Slick Rock Falls, Cove Creek and Caney Bottom Trails, Pisgah National Forest
[dropcap style="font-size: 60px; color: #9b9b9b;"] A [/dropcap]nother of the myriad of hikes along Forest Road 475 in Pisgah National Forest, this two-parter is near the Fish Hatchery and Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education. First we took a short trip up Forest Road 475B to Slick Rock Falls, then hiked to the base of Looking Glass Rock. The climbers love this area and we encountered some when we reached the base. The main hike was a little further up Forest Road 475 at the Cove Creek Group Camp. The primary feature of this 6-mile loop is Cove Creek Falls, a 50-foot slide waterfall. This is a nice flat forested hike that is ideal for families with young children. The hike occurred on Thursday, June 14, 2012 from 8:40am to 12:30pm. Our plan was to take the Slick Rock Trail to the base of Looking Glass Rock, then drive further up Forest Road 475 to the Cove Creek Group Camp. From there we would hike the loop around Cove Creek and Caney Bottom.
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Hike Length: 9 miles Hike Duration: 4 hours
Hike Rating: Easy Blaze: Yellow, blue Hike Configuration: Loop
Elevation Change: 700 feet Elevation Gain: 1550 feet
Trail Condition: Mostly very good; some creek crossings; Slick Rock is rooty, and rocky.
Starting Points: Slick Rock Falls Trailhead and Cove Creek Group Camp.
Trail Traffic: We encountered no other hikers on the trails, but there were plenty of campers.
How to Get There: From Brevard, NC get on Scenic Hwy 276 west into Pisgah National Forest. Go 5.2 miles, then turn left onto Forest Road 475. After 1.5 miles (just past the Fish Hatchery), Forest Road 475B is on the right. Slick Rock Falls is about a half mile up this gravel road. Return to FR 475, continue west another mile to parking for the Cove Creek Group Camp.[/box]
I knew when I went looking for a portable water filter that it would come in handy some day. Well, that day happened, but more about that later. We met the new guy at the Fish Hatchery on FR475 in Pisgah National Forest. From there, it’s just a hop, skip and jump to FR475B where the Slick Rock Falls Trail is. I was looking forward to seeing this new waterfall. I’ve kinda been digging exploring all the local falls lately. Transylvania County, NC is known as the “Land of Waterfalls.” Let’s just say I was underwhelmed. Slick Rock Falls is no more than 10-12 feet, was just a slow trickle on this day, and isn’t particularly attractive.
With that said, let me still convince you to hike the 1.5 mile round trip on this trail. The reason? Getting a closeup look at the base of Looking Glass Rock. The trail climbs a moderately steep 618 feet in three quarters of a mile. The waterfall, or lack thereof, is right near the parking area so you don’t have far to go for that. But keep on going uphill through the forest. The trail itself is pretty narrow, and quite rooty, then as you approach the top it gets rockier and rockier. This is breakdown from Looking Glass Rock.
It also gets more difficult to follow the trail, but just keep your eyes peeled for the yellow blaze markings on nearby trees. Regardless of whether you can discern the trail, you can still get to the base of the pluton by simply going straight uphill. The western face of Looking Glass is very popular with rock climbers, as it was on this day. There were a couple of climbers gearing up for an ascent when we reached the base of the rock. They took a moment out of their preparations to point out the route they would take up the sheer face, and where the particularly slippery and tricky places are. It’s interesting to hear an expert talk about their hobby. Me? I’ll just stick to hiking.
You can walk quite a ways along the base of the rock, but we still had our main hike to get to, so we headed back down the hill. We were treated to a nice floral display by the rosebay rhododendron that lined the trail. When we got back down, we took off our packs and threw them in the back. Little did I know what would be waiting for me when we got to our next destination.
We drove down FR475B back to FR475 and headed west. It’s just about a mile to the road to the Cove Creek Group Camp. There is a gate at this road that is always locked, but there is a parking area available for day users like us. If you’re camping at the group camp, they give you a key to the gate at the ranger station.
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