Sometimes the forest roads in national forests make the best hiking trails. Such is the case with FR 5031 in Pisgah National Forest. Located near Courthouse Falls on the far southwestern side of Pisgah, near the boundary with Nantahala National Forest, FR 5031 is a means of getting from a drainage bowl to Farlow Gap on Shuck Ridge. For mountain bikers, you could connect at the gap with the Daniel Ridge Loop. For hikers, it’s a delightful grassy gambol through new growth hardwood, past mammoth rocky outcroppings and across several picturesque mountain streams. We followed Forest Road 5031 on Tuesday, February 3, 2015 between 11:45AM and 2:45PM. Our plan was to visit Courthouse Falls off FR 140, then backtrack to FR 5031 for the hike to Farlow Gap, returning the same way.

The drive up Scenic Hwy 215 always seems to take a long time because of all the twists and turns, but it is quite picturesque. Following the North Fork of the French Broad River through Pisgah National Forest, there is plenty to see. Once on Forest Road 140 north of the little community of Balsam Grove, you climb the western flank of Shuck Ridge in earnest. Even curvier than 215, it’s best to have an AWD vehicle to navigate all the potholes and exposed rock in the road bed.

We reached the junction with Forest Road 5031 little more than a couple miles after turning onto 140, but we wanted to pay a visit to Courthouse Falls first. Only another quarter mile past 5031, the trailhead is on the left. Park on the right just past a small bridge over Courthouse Creek. This trailhead is the northern terminus of the Summey Cove Trail that takes you to this hidden gem that is tucked away in its own natural amphitheater less than 10 minutes down the trail.

After getting our fill of the waterfall, it was time to drive back to the gate at the start of Forest Road 5031. Immediately it was obvious this is not your typical forest road. There is no gravel, at least not that we could see, so the road bed is nice and soft and easy to walk. It was still covered with downed leaves from Autumn in places, so our steps created that swishing sound as we passed through. After 15-20 minutes we reached a junction of 5031 with FR 5033, another option for future exploration of Chestnut Creek.

Despite the lack of gravel road bed, it was obvious that 5031 is regularly maintained. There had been recent work at all the creek crossings to help prevent erosion, with fresh grass plantings and even straw to protect the seed. Based on the size of the saplings in the lower miles of the trail, this area had been logged in the past 30-40 years, and we suspected they were keeping the road in good shape so it could be logged again in the not-too-distant future. We saw lots of acorns and hickory nuts on the ground as well as the occasional tulip poplar tree. There were hardly any signs of evergreens in this forest though.

We were surrounded by mountains. To our right the long, straight passage of Shuck Ridge as it crossed over Pilot Mountain and Sassafras Knob and on to Farlow Gap. Straight ahead is the 6,000 feet of Chestnut Bald standing above the Blue Ridge Parkway, and at one point we could see the great stone face of Devils Courthouse high above. Off to the west, our left, is Tanasee Ridge that demarcates the boundary between Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests.

As you would expect on a road, the pitch of the ascent is gentle enabling a relatively easy climb. Stops for the occasional breather were required less frequently. Since we got a relatively late start, it was past noon and we were pondering a spot for lunch when we happened upon a massive outcropping a hundred yards away on the left side of the trail. The entire hillside was strewn with house-sized granite fins and boulders as if there had been an enormous landslide centuries ago. We decided to go exploring.

This grand stand of granite became the backdrop for our forested picnic. We sat at the base and enjoyed hot soup and cider, and studied the other hefty stones that were strewn about. There were seeps of water running down the hillside from underground springs. We decided to come back here in warmer weather and climb the steep hill while exploring the aftermath of this impressive landslide.

Following our lunch we pressed forward on 5031 as it continued to parallel Shuck Ridge several hundred feet above. We were getting closer though. We began to hear the tell-tale sound of rushing water, and then could see Kiesee Creek down below to our right. Eventually we reached the point where the creek crossed the road, requiring a bit of a rock hop to get to the other side. That’s the photo you see at the top of this post. The road makes a hard hairpin turn at this crossing, changing direction from north to south.

