200'
The dark crown of Little Sam Knob (5,862') rises above the trees...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,200'
For much of this hike I'd find myself in woods similar to this, very young due to the relatively recent and intense logging that decimated this area less than a century ago...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5250'
A break in the trees gave me a glimpse of my final destination, Mt Hardy (6,110'), only another 12+ miles away (by my route) at this point...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,250'
Passing the famous (at least to me) 'Heart Rock' of the Flat Laurel Creek Trail...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,280'
Continuing on...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,280'
This area is home to the earliest flowering of our three native rhododendron species, the Carolina (or Piedmont) Rhododendron. Despite the leaves just beginning to pop at these elevations the rhodo's were already putting on quite a show...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,300'
About a mile and a half in, the trail passes an open outcrop just before turning up along Flat Laurel Creek offering nice views across to Fork Ridge...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,300'
Fork Ridge panorama from the Flat Laurel Creek Trail...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,300'
More Carolina (Piedmont) Rhododendron)...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,360'
Making the turn into the Flat Laurel Creek valley the steep southern slopes of Sam Knob came into view...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,380'
One of the countless cascades along Flat Laurel Creek. There are a number of side paths leading down to the creek along this stretch of trail, some of which are crazy steep and (from personal experience) not worth the climb...
Flat Laurel Creek Trail - 5,380'
Looking down Flat Laurel Creek...
Dan Weemhoff (dwhike)
on November 20, 2014Thanks so much for the info on the area Sylvia. I'm always fascinated by how much the mountains have changed over a relatively short period of time...those must have been quite the roads to ride on!
Sylvia M
on October 14, 2014"Yet another short crossing, I think this is the same stream I crossed a short time earlier down on the Flat Laurel Creek Trail.." This is Flat Laurel Branch. Over 30 yrs ago and up until the MTS trail was cut through and over Chestnut Bald, there was a trail called Flat Laurel Branch Trail that started to the left halfway up the Devil's Courthouse trail (with signs even). The trail went to the right over the tunnel and climbed to the summit of Chestnut Bald where it followed the ridge of Chestnut Bald and went down to join Little Sam Trail close to Flat Laurel Branch. You would go right on Little Sam and would be at Flat Laurel Branch very shortly.
Sylvia M
on October 14, 2014A little over half a mile in you come across a rather unusual bridge, considering the setting, that crosses a tributary of the West Fork of the Pigeon River beneath a large unnamed waterfall you'll see in the next shot... About 40 yrs ago Flat Laurel Creek Trail was an open gravel road from 215 to Black Balsam Parking. People were allowed to drive and camp on this road.