Trails in the Middle Prong Wilderness Area
This is your guide to individual trails in the Middle Prong Wilderness.Buckeye Gap
Blaze Color: None
USGS/USFS Number: 126
From the lower end at jct. with Haywood Gap Trail, the trail climbs steeply up an old logging skid road near Grassy Ridge Branch. The tread is narrow, but generally in good shape and well worn enough to be obvious. The mountainside here is steep and grassy, with mixed northern hardwoods and an occasional spruce or dying hemlock.
The trail crosses Grassy Ridge Branch above and below some small cascades, moderates some, and then climbs again steeply before reaching the top of what must be named Grassy Ridge (even though it's not on any map). Not surprisingly, the ridge is covered in beautiful soft grass - a striking sight when compared to the lush but varied understory common in the area. It then passes through a small clearing. Beyond the clearing, the trail climbs steeply again, with rhododendron and red spruce becoming more common.
The trail eventually reaches an old railroad grade and makes a sharp right. From here the grade is gentle, and the tread is a bit rockier (and you have to negotiate some old railroad ties too). There are stands of large red spruce, and some openings where smooth blackberries are overgrowing the trail. There are a few fair views to the West back into the Middle Prong Wilderness. The trail ends where the the Mountains to Sea Trail joins the old railroad grade, and that path follows the same old route all the way back to the Parkway at Buckeye Gap.
Green Mountain
USGS/USFS Number: 113
Climbs steeply from the river valley to the top of Green Mountain, and then travels along Fork Ridge. Variety of forest types culminating in a spruce-fir forest near the top. Scenic, wilderness travel.
Haywood Gap
Blaze Color: None
USGS/USFS Number: 142
Starting at FR 97, Haywood Gap Trail climbs alongside the Middle Prong of the West Fork of the Pigeon River all the way up to the Mountains to Sea Trail about 75 yards from where it crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway at Haywood Gap. Parts of the trail follows old logging road or railroad beds; parts are purpose-built path.
The upper end of the trail is steep in places, with several tricky areas to negotiate. Although most of the tread is in great condition, a few places are definitely not, warranting the Very Rough rating. A crossing of Haywood Gap Stream may be impossible in high water, or at least a wade (at most times it should be an easy rock-hop, however). There are relics from the logging era, including rusting steel cables and some old puncheon bridge sections that have almost completely collapsed but are still quite visible. The trail travels from a cove hardwood forest, to a high-elevation hardwood forest and a few Red Spruces & Fraser Firs gradually mix in as you go up.
