easy  moderate  normal   hard  difficult

Phy                        x                

Nav     x      

Driving Route:

     US 64  west will take about 20 minutes for you to get  just over the Macon county line, and you will immediately turn left on FS 71.  The road to Deep Gap parking area is about 15 to 20 minutes over gravel road.

        

In May of 1991, my wife and I hiked this trail when it was covered with about six inches of snow.  We didn’t have any problems finding the  AT blazes even though they are, of course, white, and can quickly disappear when snow is driven against the trees.  We did notice bear tracks along beside the trail, and made photos of the tracks but didn’t see the bear, itself.  It is  unlikely that you will see bears here.  There are plenty of them in this area, but they are hunted and tend to be wary.  They may see you, but you probably won’t see them.  The few I have seen here have been moving at about 40 mph in the opposite direction from me.  Later in May, I have seen mother Turkeys and Ruffed Grouse escorting their young along the trail.  Often, you can see Juncos, or Snowbirds, along these higher trails.  This is their territory in the summer.  In the winter, they come down to the deck in my backyard south of Franklin and eat free Sunflower seeds.  They are dark colored with a lighter breast, and their two outside tail feathers are white.

    

Notes about the trail and trail guide:

    This trail guide is notated in minutes instead of miles.  Obviously, people hike at different speeds, and I realize that serious hikers will move much more quickly than the rest of us.  I like to stop often and look at the incredibly wonderful things that are along the trails in these beautiful mountains.  I make photos, taking about 10 minutes per photo, and I identify (or try to!) plants and trees. In spite of all that ogling, I still average a steady 2 mph!  That’s also a good speed for any  hiker who is not used to hiking in the mountains. (That’s 100 yards every minute and 40 seconds for several hours.)  Additionally, I try to find some “special place” of interest about every 10 minutes or so along the trail.  Some areas don’t seem to have many “special places”, others abound with plenty.  Any hiker who has traveled the same trail many times will  notice those places that greet him like an old friend on every hike.  If this is your first hike on this trail, maybe this guide will help introduce you to some of those “special places”.  Take some time and you’ll find some of your own

Min             “Special Points”               Remaining

    Total time:   1:35 out + 1:30 back  =    3:00 .

:07    Wooden foot bridge                       (1:18)           

:16    Dry rivulet                                        (1:15)

:20    Nantahala Wilderness sign            (1:10)

:25    Camp site                                          (1:05)

:30     Shelter                                              (1:00)

:41     Old road                                            ( :54)

:42    Rocky rivulet                                     ( :53)

:52    Right turn                                           ( :43)

1:00    Switch backs begin                           ( :35)

1:10    Mountain laurel forest                      ( :25)

1:20    Campsite                                             ( :15)

    Boulder to left, go on other path on right

1:30    Trail to summit                                     (:05)   

1:35    Summit

    View from Standing Indian Summit

Standing Indian Mountain/Deep Gap

© 1996 by John Womack.  All rights reserved