You don’t have to climb to 6000 feet to get spectacular views of the Smoky Mountains. In fact, Mt. Cammerer has some of the best views in the national park, yet doesn’t even reach 5000 feet. You can see Snowbird Mountain and the Pigeon River Gorge to the east, and Mt. Sterling south, and the full expanse of the national park to the west. Mt. Cammerer was named for Arno B. Cammerer, who was director of the National Park Service from 1933-1940 and was instrumental in the Great Smoky Mountains becoming a national park. The stone and timber fire lookout that sits at the summit of Mt. Cammerer was constructed in 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and was unique in its day for its unusual octagonal shape. This hike occurred on Thursday, September 22, 2011 from 7:30am to about 2:00pm. The plan was to take the Low Gap Trail from the Cosby Campground in the northeastern section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the junction with the Appalachian Trail. From there, the AT follows the Cammerer Ridge until it meets the Mt. Cammerer spur trail to the historic fire lookout at the summit.

View Low Gap and Appalachian Trails to Mt. Cammerer, Great Smoky Mountains NP in a larger map

We almost got lost before we even got to the trailhead. Sheesh! The Cosby Campground in GSMNP really winds around in the woods at the base of the mountains. The Low Gap Trail is literally “all the way” in the back of the campground. What’s worse… you can’t park there. All parking in the campground is reserved for campers. We found that out when we got back to our car and discovered a courtesy warning on the windshield. Considering there were only about five campsites occupied out of more than a hundred available, the rangers cut us some slack. Anyway, we passed a group of rangers on the way out and asked about the parking. You have to park in the designated area at the entrance to the campground, then walk (probably more than ¼ mile) to the trailhead. Look at it as a good warmup for the trail.

The first half mile of the Low Gap Trail follows Cosby Creek as it tumbles down from the state line ridge above. There is one creek crossing — you can either be a Meanderthal and wade through, or go up the hill a ways to a bridge — and then the up gets serious. The Low Gap Trail climbs about 2000 feet in just under three miles, so our legs and lungs got a good workout.

A couple guys from the U.S. Geological Survey caught up with us and we all stopped for a snack and water break, and some chatting. The USGS scientists were here to get some core soil samples from a virgin sugar maple stand that was another 20 minutes up the trail. They said they’ve been taking samples from Maine to Georgia, all along the Appalachian Trail, all summer long. They’re doing an acid rain study. Apparently acid rain is killing off the sugar maples in New England and they want to see how the ones further south are doing. We caught up with them again 20 minutes later as they were preparing to bushwhack off-trail to the sugar maples. You can’t see the stand of trees from the trail, but know that they are there, and that the USGS is trying to protect them.

After a couple hours we reached the junction with the Appalachian Trail at Low Gap. There was a new sign hanging on the trail markers. This one said the Cosby Knob Shelter on the AT was closed because of bear activity. We’ve been reading about significant black bear encounters in Great Smoky Mountains National Park this Fall because the mast has been very thin. For the next two miles on the AT, we would see indicators of that ourselves. The Low Gap Trail and the AT are also horse trails in this area, so we had to bob and weave, dip and dodge, to avoid the piles that would ruin our boots for weeks. Add to that many, many piles of bear scat right on the trail. Most of it was filled with mountain ash berries, apparently the food source that was plentiful.

The ridge the AT follows marks the state line between Tennessee and North Carolina; TN to the left and NC to the right. The ridge makes a swooping curve to the north so that we could see ahead. I always get a kick out of seeing where the trail will be going, or where it has been. The more I hike, the more that becomes apparent to me. This section of the AT flattens out after about 300 more feet of climbing from the Low Gap junction. The ridge eventually narrows considerably, and we could see over both sides into each state. We crossed over 5000 feet elevation and began to see just the first hint of Autumn color in the leaves that had fallen already. The maples were a rich shade of burgundy and the laurels were shining yellow.

