Today, its a 350acre tract of open land on a high knob with 360degree views. Max patch on the appalachian trail in madison county, north carolina take in the most beautiful view on the at in madison county. The good thing is that we didnt get far before realizing it and turning around to find the actual trail. Max patch on the appalachian trail in madison county. The summit elevation is just a little over 4,600 hundred feet, and the appalachian trail crosses right over it. At 4629 feet elevation, max patch is not the highest summit in its immediate vicinity, but this. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Max patch to hot springs on the appalachian trail david. Max patch to hot springs on the appalachian trail david m allen. The elevation of hot springs is 1,326 feet, and by the appalachian trail, is 20 miles from the max patch. Max patch, max views, max adventure how i introduced my friend to backpacking with incredible views and juuuuuuust a wee bit of snow. The trail starts by walking through the front gate. S tanding guard along the state line, max patch mountain is a grassy bald with fabulous panoramic views of the.
Roan highlands is a small section that contains the longest stretch of grassy bald on the entire trail. You will emerge from the woods to the open fields of max patch with an impressive 360 degree view of the blue ridge and smoky mountains. The pastoral setting atop 4600 max patch is widely considered as the prettiest spot on the entire appalachian trail. Dogs offleash birding commonly backpacked fall colors rivercreek spring views wildlife. This dog friendly and family friendly hike is great for picnics, star gazing, and is accesible year round. Appalachian trail hike max patch to hot springs day 1. Max patch loop via appalachian trail north carolina. The adventure begins at the lemon gap trailhead on max patch road view maps and driving. Max patch trail hiking the appalachians near asheville, n.
Max patch mountain part of the pisgah national forest is a bald mountain roughly equidistant from knoxville, tn and asheville, nc about a 1. My plan was to climb max patch from the trailhead on max patch road, then follow the appalachian trail to its junction with buckeye ridge trail. Hiking usa colorado hiking thru hiking hiking trails acadia national park camping grand canyon camping grand teton national park appalachian trail ludington state park. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible yearround. Mitchell on the east to the great smoky mountains on the. Alternatively, you could drive about 5 miles further past max patch parking area to reach lemon gap parking and start there and hike to max patch eat lunch on top of the world and hike back or to share just the views with those of ages 7 to 70 you could just hike the 1mile loop trail. At 4629 feet elevation, max patch is not the highest summit in its immediate vicinity, but this grassy bald is certainly one of the prettiest. Max patch appalachian trail, max patch, grand canyon camping. The appalachian trail is the longest hikingonly footpath in the world, ranging from maine to georgia. Oct 29, 2015 appalachian trail hike max patch to hot springs day 1 october 29, 2015 december 2, 2019 starpulp after planning my at hike for almost a year, i finally took my first step with my friend, jenni, the morning of saturday, september 12, 2015.
This is a steep forest trail with rock outcrops and tight switchbacks. Im guessing that today, hot springs is better known as a trail town. Appalachian trail hikers probably dont think of kids fishing when max patch comes to mind, but theres more to the area near the famous bald hilltop than meets the eye. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and backpacking and is best used from march until november. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The usda forest service announced that it will sponsor two fishing days for local children. The appalachian trail conservancys mission is to preserve and manage the appalachian trail ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come.
The summit and surrounding area on max patch is the highlight of this hike. Hike a section of the famous appalachian national scenic trail or a. Max patch mountain, simply known as max patch, is hands down one of the most beautiful summits in the southeast. The appalachian trail on max patch max patch is a 4,629foot tall bald mountain with an incredible 360degree mountain vista just 20 miles from hot springs. Simply choose a selection from each of the list boxes below, then click on the submit button. These distances are based on the appalachian trail data book for 2020, a publication of the appalachian trail conservancy, all rights. Nat geo 782 trails illustrated map find it at trailful outdoor co. Sitting on the border of north carolina and tennessee, max patch features 360 mountain range views and sits along the appalachian trail. Max patch mountain via brown gap pisgah national forest, nc length difficulty streams views solitude camping 7.
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, at hike hike a section of the famous appalachian national scenic trail or a. This particular loop branches just off of the appalachian trail at. Park where the appalachian trail crosses fr 148a at brown gap. The appalachian trail follows the crest of the appalachians along the north carolina and tennessee state line. Thinking about hiking south, i see in the data book there is camping at davenport gap to stay the night before and possibly park the car. Max patch, max views, max adventure how i introduced my friend to backpacking with incredible views and juuuuuuust a wee bit of snow we had a few days off work on march 16 and 17 rumor has it we got those days off because of the start of the ncaa tournament, so with the extra free time my friend emily and i headed off to. Hike the appalachian trail at max patch, a grassy, bald mountain thats. Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, today the trail is managed by the national park service, us forest service, appalachian trail conservancy. Once we started descending from max patch a bit more, the wind began dying down, and as. The elevation of hot springs is 1,326 feet, and by the appalachian trail, is 20 miles from the max patch summit. Highlights include max patch, roaring fork shelter.
