The Blue Ridge Parkway frequently closes for snow and ice in late Fall and Winter. While it’s disappointing you can’t traverse the roadway by vehicle, the fun news is that you can still access your favorite overlooks on foot, without any traffic. It is so peaceful.

Most access roads to the Parkway are maintained during snow season, so you can get to the Parkway, you just can’t drive on it. I chose Scenic Hwy 276 from Brevard for my trip to the Parkway on December 18, 2018, just a few days before the Winter Solstice. I parked at the Cold Mountain Overlook at milepost 412, and headed southwest via Meaderthals power.

With the leaves down, the long distance viewing is incredible. I was treated to an extremely clear day as I walked to Pounding Mill Overlook at milepost 413. I could see the Black Mountains to the east, 40 miles north of Asheville. Cold Mountain and the Great Balsams to the west seemed almost close enough to touch.

There was still about six inches of snow in the shady spots, leftover from a major dump the week before. Where the sunshine touched the pavement, the snow was all gone. The forest may not be as pretty during this season without its leaves, but it is still so much better to be outside enjoying the Blue Ridge scenery from 5,000 feet. See what you think.

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.

Thompson Creek Trail climbs Thompson Ridge from Forest Road 1206 to a point just below the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway. To the southwest it overlooks the Cradle of Forestry National Historic Site and the Pink Beds. To the east it crosses from Transylvania County into Henderson County and joins the Pilot Rock Trail along the Slate Rock Ridge for the descent across Pilot Rock, and back to the forest road. Along the way is multi-terrain hiking, varying from a creek-side stroll, to switchbacks on all fours, and rocky scrambles across a granite pluton. Make sure you’re in good physical condition for this one. This hike occurred on Thursday, January 5, 2012 from 10:40am to 2:25pm. The plan was to climb Thompson Ridge by taking the Thompson Creek Trail to the Pilot Rock Trail, then descend, with stops along the way for lunch and pictures from Pilot Rock.

View Thompson Creek and Pilot Rock Loop, Pisgah National Forest in a larger map

The trailhead is kinda hard to find. It’s roughly 3.5 miles in from Hwy 276. The marker is on the left, up four steps off Forest Road 1206 in the woods. It is especially difficult to see in summer when the foliage is in full array. Just keep your eyes peeled. There is room for 2-3 cars on the right side of the road. Look for that as well.

The blue-blazed Thompson Creek Trail starts out innocent enough. It’s a nice stroll through a beautiful forest with oak, hickory, maple and other hardwoods that are common to Pisgah National Forest. The trail itself is wide and well maintained. The first indication things are about to change occurs 3/4 mile in when you reach the Thompson Creek crossing. It’s about 10 feet wide with rocks to step across, however it can be treacherous if the water is up as it was on this day. The moss covered rocks become quite slippery. I was looking upstream for an easier crossing when my companions, already on the other side, tossed me a trekking pole and said go for it. Be careful.

On the northern side of the creek the trail immediately begins its relentless uphill haul. Steeper and steeper it climbs, eventually leaving the creek-side behind. I recommend pausing every few hundred yards for a 30 second breather because it keeps getting steeper the higher you get. The air gets thinner too. I determined that by the tell-tale fire inside my lungs. Until about the last 4/10 mile, it is a straight shot up Thompson Ridge — no switchbacks to ease the pitch. In winter you can see through the forest to the ridge ahead, not quite a demoralizing deterrent, but the top seems to be always farther up.

Then finally, the forest begins to change from hardwood to evergreen, heath and laurel. This is the signal that the switchbacks have arrived. The final .4 mile is the steepest, sometimes requiring hands on the ground ahead of you for stability. I lost count, but there are close to 20 switchbacks, each gaining 30-50 feet in elevation. We were fortunate on this winter day to be in a minimal amount of snow as we were on the south exposed side of the ridge. It’s not a bad idea to carry some kind of ice cleat with you when hiking this trail in winter. I use Stabilicers®. With near 5000 feet elevation and the steepness of the terrain, icy conditions would make this an extreme slipping hazard.