There is quite a bit of whitewater on Kiesee Creek in this area as the terrain is rocky and fairly steep. I have seen photos that indicate multiple waterfalls farther down the drainage. That will perhaps be a further exploration for another day. Soon, the trail turns again, away from the creek and back toward Farlow Gap on the crest of the ridge.

The trail steepens at this point, and amazingly, has a really cushiony moss cover. One of the nice surprises about our visit here was the excellent condition of the forest road. It is very well maintained, and as mentioned above, done so without the annoying gravel bed that you usually find on old logging roads.

With the steeper ascent also comes switchbacks. We reached another junction, this time with FR 140A, an alternative option for getting off the ridge and back to FR 140, albeit quite lower. 140A is a means of accessing the waterfalls on Kiesee Creek, but is a much more difficult climb. 5031 narrows somewhat at this junction, almost becoming a single track.

There is one final sweeping switchback from the southwest back to the northeast, and then you reach Farlow Gap. The options at Farlow Gap are many, especially for mountain bike riders. If you cross the gap you will meet the Daniel Ridge Trail that eventually ends up at Davidson River. You also meet the famous Art Loeb Trail at Farlow Gap. Take a left up Shuck Ridge and you will come to the Blue Ridge Parkway within a hard couple miles. Take a right, and you will cross first over Sassafras Knob and then the magnificent views of Pilot Mountain. It’s a great place to extend your journey.

On this day though, Farlow Gap was enough for us. We had come four miles to this point. So back we went, the same way we came. As you can imagine, the descent went very quickly because it was almost all downhill. By the time we got back to the car, it had taken us only three hours to do an 8-mile round trip. That’s one of the advantages of hiking on a road vs. a trail.

As we drove back down FR 140 to Hwy 215, my friend Ken asked me if I had ever been to see PARI. PARI? Nope, what is PARI? Located west off Hwy 215 just south of Balsam Grove, the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is a non-profit astronomical observatory situated on the rolling hills of the National Forest. Ken took me to see the radio telescopes at PARI.

PARI is located at the site of the former Rosman Satellite Tracking Station, which was established by NASA in 1962. The site was part of the worldwide Spacecraft Tracking and Data Acquisition Network and an integral communications link for the manned space programs Project Gemini and Project Apollo. The facility was transferred to the National Security Agency (NSA) in 1981 and, as the Rosman Research Station, was used as a signals intelligence gathering facility. The site was closed by the NSA in 1995 and turned over to the United States Forest Service. After several years of inactivity, the government proposed to dismantle the facility. Recognizing the utility of the site, a small group of interested scientists and businessmen formed a not-for-profit foundation, which acquired the site in 1999. The observatory is now affiliated with the University of North Carolina through the Pisgah Astronomical Research and Science Educational Center (PARSEC).

The photo above, taken from one of the hills overlooking the PARI campus, also identifies the area where we were hiking. The tallest distant mountain on the right side of the picture is Pilot Mountain. Behind Pilot Mountain is Farlow Gap. Follow down from there to the left and you see the drainage that FR 5031 bisects. Devils Courthouse is right-center of the mountain range. I had no idea about PARI. You can bet now that whenever I’m up on Pilot Mountain or Devils Courthouse, I will be looking for the giant 26-meter radio telescopes on the campus of PARI. You can also bet that I will be back to PARI for a longer visit.

We also made a quick stop at Living Waters, a Christian retreat, to enjoy the twin waterfalls. I was able to return the favor to Ken of introducing him to something he had not seen before. Shoal Creek meets the North Fork here as side-by-side waterfalls create a lovely aqueous scene. This is private property, so behave yourself when you visit, and don’t park on the Living Waters lot. There is a pullout off Hwy 215 just south of the Living Waters lodges.