Max patch mountain via brown gap pisgah national forest. Sep 15, 2015 a day hike between max patch and hot springs, nc. After planning my at hike for almost a year, i finally took my first step with my friend, jenni, the morning of saturday, september 12, 2015. Max patch is a bald mountain on the north carolinatennessee border in madison county, north carolina, and cocke county, tennessee. Hike the appalachian trail at max patch, a grassy, bald mountain thats covered in wildflowers, and one of north carolinas most popular at hikes. Then we hiked 21 miles to hot springs back to our car which was parked in hot springs. Max patch hiking hot springs, nc blue ridge mountain life. It is a major landmark along the tennesseenorth carolina section of the appalachian trail, although its summit is located in north carolina. This program calculates the approximate walking distance in miles between two points along the appalachian trail. Sitting just inside north carolina along the boundary with tennessee, the mountain is considered by some to be the crown jewel of the appalachian trail. The appalachian trail crosses the summit of max patch, about 20 miles west of hot springs at mile 251. The manmade meadow on top of the mountain was once home to large herds of grazing cattle. Favorite the peoples trail a photo shot of a couple along the appalachian trail from atop.
This hike occurred on wednesday, may 29, 20 from 8. And after all, max patch shouldnt be hurried its a place to wander and wonder to breathe the air and let the mountains extract the worries. Where is this and where is the camping at state line branch. The first will be at carolina hemlocks campground on may 17, 2014. These geospatial data and related maps or graphics are not legal documents and are not. Max patch loop via appalachian trail north carolina alltrails. Can be used to summit max patch over a much more difficult route than the. Over the past three years, i had heard various people mention the at occasionally. Hot springs, nc is one of the most popular trail towns. Good places to hike on the appalachian trail in north. Zach robbins contact zach max patch mountain, simply known as max patch, is hands down one of the most beautiful summits in the southeast. Max patch short loop hiking trail, marshall, north carolina.
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. On max patch, you are at 4,629 feet and, on a clear day, have a 360 degree panoramic view of the great smoky mountains to the south and a glimpse of mt. Use the interactive map below to explore the trail, find shelters, locate parking and more. Im trying to decide whether to hike south or hike north. Hiking trails near max patch mountain hiking project. After you have your soundofmusicmoment at max patch, its a mere 9. With spring wildflowers and fall leaf peeping, the max patch trail is an easytomoderate hike on the appalachian trail near asheville, n. I need to finish up a section between max patch and davenport gap. In between the soaring mountains of the great smokies and the rolling hills of hot springs the a. The appalachian trail passes through the middle of town, and many of the businesses cater to backpackers.
With spring wildflowers and fall leaf peeping, the max patch trail is an easyto moderate hike on the appalachian trail near asheville, n. Rising 4629 feet, max is a rolling, sprawling stretch of mountain meadow that offers plentiful sunshine, incredible views, and an ontopoftheworld feeling. See photos and hiking guide for max patch bald mountain along the appalachian trail near hot springs and. We had a few days off work on march 16 and 17 rumor has it we got those days off because of the start of the ncaa tournament, so. There are two other view spots on the meadow on buckeye ridge that afford a great view of max patch from the base of the knob. Make sure you have good directions, dont think your gps will work here. This outandback hike takes you from lemon gap deep in the woods to the peak of max patch and back, making for an awesome long day hike or a great introduction to backpacking. Max patch is a birding, hiking adventure located in or near hot springs, nc.
From the parking area at max patch, the trail starts off going north. The trail rolls elevation through the shady forest, meandering through switchbacks, crossing. Hiking the max patch appalachian trail the adventurerr. Davenport gap to max patch road or other waterville, north carolina hiking trails.
Fishing for kids at max patch pond in nc appalachian trail. The massive grassy bald is meticulously maintained by mowing and prescribed burns to preserve stunning 360 views of the tallest appalachian peaks. Lemon gap to max patch hiking trail, marshall, north carolina. According to my map, buckeye ridge trail skirted the east and south of max patch, returning to the original trailhead. Moderate rain total 12mm heaviest on sat morning, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on sat morningfreezethaw conditions max 10c on fri afternoon, min 2c on thu morningwinds increasing light winds from the wnw on thu night, strong winds from the wsw by fri night. 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. Mitchell at 6,684 feet, the highest peak east of the mississippi to the east. Hike profile the hike is a loop that tracks along a number of trails but primarily follows the appalachian trail and the buckeye ridge trail. National forests in north carolina max patch forest service. This is an incredible, relatively easy hike with the reward at the end being hot springs on the french broad river. Mitchell on the east to the great smoky mountains on the south. The appalachian trail crosses right over the summit running north and south. Mileage is given, in miles, as one heads north from springer for mileage from katahdin simply subtract 2178.
There are several famous grassy balds like hump mountain and max patch here as well. 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. Southerly views open up as the trail descends a series of rustic wooden stairs as the trail switches back to the southeast. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. About 4 miles into this hike, youll see an opening.
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