At the end of the switchbacks the trail pops out on top of Thompson Ridge and offers views of the surrounding mountains. To the north is the Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah Inn. Westward are seemingly endless ridges. The clear winter air enables you to see for miles and miles from one ridge to the next. Below and to the south is the Pilot Rock pluton, one of the destinations on the downward trek. The trail turns in an easterly direction at this point as it crosses from Thompson Ridge to Slate Rock Ridge.

The trail also narrows. It is more or less hanging on the side of the mountain with the Bradley Creek drainage down below. The foliage is nearly all mountain laurel now, gnarly and distorted from the harsh winters, yet quite hearty. The trail had more snow. Not as much sun was reaching it here. There’s one final short push upward and then you meet the Pilot Rock Trail where the blaze markings change to orange.

Just past the junction we happened upon the only other hiker we saw this day. He was coming up the trail we were about to go down. We introduced ourselves, told him we were Meanderthals and had come up Thompson Creek. He just shook his head and raised his eyebrows, affirming the Meanderthals part. This makes the third time we have done this hike. The first time we started up top at the Buck Springs Gap Overlook on the parkway, went down Pilot Rock and then came back up Thompson Ridge at the end. It was an ego killer. So the next two times we have started from the bottom to get the climb out of the way first. This is my recommended way to do this hike.

Along Slate Rock Ridge the mountain laurel forms a beautiful canopy that goes for 1/4 mile. With snow beneath, it made for an artistic scene. Every time I come to this ridge I say I want to be here during the laurel bloom season. Perhaps I will remember this coming spring.

The Pilot Rock side of this loop is extremely craggy and rocky. Unlike Thompson Creek, this is also a mountain bike trail. The trail is more rutted, with exposed roots and loose stones, all hazards just waiting for a misstep. There are switchbacks here too as the descent is nearly as steep. About 30 minutes down from the top is a large, flat granite outcrop that is a perfect spot for lunch. There is a fabulous view of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. The outcrop is covered with a smooth moss/lichen mixture that is almost like carpet.

Refreshed and re-energized after lunch and conversation, we continued our descent to Pilot Rock. A pluton is a body of igneous rock formed beneath the surface of the earth by consolidation of magma. During times of geologic upheaval the massive rock domes will be exposed above the surface. There are a dozen or more plutons in Pisgah National Forest, all fascinating, and all worth exploring. The rock climbers love them as well. Pilot Rock is no different. I was happy to see it wasn’t wet or snow covered because the granite face is very steep.

Pilot Rock is an ideal photo spot. To the west you can see Fryingpan Mountain with its old fire tower. To the east is Slate Rock and Pilot Cove. The vast expanse of the Cradle of Forestry is below to the southwest.

As the trail winds down below Pilot Rock, the forest changes again to hardwood and is littered with very large boulders that I assume to be glacial breakdown. The trail climbs in, among, around and over them. Eventually the trail goes beneath Pilot Rock with a view back up through the trees of the high and long cliff face. The forest here is thousands of tall, thin saplings. I’m anxious to learn the story of what happened here before, and why the forest is so young. Perhaps it was logged. Perhaps there was a completely destructive fire. I need to speak with my totally informative National Forest Service ranger.

The final 1/4 mile of Pilot Rock Trail is alongside Bradley Creek, a creek that seemingly winds all throughout the Pisgah Ranger District. We weren’t quite done though. When you get to the end of the Pilot Creek Trail it spills onto Yellow Gap Road about a mile east of the Thompson Creek trailhead where our car was. For the first couple hundred yards the road climbs, but then flattens out for most of the slog back to the beginning. I know from experience this stretch of forest service road is brilliant in autumn. The colors are magnificent. Be sure to check it out.

This loop is great exercise. It’s a strenuous 3-4 hour hike that is accessible in all seasons. My hiking buddies like it better than I do, but I can see the appeal. There is beautiful forest, creek-side trails, vigorous climbing, mountain vistas, granite escarpments, and thick laurel vegetation. What’s not to like?

