The  trailhead for this hike is located at the Back Country Information Board (BCIB) near the Standing Indian Campground area.  To get there, drive out US 64 west and turn left on Wallace Gap Rd (“Old 64”),  then turning right on Forest Service Road 67.  Three miles will bring you to the BCIB.  Note that you will not bear right into the campground. 

    This hike is approximately 6 miles long and should take about 3 hours to complete.  But that depends on the season of the year.  In the springtime when there are violets, trilliums, mayapples, bloodroot, and many other plants sprouting along the trail, I often spend up to one hour in various places .

    The trail is generally well maintained, however, there are places where devastating blow-downs have occurred and it is easy to lose your way in these places;  you will want to pay  attention, and work on your  pathfinding skills.

    The hike runs north along the north-flowing Nantahala River for almost 50 minutes,   They you turn left (west) and cross some ridges, then a bridge (L) over Park Creek into a wildflower wonderland.  Incidentally, this is a great place for a picnic!  And this wildflower wonderland continues for about 20 more minutes as you hike the  trail. 

    The USGS map indicates the trail crosses the creek several times, but currently it remains west of the creek, crossing it just before reaching the Connector(P).  You will probably get  your feet wet on this crossing, and a walking staff will be a great big help!

    The connector is located right at a large stand of Running Cedar, and it is about a 280 foot climb up over a ridge.  I go up it at about 1 step a second.  Again, keep an eye on the blazes.  The trip to the top (R) usually takes me about 12 minutes.

    The rest of the trail is downhill.  About 50 minutes down a mountain blessed with magnificent views.   

    When you reach the Nantahala River,(W) turn right back to the trailhead.

Park Creek/connector/Park Ridge Loop

   :00    Begin trail  3420 feet elevation

   :02    River Birch growing over a nurse tree which has disintegrated

   :05    Intersect with Kimsey Creek trail

             Doghobble, Rhododendron, Dogwood, River Birch

    :10    Intersect with Park Ridge trail (This is where we will come back to later.)

    :18    Opening in woods

             violets,  red oak, shelf fungus, 

    :21    park-like area.   

    :23    Teepee in woods.

   :28     Hobgoblin on a tree.

            running cedar

    :30    Reflecting Pond

    :35    Trail turns to left (west).   Cross ridges, lots of Doghobble, Hickory, boulders, Birch

    :47    Old logging road

             birch w/peeling bark, ferns

    :50    Bridge  to open area.

             Great place for a picnic!!  Bridge to open area  Trillium , Blood root ,Trout Lily, wild   geraniums, Crowfoot, Violets

  1:00   Beech forest, Trilliums. bloodroot, May apple, buckeye

  1:07    Fantastic views of creek; but be careful not to lose trail.  Spring beauties

  1:30    Big blowdown.

  1:39    Cross Park Creek

  1:50    Running cedar.  Connector Trail.   Steep climb out, poorly marked trails from 3640 feet

  2:00    Intersect trails.  On top.  3920 feet.

  2:15    View of Albert Mountain fire tower. 

             large number of acorns on ground

  2:34    Steep hillside.  Great skyline view

  2:38    View of road and campsite

  2:40     Boulder fields.

  2:48     Intersect Park Creek trails.

  3:00     Back to bridge.

This is a good hike to see the mountains of the Blue Ridge.  It begins in a river valley and after winding through dog hobble, rhododendron, and birch, it passes quiet park-like areas, and then leads you over some quick ridge lines beside a native wild trout stream called Park Creek.  The trail already will have introduced you to some wildflowers, such as columbo root and bloodroot, but the western side of Park Creek contains an impressive array of spring flowers:  bloodroot, wake robin, nodding trillium, drooping trillium, snowy trillium, great showy trillium, wild geraniums, crowfoot, yellow, white and purple violets, spring beauties, several fern species, and more.  This part of the trail actually continues for 20 to 30 minutes as you walk along dazzled by the flower show, the constant roar from the mountain creek and the strobe-like light dancing from the water!

    Then, the trail encounters several blowdowns and marshy areas.  Hikers have improvised and pushed several trails through, so it is not easy to find the main trail, but these places are not more than 100 feet, so you can usually find the trail without much trouble.  The noise of the creek should keep you from serious trouble.  Here I have seen bear and deer tracks and their droppings.

    When you cross the creek again,  you encounter running cedar, that tells you that the Connector Trail is at hand.  The sign is not in good shape, but it is there.  It will lead you up an intermittently marked trail to the intersection with Park Ridge Trail.  The hike down is along a great and deep ravine.  It shows you another part of the mountains, a drier place, with rocks and boulders.  The view from this part of the trail is so spectacular in the winter, that I call this “Skywalking”, because you can see the mountain fall off some 400 feet down to your right in only about a 1000 foot horizontal distance.

    Then you are back  to the river, and a right turn and a 10 minute hike brings you back to the trailhead.