Take exist 24 off i40, climb to max patch by gravel road, once at the parking, just a short hike to one of the most incredible views you will ever see. Max patch is popular for winter hikes, but dont attempt one without being sure that the roads are passable in your vehicle. Stop into nearby clyde, nc to fuel up for your max patch hike at one of our restaurants. You can see the smokies and mount mitchell from the top of max patch. The drive to the trailhead goes nearly to the top, and the at runs right through it. While this mountain isnt naturally bald it was cleared for grazing in the nineteenth century, its certainly naturally beautiful. Forest service and encompassing some 655,598 acres 2,653. Max patch hot springs 2020 all you need to know before. Some call it the crown jewel of the appalachian trail, the famous footpath which crosses it at the top.
Max patch is a bald, the southern appalachian name for a hilltop without a single tree. White blazes are painted on fence posts to lead the way across this huge bald. Day hiking a top 10 favorite on the appalachian trail. Either way, this is one of the souths most scenic sections of the at, and it is well worth your journey from wherever you are coming from. Each trail has its own printable page with all the information and links, including where available. Max patch to hot springs appalachian trail information. Max patch short loop hiking trail, marshall, north carolina. Shortly after passing through this intersection the at leaves the forest behind and climbs up log stairs on the way to the summit. From the parking area at max patch, the trail starts off going north. Max patch is a bald mountain on the north carolinatennessee border in madison county, north carolina, and cocke county, tennessee.
Trailhead paddle shack shop paddling, travel, camping. See photos and hiking guide for max patch bald mountain along the appalachian trail near hot springs and asheville north carolina in pisgah national. Max patch trailhead max patch, patches, outdoor photography. Max patch to hot springs on the appalachian trail david.
Hiking the max patch appalachian trail the adventurerr. Hike north on the appalachian trail to lemon gap lemon gap to max patch 6. This particular loop branches just off of the appalachian trail at. Max patch is a 4,629foot tall bald mountain with an incredible 360degree mountain vista just 20 miles from hot springs. Once we started descending from max patch a bit more, the wind began dying down, and as we warmed up a little, we began loosening up. Max patch, a longtime favorite with at thruhikers and regional folks wanting to escape for a few sunny hours, is a superb example of that appalachain anomoly the grassy bald. Weed patch mountain trail info and map conserving carolina. If you hike north from max patch, hot springs is only a 20 mile hike away and has a lot of stuff for hikers. A trio of route options leads to max patch from asheville. If youd like to incorporate max patch into a longer hikeand ditch some of the crowds who throng the summit baldconsider incorporating the famous view into the roughly 2.
The temperature can be a good 1015 degrees cooler than in asheville on this windy hilltop, so bring a windbreaker in addition to your camera. Hike the appalachian trail at max patch, a grassy, bald mountain thats covered in wildflowers, and one of north carolinas most popular at hikes. The weather was beautiful yesterday, so my friend katie and i took a drive up to max patch. Sitting on the border of north carolina and tennessee, max patch features 360 views and sits along the appalachian trail. Several hikes can be accessed from here, including a popular section of the appalachian trail. The hike trails to the northeast, skirting the mountain and beginning a continuous, moderate climb. At thruhikers often oblige, saying its one of the finest rest spots on the entire trail, and so do readers like michael wright, who hikes the 2. Forest service shuts down many popular spots in pisgah. Food, accommodation, etc according to a couple people i talked to hostel owners, hikers, etc, this area remains terribly busy until about midmay. Oct 21, 2014 this pin was discovered by traveling light photography.
To find the trailhead from asheville, head out of town on nc63 w. Hike up the incline and enjoy a picnic or walk around to explore the surrounding summits. The cherokee national forest is a large national forest created on june 14, 1920 and managed by the u. If you are going to backpack it, starting at max patch makes the most sense as there are good camping sites close to lemon gap including the shelter about 2 miles from the trailhead.
Max patch mountain was once cleared for pasture land, leaving an expansive flat summit that now serves as the ideal location for a picnic hike, flying a kite, or laying in the sun surrounded by the great smoky mountains. About 15 minutes into the hike you will come to a sign that indicates the at to the left and the climb to the top of max patch to the right. Max patch loop via appalachian trail north carolina alltrails. There is a loop trail of 1 mile just for max patch but to reach lemon gap use the left side of the loop and it will connect to the at. Moderate rain total 18mm, heaviest on sun afternoon. The view from the summit which is gained by one of those muchsteeperthanitlooksfromthe trailhead type hikes is.
With little elevation gain and a short distance it is also very family and dog. Max patch is a mountain on the tennessee north carolina border. Venture just past the summit for the prime locations. The sky there is so big that if feels like its twice. With a 300acre field of masters tournamentquality grass capping its rounded, 4,629foothigh summit, max patch begs for loungers. Gps wasnt very reliable and we followed a winding gravel road for about 6 miles to reach the spot. Max patch mountain part of the pisgah national forest is a bald mountain roughly equidistant from knoxville, tn and asheville, nc about a 1. Nice hike along a treeless summit of rolling hills. This is max patch, a popular, iconic, almost idyllic bald summit on the appalachian trail thats beloved by hardcore at thruhikers, casual day hikers and frisbeeflingers alike. Max patch loop via appalachian trail north carolina. Drive 31 miles, turn right on nc 209, staying on for a 1. The ride is long and twisty with the last three miles being just gravel if you are coming from hot springs, nc.