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 within the Mills River area of Pisgah National Forest, the Pilot Cove/Slate Rock Creek loop trail is primarily a water feature hike. There are two notable waterfalls and several cascades on Slate Rock Creek, and views of Slate Rock through the trees. We encountered several creek crossings (some wading, some with log bridges), and a relatively young forest. This hike occurred on April 14, 2011 beginning at 10:45AM and ending about 2:15PM. The plan was to take the Pilot Cove Trail through Pilot Cove then up on the rim overlooking Slate Rock. From there it meets the Slate Rock Creek Trail for the descent along Slate Rock Creek on the back side of Slate Rock. The eastern and western trailheads are then about 1.5 miles apart on Forest Road 1206.

View Pilot Cove/Slate Rock Creek Trails, in a larger map

There are a lot of trailheads on Forest Road 1206, but they are not always easy to find, so keep your eyes peeled. The Pilot Cove Trail is 5.25 miles in from Scenic Highway 276, then it is another mile and a half to the Slate Rock Creek Trail. We chose to start at Pilot Cove and take the loop clockwise. Research indicates that mountain bikers like to do this loop from Slate Rock Creek though. The first mile and a half took us through Pilot Cove, a flat, forested area with views through the trees of Slate Rock to the northeast. Seasonally, when the leaves are on the trees, these views would not be available. At ground level we saw bluets, trillium, and asters.

After getting through the cove and beginning to gradually climb, the forest changed to young saplings. The forest was quite full, so at some point a few decades from now there will be a battle for sunshine and who can grow fastest. For now, it makes for a very pretty scene. Even without their leaves, this thick wooded area has a remarkable peacefulness and beauty. It is also, I suspect, quite colorful in autumn. The next half mile is a fairly steep climb of 400 feet to the ridge above. This is the only section of the trail that is moderately difficult, the rest is either flat or downhill. There was a lot of galax, ground cedar and moss along the side of the trail. At the top, the trail forks. The Pilot Cove Loop goes right, to the rim of Slate Rock, and a return to the Pilot Cove trailhead. Straight ahead, and down, is the Slate Rock Creek Trail. That’s where we went.

It didn’t take long before we encountered Slate Rock Creek. Over the course of the three miles down, I lost track of the number of times we crossed the creek, but it was more than six and less than 12. Some crossings had log bridges, others were a hop-skip-and-jump across. At times, the trail would hug a hillside while the creek plunged below, but much of the downward hike followed along the creek bank. There were two significant waterfalls on the trail. The upper falls was about a ten foot cascade that didn’t have much water yet. The trail crossed a log bridge right at the base of the falls. Not long after the upper falls, we found some nice logs on the side of the trail and had our lunch. The sounds from the creek and the breeze were quite refreshing. The lower falls, another mile and a half downstream, can be heard from several hundred yards away. This one was a twenty footer, and flowing quite freely. The trail was probably 50 feet above the base of the falls, so I scrambled down the steep hillside to get a better view and a few pictures.

There appear to be natural springs along the Slate Rock Creek Trail. There were a few stretches where the trail was quite puddled, and obviously stayed that way, because trail maintenance volunteers had made efforts to improve the trail condition with strategic log placement. There were a few rocky surfaces that were a bit slippery, so be careful. Between the two waterfalls is another cove-like area with beautiful mountain meadows, where the creek slows to a crawl and there is a backside view of Slate Rock. The photo at the top of this post is the scene. We paused for several minutes at a spot along the creek where the bank was covered with bright green moss, and the water showed some evidence of minerals. Some of the rhodos stood 20 feet tall.

The last mile along Slate Rock Creek was relatively flat, with the creek continuing on our right. There was the occasional cascade to fill our ears, along with the sounds of the forest. 5.3 miles from the beginning of our hike, we came back to Forest Road 1206 at the Slate Rock Creek Trailhead. There were a couple guys getting out of their car who were probably heading up the way we just came. Across the gravel road was a beautiful scene where Slate Rock Creek plunged further down the forest for its eventual meeting with Mills River.