After 2.1 miles, and about an hour, we reached the next junction… this one with the Mt. Cammerer spur trail. It is 0.6 mile to the summit, and oddly enough, the trail goes down a hundred feet or so to get there. The closer we got, the rockier it got. Granite outcrops with streaks of white quartz began to appear on both sides of the trail, and then were the trail. We came to a hitching post for the horses and a sign that said they could go no further. The reason became self-explanatory as we had to scramble over the rocks for the final few hundred yards. Be sure to tighten your boot laces so you don’t turn an ankle. Each side of the trail is covered with laurel and rhododendron so you can’t see much until… Wow! The whole thing just opened up and we could see for miles and miles in each and every direction. I think we’re there!

The summit of Mt. Cammerer is dominated by the historic stone and timber fire lookout that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. That’s the picture at the top of this post. The lookout operated until the 1960s when it was replaced by more modern forest fire detection methods. By the 1980s it began to fall into serious disrepair until a couple of generous park supporters started a successful fund-raising effort to save it. The lookout appears now just as it did in its heyday in the 1940s. Apparently it was staffed by two observers who lived and worked there in two week shifts. Talk about beautiful wilderness solitude. My companions are both big history buffs, so they really dig this kinda stuff.

There’s a sign at the base commemorating the lookout and the men who built and operated it. The sign taught me something I did not know — the difference between a fire lookout and a fire tower. A lookout is a one or two story structure that is built directly on the ground, while a tower is a tall timber or angle-iron structure designed to rise above the trees.

The summit of Mt. Cammerer is a perfect spot for lunch, no matter the weather. If it’s windy or rainy, simply go inside the fire lookout. Otherwise there are several rocky outcroppings that are flat and just right for sitting a spell to rest the weary legs. It’s always nice to get the pack off for awhile. You can look in any direction and see ridge upon ridge of mountains lined up; a sight so common to the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. This particular day was very overcast, so there wasn’t a lot of definition for photography, but it was still beautiful.

The Pigeon River Gorge is just below to the northeast with Snowbird Mountain across the gorge. If you look closely you can see the airplane guidance tower on Snowbird. Almost due south is Mt. Sterling, another challenging hike I hope to do in the near future. On this day there was a big cloud sitting on top of it, making sure it didn’t go anywhere. To the east and south are the mountains of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina, and to the west the majority of the rest of the national park stretches out into Tennessee. With the grey overcast, also came low-lying valley clouds that were a reminder how the park got its name. It’s always breathtaking. We stayed up top for more than an hour. The sights, the smells, the sounds, the companionship — it was that enjoyable.

The return trip is back the same way we came. You can approach Mt. Cammerer from the east on the Appalachian Trail as well. It is done from the Big Creek area of the national park. You cross Davenport Gap and then on up the mountain. It’s a little bit longer and comes up on the North Carolina side of the ridge.

By the time we got back to Cosby Creek we were all pretty tired. When climbing up nearly 2500 feet I try not to think about the effort required, instead focusing on the anticipation of the destination. When going back down though, the constant pounding on the feet, ankles, knees, and hips begins to take a toll after a couple hours. But this was definitely worth any soreness. It was a fun and enjoyable hike. The trail was in really good shape, especially the AT. The forest along the way is beautiful and lush, with many monstrous old-growth trees. The views in every direction from the point that is Mt. Cammerer are stunning and awe-inspiring. I definitely recommend this hike. Any trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park always makes me smile.

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.

Perhaps it seems I’ve been spending quite a bit of time hiking in the eastern section of Shining Rock Wilderness in recent months. I can’t help myself. The terrain is wild, the forests ever-changing, the views exhilarating, and the exercise invigorating. The elevation changes dramatically — more than two thousand feet. The air is cool and refreshing even during the summer. It’s enjoyable to follow the wildflower progression from bluets and trillium to catawba rhododendron, to mountain laurel and flame azalea, then white rhododendron, and on to the daisies, bee balm, and lady slippers. The landmarks have names like Old Butt and Dog Loser. These mountains have been here a lot longer than we have, but they keep calling me to explore them. This hike occurred on Thursday, July 7, 2011 beginning at 9:15AM and ending about 3:45PM. Our plan was to start at the Big East Fork parking area, enter Shining Rock Wilderness, and catch the Old Butt Knob Trail up the mountain to Shining Rock Gap. There we would meet the Shining Creek Trail for the return down the mountain to complete the loop.

