South Prong Trail |
Description:
This is a 6.8 mile moderate
circuit hike on the Roaring Plains,
|
Of,
course, you’ll have to reverse the directions given in the following
trail notes.
The western terminus of the South Prong Trail shares a gravel parking are with the Boars Nest Trailhead. ______________________________________ |
|
Trail Notes: The trail is blazed with blue diamonds. From the parking area walk past the forest gate and follow the grassy road down to the South Prong of Red Creek. Cross the creek at 0.35 miles and turn left on an old RR grade, passing the first of many blue diamond blazes. Soon turn right, following the blazes, and climb steeply up a footpath to a higher RR grade. Turn left onto the grade and continue on. You will by-pass sections of the RR grade a couple of more times in this manner until you reach a long stretch of RR grade near the top of the mountain.
At about
2.0 miles from the first creek crossing, the trail crosses the creek
again and follows another RR grade in the opposite direction. Turn
right onto a footpath and arrive at FR 70 at 0.5 miles from the last
stream crossing. Cross the forest road and continue up the South Prong Trail for another 0.45 miles.
In a
small meadow at the top, the South Prong Trail will continue
straight. This is your route but if you want to take a break at a
refreshing area look for a faint trail marked by
After your break, continue your original route. Shortly after leaving the hidden passage you’ll climb two short rises. Be prepared for a lot of water puddles after periods of heavy rain. The trail seems to hold it for quite some time. Keep an eye out for a sandy campsite with fire ring to the right. Behind it, if you poke and prod through the dense heath, you might get glimpses of the valley below. Further along on the left there is a side trail now marked with blue diamonds that takes you out to a rock field. This used to offer great views of Dolly Sods. The Red Spruce is re-claiming the forest at a rapid rate so you may have to go further out on the field to get a reasonable view. |
As you near the end of the trail you’ll
find yourself walking through a tunnel of Rhododendron with
alternating grave and boardwalk trail beneath your feet. This work
was done to protect some small but rather attractive bogs. 2.5 miles
after leaving the entrance to the Hidden Passage arrive at FR19.
Turn left and walk 1.5 miles back to your car. Printable/Downloadable Directions and Trail Notes! ______________________________________ ______________________________________
Name: Kirby Adams
Hike: South Prong Trail ______________________________________
Name: Pete Flemming
Hike:
South Prong Trail M.R.Hyker Note: That's why we describe the hike from the bottom up. That way you can evaluate stream crossing difficulties early on. All hikers should follow the weather several days prior to a trip. Extended periods of rain can turn a mere trickle into a raging torrent. The South Prong is no different from other creeks in the Mid-Atlantic. ______________________________________ |