To summarize, this is an area of Pisgah National Forest where we have so far spent little time. Yes, I had been to Courthouse Falls before, but with this trip we just began to scratch the surface of all there is to investigate in the drainage between Shuck Ridge and Tanasee Ridge. Besides this very nice hike that we did along FR 5031, there is FR 140A, FR 140B, FR 5029, FR 5033, and all the options available once you reach Farlow Gap. I definitely want to go back and further explore the landslide area, and perhaps some day look for the waterfalls along Kiesee Creek.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Hidden deep in the woods between Courthouse Ridge and Brushy Ridge in western Pisgah National Forest, Courthouse Creek makes a dramatic plunge through a narrow chute into a natural amphitheater of bedrock, cascading 45 feet into a cold crisp pool. Courthouse Falls is one of the best kept secrets in the “Land of Waterfalls.” Beautiful for its solitude as well as its picturesque setting, Courthouse Falls is reachable by trail or by forest road. The Summey Cove Trail is a 5-mile round trip that begins north of Balsam Grove on Scenic Highway 215. It crosses Courthouse Creek several times before its final destination at the falls. This hike occurred on Wednesday, August 15, 2012 from 9:30am to 12:45pm. My plan was to sandwich Summey Cove Trail to Courthouse Falls between visits to Living Waters and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This report is about the Summey Cove Trail to Courthouse Falls in Pisgah National Forest. However, I made a stop on the way, and another after I was done that are worth mentioning. About nine miles up Hwy 215 from Hwy 64 in Rosman, just south of the teeny community of Balsam Grove, is a Christian retreat known as Living Waters. The North Fork of the French Broad River and Shoals Creek merge on the property with twin waterfalls that are quite spectacular and well worth the time.

Living Waters is private property, but the owners welcome your visit as long as you behave yourself. Just don’t do anything your momma wouldn’t be proud of and all will be cool. There are lots of old buildings at the retreat that hug the riverbank and are quite interesting in their own right, but the waterfalls are the primary scenic attraction. Mill Shoals Falls and Shoal Creek Falls each drop 20 feet off a ledge about 100 feet from each other as Shoal Creek spills into the river.

The one on the river is more of a free-fall, while Shoal Creek Falls is a tiered cascade that is quite picturesque. There is also a nature trail on the property that winds to another waterfall farther down river. That will be an adventure for another day. On this day my primary goal was still to come.

So I hopped back in my car and continued north on Hwy 215 through Balsam Grove and about another two miles past. When you see Forest Road 140 on your right, know that you are getting close to the trailhead. It’s about another half mile further. You will approach a very sharp left curve in the road. The trailhead is right in that curve with a small parking area on the left side of the road.

I should mention that you can also get to Courthouse Falls via the aforementioned Forest Road 140, but that would be like cheating. Right? The destination is a lot more fun if you work for it by hiking. But just for info purposes, you can also drive to the northern trailhead of Summey Cove Trail on a gravel forest service road.

Both of my regular hiking companions were out of town, so I was solo on this one. The southern trailhead on Hwy 215 plunges into the forest immediately, then begins a moderately steep climb up Summey Cove Ridge. You will climb about 470 feet of elevation over the next half mile on a blue blazed trail that is well worn and easy to follow. The woods here are typical for the altitude, primarily hardwoods and laurels with the odd hemlock and pine thrown in. Watch for roots on the trail, but it isn’t particularly rocky. The trail is lined with fern, moss and galax, as most are in the national forest.

Just as you top the ridge, and get a breather from the climbing, the trail immediately begins a descent of the back side of the ridge. In the next half mile you will drop back down all but about 100 feet of what you just climbed. The down side of the ridge is darker because it doesn’t get as much sun, but otherwise looks pretty much the same. I was totally alone in the forest, so I was hoping for some wildlife, but grouse was it. Over the course of a hundred yards, I scared up four different grouse who obviously weren’t pleased with my presence.

You can kinda tell when the trail bottoms out because you’ll begin to hear the far away sound of rushing water. The trail maintains a steady altitude the rest of the way, but does begin a roller coaster pattern of small ups and downs. As the water sounds get closer and closer, so too does the density of the rhododendron thickets. That’s a given in the forests of Western North Carolina. Wherever there is water there will be rhododendron.