View Old Butt Knob and Shining Creek Trails Loop, Shining Rock Wilderness in a larger map

This is a beautiful hike! This is also a very strenuous hike, so you better check your conditioning. The combination of the two made for a day of great fun and enjoyment. The first half mile from Big East Fork is along the East Fork of the Pigeon River. As the trail begins to climb it is important to look for the Old Butt Knob Trail on the right. It is easy to miss. There is a small cairn there to mark the turn, but it is quite easy to walk right on by. Straight ahead takes you on the Shining Creek Trail, the return trail when doing the loop counterclockwise like my friend and I did. Once on the Old Butt Knob Trail, it begins climbing immediately up Chestnut Ridge. It goes up 1500 feet in the next half mile. Pause to ponder that for a moment.

The farther I climbed up Chestnut Ridge, the more amazed I was at how well the Old Butt Knob Trail is maintained. This is a very hard trail. I can’t imagine it gets a whole lot of traffic to keep the pathway clear. So the volunteers who take care of this trail are to be commended. It is not only beautiful, but it is a joy to hike. The lower section is mostly hardwood forest. After about 700 feet of climbing the black balsams begin to appear. If you’ve never been in a black balsam forest, these fir trees are stunning. Almost always full and hearty, they also smell wonderful. It definitely helped take my mind off the burning in my legs and lungs.

Be sure to watch for the occasional small trail off to the left that goes out to a rocky overlook along the ridge. The first is perhaps 1/2 mile up and offers a view of Bearpen Ridge across the way. The trail is a little less steep the rest of the climb, only 700 feet in a mile. We found another side trail that took us to yet another rocky outcropping. There was a great place to have a seat and enjoy our lunch. From here we could see the summit of Old Butt Knob northwesterly to our right, then see the dip into Spanish Oak Gap, and then another steep climb up Dog Loser Knob. I loved the way we could see the upcoming terrain so we would know what to expect. Down below us to the south was the drainage of Daniels Cove, and directly in front of us to the southwest was Bearpen Ridge. It is quite identifiable because of the abrupt cliff that ends the ridge.

Lunch gave us enough energy to get through the next stretch of climbing to the top of Old Butt Knob. Once again the forest changed. The ground was grassy and we were treated to summer thistle alongside the trail. At 5600 feet we reached the summit of Old Butt Knob and began to see campsites and other small clearings. The fir and pine filled the visual and olfactory senses. It seemed as if the forest changed around every corner. We commented to each other several times how beautiful this trail was, and it just kept getting better and better. Despite being really sweaty and breathing very hard from all the climbing, I was thinking more about the abundant beauty that surrounded me that I was about fatigue.

About the only way to know you’ve reached Old Butt Knob summit is because the trail stops climbing and gets flat for awhile. There really isn’t a viewing area on top, but there are a few terrific wilderness campsites. The trail volunteers have done a great job of removing fire rings, so even the campsites look as natural as can be. There are nice level sites where you can pitch your tent right under a rhododendron or laurel thicket to get shelter from the wind and rain.

The trail actually dips for the next 1/4 mile or so as it drops into Spanish Oak Gap. And yes, the forest changes again to a brotherly mix of oak and pine. They grow side by side and wage friendly battle for the wealth of sunshine that bathes the ridge. It’s not long, though, before the climbing resumes and you have to recover the elevation lost in the gap. The trail enters an immense laurel thicket that helps one understand where this area got its name, Dog Loser Knob. If your dog wandered off into the laurels, you would probably never see it again. Just a word of advice. Do not go off trail in this area.

