What started out as a whim turned out to be one of my most enjoyable overnight backpacking trips to date. This area has the most high-quality camping sites – in high quantity, mind you – that I have ever seen. I highly recommend it due to this alone, but the diverse terrain, landscape, and views make it simply unbeatable. I will be returning here for many camping trips in the future!
Google Map of Trailhead
Setting Up Camp
After 5 hours of driving, I arrived just an hour before sunset. I needed to stretch my legs and make camp as quickly as possible so that I could hit the trail bright and early. Therefore, I took a quick 1.5-mile hike before setting up camp at the top of Spruce Knob, right at the beginning of the HuckleBerry Trail. This decision meant that I’d be doing the entire length of the trek in a single day, the following morning. Not bad for a day hike, but difficult with a full pack. I was up for the challenge; personally, the reward at the end scales exponentially with the mental and physical stress endured during the journey.
The first thing I noticed during my initial 1.5-mile hike was how beautiful and plentiful the campsites were. Within less than a mile from the parking lot, I counted at least 4 campsites each equipped with a large fire ring and makeshift chairs/sofas, making this area a great opportunity for beginners and car-campers who don’t necessarily want to go through a tough hike just to enjoy a bit of camping.
With camp set up, I had about 13 hours until dawn. I decided to split this up into 3 hours to relax, 9 hours to sleep, and 1 hour to wake up before starting the 17-mile loop. I spent some time reading a book I brought with me, in front of the campfire. It was dark so I needed to use my headlamp, but I was fine paying for this because I didn’t anticipate needed my headlamp at all during this trip.
After dinner, I migrated to my tent, where I continued reading “The Shadow Rising” from The Wheel of Time series (on my Kindle Paperwhite). Reading about Rand and Egwene camping in the cold nights at Rhuidean brought a sense of familiarity to this new place; although I was alone I felt like I was on an adventure with them and this bought an incredible sense of peace and comfort. On the following day, we would part ways and continue our respective arduous treks, but for tonight we would share camp.
Nightfall brought loud and abrasive winds. The moon was not particularly bright, but the snow on the ground provided enough ambient light to where I could comfortably sleep without my tent cover. Somehow, I was just low enough to not feel the stings of the howling wind. So there I laid, alternating between reading and watching the moon traverse from east, to west, to out of sight.
The Next Morning: Starting the Loop
I got out of my tent at dawn, and proceeded to start the trek down Spruce Knob via the HuckleBerry Trail TR533. The snowy forest gave way to sections of muddy greenery. Before long, the greenery of the forest faded with the altitude.
After roughly 4 miles of mostly downhill traversing, I took a right turn onto the Lumberjack Trail TR534. This trail was extremely muddy, and I hear it remains this way year-round. About 1 mile into the trail, I took the short detour down the hill on the left to see the remnants of a 1973 plane wreck. It was a bit spooky but I didn’t stay for long.
Aside from this, the Lumberjack Trail was pretty uneventful. Each footstep sank deep into the mud if it mistakenly missed the ever elusive rock, and this made the walk longer and measurably more difficult. After having a quick bite and drink of water I eventually reached the intersection of the High Meadows Trail TR564. I took a left turn onto this trail, escaping the mud, and before long the area cleared up to some fantastic views.
Why I Will Repeat this Hike
Continuing on this hilly and windy trail leads to the Horton Trail TR530, and then the Seneca Creek Trail TR515 shortly thereafter. From the moment I crossed the stream, the trail lead me alongside Seneca Creek, which brought a new therapeutic element to the journey: running water. The water became more lively as I pressed onward and downward, ultimately leading to spectacular campsites that surround the creek. I must have counted at least 10 campsites that rival the best of what I’ve seen at Dolly Sods, and I am going to come back here in a few weeks so that I can camp at one of these sites. There even is catch-and-release fishing here, if that’s your thing.
I actually crossed the creek just before the waterfall in order to continue the trail, and crossed it again several more times throughout the trail.
Even with waterproof boots/socks of some sort, you will get wet. There aren’t many rocks to step on for the length of the crossing, so make sure you pack waterproof socks and appropriate footwear especially given the freezing temperatures.
Hiking Back Up to Spruce Knob
The trail continues with similar views for a while, until reaching Judy Springs Trail TR512. I took a left to cross over the bridge above Seneca Creek, starting my uphill journey back to Spruce Knob.
Continuing here allowed me to eventually close the loop that I initially formed when I took the first right turn onto the Lumberjack Trail. During this leg of the trek, I experienced exceptional views of the meadows, comparable to those I saw on the High Meadows Trail. Upon closing the loop, I simply retracted my steps back to Spruce Knob.
Hiking Stats
Total climbing: 3337 ft
Total time: 07:51:24
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