Accessibility – Hard
Height – 10′
Distance – 4.8 miles (out and back)
Beauty – 1
Photo rating – 1
Solitude – 10
GPS Info: LAT 35.33223 LONG -82.93792
Last Updated – 12-23-2024
Home Alphabetical Listing Numerical Listing Location Listing NC215N
Where to park: Let’s be realistic. You’re not hiking to this one unless you’re already hiking any of these trails. I parked at the Haywood Gap Trailhead on FR97. This is on the outside of the second righthand switchback. FR97 is gated most of the year, and the gate at NC215 is only open from September to January 15.
The hike: Follow the Haywood Gap Trail for 1.8 miles to a trail intersection. Since this hike is in the Middle Prong Wilderness, there are no signs so know where you’re going. The Haywood Gap Trail goes straight and keeps climbing. Turn left onto the Buckeye Gap Trail. This trial is overgrown, hard to follow and really steep. After 0.6 of a mile of suffering you will reach Grassy Ridge Branch and a very unimpressive waterfall that drops next to the trail.
I was in here hiking to complete these trails for the Pisgah 400. I’m not sure why else anyone would come this way other than marking off these trails as done. The hike up to the MST on the Buckeye Gap Trail after the waterfall was awful and the hike down the Green Mountain Trail was so steep. It was the steepest trail I have ever hiked down, and since it was fall, the ground was covered in leaves and acorns. Good times.