We still had 1.8 miles to go on the forest road back to the car. It was mostly uphill, about 300 feet in total, but gradual. The forest was very thick here and water was everywhere. There are any number of creeks running through this area, as the water finds its way off the mountains that are 3,000 feet above along the Pisgah Ridge. This hike was a refreshing one with meadow, forest, and water. We lucked into a beautiful day as the weather has been quite stormy here the past couple weeks. This is a mostly easy stroll through the forest with only light pack requirements. If I were to do this hike again, I think I would start at Slate Rock Creek and go counterclockwise, because it enables you to also take the trail to the rim of Slate Rock without doubling back. If you give it a try yourself, let me know what you think.

Update. I had a chance to revisit this hike on May 16, 2011 to try it in a counterclockwise direction. I also took the Pilot Cove Loop Trail to Slate Rock which did, in fact, turn out to be the highlight of this hike, as I suspected. Slate Rock curves around Slate Rock Ridge for about 210 degrees and offers terrific views of Pilot Rock, Pilot Mountain several miles in the distance, and Pilot Cove down below. The climb up Slate Rock Creek Trail is longer than the Pilot Cove Trail, but no more steep, still a gradual climb that follows the creek nearly the entire way. We paused several times to daydream alongside the fresh, clear water of Slate Rock Creek. The addition of the Pilot Cove Loop added a bit more climbing to the hike, but probably no more than 100 feet. The forest had greened considerably since I visited this area a month before. My brother and I stayed nearly an hour on Slate Rock taking in the beautiful scene and enjoying the crisp, spring-time air. It was a great spot for lunch and conversation.

Update Meanderthals visited this hike again on Thursday, July 19, 2012. The summer season makes quite a difference in the surroundings and scenery. The forest is full of lush, green ferns — frankly, a quite amazing display. You can no longer see through the forest to get a glimpse of Slate Rock from below, but the smells and sounds of the forest are invigorating.

This time we took the inner loop, climbing up the Pilot Cove/Slate Rock Trail, then connecting with the Pilot Cove Loop rather than the Slate Rock Creek Trail. It takes about two and a half miles off the hike and offers the opportunity to visit Slate Rock, a must see. From the edge of Slate Rock we could view the 6,500 acre Cradle of Forestry area where the U.S. Forest Service first began training its conservation management employees a century ago. The Blue Ridge Parkway is also visible as it winds along Pisgah Ridge, but the highlight is across the cove. Looking from one pluton to another, Slate Rock has a wonderful view of Pilot Rock and the ridge that runs down to it.

I’ve added a GPS tracked map below, and a new photo gallery so you can compare the seasonal changes.

Update Meanderthals visited this hike again on Friday, April 11, 2014, this time taking the loop counter-clockwise, starting up Slate Rock Creek first. At this time in early spring, the trees weren’t out yet, but there were a few wildflowers announcing their presence, mostly violets and bluets.

I also decided to check out the manway that climbs from the creek crossing up to the Laurel Mountain Trail another thousand feet above to the north. It’s a very tough climb, finally popping out at Sassafras Gap after an additional mile and a half. I continued west on Laurel Mountain Trail to Good Enough Gap, turned around, and returned back down the manway to the creek crossing. This little excursion added a total of four miles to this hike.

From there it was up to Slate Rock Ridge, then on to Slate Rock for one of my favorite views in all of Pisgah National Forest. The scene from Slate Rock of Pilot Rock, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Cradle of Forestry, and Pilot Mountain far in the distance is one that I enjoy thoroughly. It’s a quiet moment of solitude that leaves me pondering the upheaval that took place eons ago creating these massive granite plutons.

The good news about doing this loop counter-clockwise is that the final 1.8 miles trudge on Yellow Gap Road is downhill. As a result, I recommend taking this hike from the Slate Rock Creek end first. It’s good to get the majority of the climbing out of the way first, when your legs and lungs are fresh. That way you can relatively coast on the way back down.

I’ve added another GPS tracked map below, and a new photo gallery so you can compare the seasonal changes. Look for the manway to Laurel Mountain Trail in the far north portion of the map.

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.