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.
KML is the main file type used by Google Earth. If you have Google Earth installed, clicking the KML link should open the trail or point directly
in Google Earth for viewing. This is the native file format used by Google Earth, but many other map applications can use and understand KML as well,
so if you're not sure which one to download, KML is a good bet.
GPX
The GPX format stands for GPS Exchange - a free, open, XML format for exchanging GPS and map data. GPX is compatible with Google Earth,
many other mapping programs, and most GPS devices (such as Garmin). Load the file directly into your GPS to help find your way on your next trip!
GeoJSON
GeoJSON is a newer, lightweight data exchange format which can be used to quickly share map data and may have a smaller size than KML or GPX. Many
professional mapping and GIS applications support the GeoJSON format.
About the Map
Copyright
Base Layers
Base layers provided by Google, MyTopo.com and Microsoft Research (MSR) Maps. Base layer images are subject to
the respective copyright policies of their owners.
Trail and Marker Overlays
Trail layers and downloadable data are all original works created by WNCOutdoors with guidance from a variety of
sources, including ensembles of our own GPS tracks, user contributed GPS tracks, official maps and GIS data from
government agencies, and field observations. WNCOutdoors data is made freely available under the
Open Database License - you are free to copy and use
it for any purpose unde the terms of that license (summary).
Tips
The map will scroll and zoom, just like a normal Google Map.
Click MyTopo to use a USGS topographic maps as the base layer.
Hover over a trail to see it highlighted. Helps to see start and end points for an individual trail.
Click a trail for more details and to download it.
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