There is a great reward for the climb. At the summit of Dog Loser Knob there is another of those side trails to the left that opened up the entire expanse of the southerly Shining Rock Wilderness before us. To the southeast we could see the twin peaks of Sam Knob, with Black Balsam Knob just to its left. Straight ahead to the south is Grassy Cove Ridge, talked about in a hike a few weeks ago. Back to the east, on our left, we could see the fire tower on Fryingpan Mountain and Mt. Pisgah beyond. This is simply another fabulous vantage point on this splendid hike.

The rest of the Old Butt Knob Trail to Shining Rock Gap is flat and smooth sailing. We could tell we were getting close to Shining Rock when we began seeing small quartz stones along the side of the trail. Then suddenly the stones became boulders, and there we were. We climbed the Shining Rock Pinnacle again just to see how the foliage had changed since our last visit just a month before. The rhododendron was no longer in bloom and the greens were a darker shade, but it was nice to see The Narrows again and Cold Mountain. I love this area.

After scrambling back down off Shining Rock we had to find the Shining Creek Trail for our return hike to Big East Fork. Shining Rock Gap is a major trail junction. The Art Loeb comes here. The Ivestor Gap comes here. And the Old Butt Knob and Shining Creek Trails come here. They all meet in a small clearing with a sort of wagon wheel effect. It’s good to have a compass. Remember there are no trail signs or blaze markings in the wilderness.The Shining Creek Trail goes east. We encountered a lone camper as we started out Shining Creek. He seemed quite wary of us and didn’t have anything to say except to nod at our existence. A couple hundred yards up the trail, it takes a sharp left turn down some small log steps and begins a steep descent. This is another place where it would be easy to get lost. The natural inclination is to go straight, but the Shining Creek Trail drops down to the left.

As good as the Old Butt Knob Trail was, Shining Creek was a rude awakening. Suddenly the trail was very rocky and rooty, and wet. Runoff tends to use the trail, so there were lots of puddles and lots of mud. The trail is considerably narrower as well as curvier. There are a number of switchbacks. I slipped twice and even went down on my butt on one occasion. You could say I had an old butt knob… ok, maybe not. Like the Old Butt Knob Trail, Shining Creek is also a very hard trail, but for an entirely different reason. The good news was we were treated to an eyeful of wildflowers. We saw red, purple and white bee balm. We passed daisies, black-eyed susans and lady slippers.

After the first half mile of very steep descent, the trail picks up Shining Creek and follows it all the way to Big East Fork. The creek takes quite the journey down more than 2000 feet to the Pigeon River. There are a number of small waterfalls along the way. We happened to catch peak white rhododendron bloom time along the creek. There was literally a wall of white flowers that followed the creek the whole way down, quite a remarkable scene. As the creek, and the trail, finally reached flat ground there were a couple of relatively easy creek crossings. Once again, I had to prove I am a Meanderthal. There was a grapevine hanging right over the trail. I tested it for strength, seemed securely fastened up top, and said what the heck. I climbed the hill and swung out over the creek and screamed, “Weeeeee!!!” Yes, I am 58, not 5.

The last mile and a half of the Shining Creek Trail is flat, and as it would turn out, wet. We suddenly got dumped on. We rushed for the nearest rhododendron thicket to get out our rain gear and quickly covered up. The last 20 minutes of our hike was done in a downpour. We met three other hikers in this stretch who were just beginning their climb up into the wilderness for some overnight camping. I’m afraid they were in for a long, wet night. There is one last downhill section just before the trailhead that we had to take quite gingerly to avoid sliding to the car.

Best HikeYou will notice up top that this hike took 6.5 hours to complete despite being less than 8 miles in length. Sure we stopped for lunch, and pictures, but we also stopped for a number of breathers. Simply put, this is a very strenuous hike whether you take the loop counterclockwise as we did, or go the other way. It is going to be hard no matter what. But, it is extremely rewarding. The sense of accomplishment is paramount. The natural beauty of the wilderness is breathtaking. Even though the Shining Creek Trail was a little rough, the Old Butt Knob Trail was in such good shape that it was a total delight to experience. I will definitely do this hike again during a different season. I rate this as a best hike, and highly recommend it to anyone who has the stamina.

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.