The max patch loop trail encircles the base connecting to the sr 1182 parking lot and the buckeye ridge trail 304. It is known for its 360degree views of the surrounding mountains, namely the bald mountains in. Max patch, located near hot springs, north carolina is a 2. Light rain total 8mm, mostly falling on thu afternoon. Our trip back to max patch which was one of my favorite areas of the appalachian trail and probably my favorite bald. With spring wildflowers and fall leaf peeping, the max patch trail is an easyto moderate hike on the appalachian trail near asheville, n. It was once forested, but legend has it that indians burned it, apparently for visibility. The appalachian trail crosses right over the summit running north and south. We found that the trail was covered in anywhere between an inch or 2 of snow for the most part, and the streams were also mostly frozen. Rising 4629 feet, max is a rolling, sprawling stretch of mountain meadow that offers plentiful sunshine, incredible views, and an ontopoftheworld feeling.
The at and max patch trail continue straight climbing the mountain. Aug 16, 2012 battery park hotel ashville, nc haunted by helen clevenger, brutally murdered in room 224 on july 17, 1936 she was shot and savagely beaten with her face slashed employee martin moore confessed and died in the gas chamber hotel has been the scene of number of suicides committed by jumping from the roof on stormy nights, helen is seen. Interactive travel map united states forest service. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and backpacking and is best used from march until november. The hike departs from the trailhead on a gravel forest service road, roughly an hour and a quarter northwest of asheville view maps and driving directions. Explore more in our professional, high quality trail. Bring a picnic, a frisbee or a kite and plan on practicing yoga in the idyllic scenery here near hot springs. I was thinking of a section hike max patch to hot springs, but timing wasnt good for me. The summit and surrounding area on max patch is the highlight of this hike. Max patch trail hiking the appalachians near asheville, n. This 4,600 foot mountain bald offers acres of wide open clearings with amazing, unobstructed views of surrounding mountains. This is the first expansive view that the trail has after it leaves the smokies. The summit elevation is just a little over 4,600 hundred feet, and the appalachian trail crosses right over it. On june 2, 2018, national trails day, more than 100 volunteers chopped, pruned, drilled, sawed, shoveled, hacked, planted and hammered a 2mile section of the appalachian trail that crosses max.
Camping is allowed in nearby areas but is prohibited on the summit itself. A couple miles up max patch road, look for a large. It is a major landmark along the tennesseenorth carolina section of the appalachian trail, although its summit is located in north carolina. Turns out the drive to get to the max patch hike and parking was the trickiest part of the whole day. The pastoral setting atop 4600 max patch is widely considered as the prettiest spot on the entire appalachian trail. While not the tallest peak in the area, its position combined with clear top provide some of the best views available in the blue ridge. Hike max patch mountain, max patch mountain trailhead. This trail has panoramic views from open fields of max patch, follows both trail and old road. With the largest selection of canoes, kayaks and stand up paddleboards in eastern canada. The site is at the top of max patch mountain, just under 5,000 feet.
An awesome section covering the famous max patch with creek crossings and the deep hardwoods of pisgah national forest. This interactive travel map supplements the corresponding motor vehicle use map mvum by displaying on detailed color maps the national forest system nfs roads, nfs trails, and areas on nfs lands that are designated for motor vehicle use on that mvum, as well as nearby points of interest. Max patch is a birding, hiking adventure located in or near hot springs, nc. It was the second year in a row that a conserving carolina trail has won this national award. The adventure begins at the lemon gap trailhead on max patch road view maps and driving directions, following the whiteblazed appalachian trail southbound from the border of north carolina and tennessee. Max patch trailhead is a trailhead on roaring fork, west fork little creek, trail fork, and middle prong gulf creek in cherokee national forest, tn.
In 2019, the national coalition for recreational trails honored weed patch mountain trail with its annual achievement award in the category of trail design and construction. Lemon gap to max patch hiking trail, marshall, north carolina. The trail rolls elevation through the shady forest, meandering through switchbacks, crossing several small creeks over rustic. If you chose to tackle these routes in winter come prepared with an emergency kit and a snowworthy vehicle. Max patch is a terrific day hike right on the appalachian trail, easily accessible, with one of the best views of the mountains. With its long view west, max patch happens to be an utterly awesome place to take in the sunset. The bald, wide, rolling expanses of the mountain rise to the east. Although camping isnt allowed on max patch, you may camp just prior to the bald or just after the bald on the. Turn left onto max patch road, the parking area is about 2. Turn left at end of exit ramp onto the gravel road. Initially youll follow the appalachian trail northeast through hardwood forests along gentle 4,000foot ridges. Max patch hiking hot springs, nc blue ridge mountain life.
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