As you approach Courthouse Creek for the first time, you will notice the occasional secluded primitive camp site. These are really out there away from the roads, so if you want some serious privacy for camping you may want to consider Summey Cove. The trail crosses not only Courthouse Creek, but several other small streams that drain from the surrounding ridges. None of the crossings are difficult.

There are a number of small coves where streams meet Courthouse Creek that are quite tranquil and serene. I found myself taking lots of pictures, but also just sitting… enjoying the peace and solitude. I felt alone in the woods, and savored the sensation.

Louder and louder. The falls must be getting close. The trail widens, then there’s a log on the side painted with <---- Falls. Not the most elegant trail marker, but it served the purpose. The spur trail to the falls is the most difficult of the hike. It's only a couple hundred yards, but there are lots and lots of tricky root balls and rocks that make navigation a bit perilous. Then you catch your first glimpse through the forest from about 100 feet away. Be careful in your rush to get there. The trail is slippery, and waiting to reach up and grab your knee or ankle. But the reward is stunning. It makes it all worthwhile. I have seen taller waterfalls. I have seen wider waterfalls. I've seen slides, and cascades and cataracts. But none are more beautiful than Courthouse Falls. Click the picture at the top of this post for a larger view. The setting is stimulating. A natural amphitheater of granite bedrock surrounds the plunge pool creating a harmony of sight and sound. The splash reverberates off the encircling walls. Little sunlight finds its way through the dense forest, so the bright white of the falling water illuminates the scene. There is a very steep rudimentary set of stairs that goes down to pool level where you can wade your way to large slabs in the middle of the creek. That was my resting place. I setup the tripod and pulled out my lunch. There was not another soul around. Just me and the sensory extravaganza of Courthouse Falls. I tested the water. It was cool to the touch on this 70° day. The plunge pool is deep and no doubt cold. On a hotter day it would have been great for a refreshing dip.

I stayed for about 45 minutes, pleased and somewhat amazed that in all that time I had Courthouse Falls to myself. Complete solitude. This alluring waterfall must not be on the radar despite the relative ease of access. It is now definitely on my list of places to go whenever I need some tranquility and seclusion.

I hated to leave, but I wanted to see what was at the northern end of Summey Cove Trail. It’s about another quarter mile beyond the falls to the north trailhead. It meets Forest Road 140 there as the road crosses Courthouse Creek. If you wish to drive instead of hike, this is where you will come. The flow in the creek is steeper above the falls than it is below.

For a moment I considered making a loop of the hike by going back on the road, but just for a moment. All it took was remembering how boring and irritating gravel forest roads are to hike on. Plus, it’s about a half mile on Hwy 215 from the road to where I parked. It would be kinda dangerous to walk on the highway. So I went back the same way I came. Remember the strenuous 400 foot climb up and over Summey Cove Ridge. For me, it was somewhat tiring at the end of a three hour hike.

When I got back to Hwy 215 I still had one more goal for the day. I volunteer on the Blue Ridge Parkway picking up trash and other debris on the Pounding Mill Overlook at milepost 413. It’s a scenic drive from Hwy 215 to the Parkway. There are a number of pullouts where you can view Devil’s Courthouse, a massive granite outcropping that is the namesake of Courthouse Ridge, Creek and Falls. There’s even an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway for Devil’s Courthouse with a half mile trail to the top. Check it out someday. There is a spectacular view of the surrounding Blue Ridge.

People have been behaving themselves this summer. There wasn’t much trash to collect on the overlook, so I was only there about 30 minutes. Cigarette butts are the main thing. When you throw down one cigarette it may not seem like much, but when hundreds of people repeat that over the course of a month, it becomes noticeable. Just my two cents.

Courthouse Falls is highly recommended. It is stunning in its beauty and relaxing in its seclusion. It’s a bit of a drive to get there, but easily accessible by either forest road or hiking trail. Just driving Hwy 215 is in itself quite enjoyable and scenic, so consider doing what I did and combine a visit to Living Waters and the Blue Ridge Parkway with your hike to Courthouse Falls. It makes for a very pleasant day.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.