Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Spruce Mountain Trail

Hike number two for the day. After my hike on the Flat Creek Trail, I made the drive along the slow, bumpy, Balsam Mountain Road over to the trailhead for the Spruce Mountain Trail. There's not much parking at the trailhead, just a wide spot in the road. There were already two cars parked there when I arrived, so I had to squeeze in a bit, but I fit the car off the road and hit the trail.

There's not a whole lot to the Spruce Mountain Trail. It's only a mile long with a pretty steep ascent. I had the fall colors to enjoy as I huffed and puffed my way to the end of the trail.

At the trail's official end, I decided to continue on to campsite #42.

There is a sign where the Poll's Gap Trail used to connect.

Apparently, the trail was badly eroded. The sign says the closure is temporary, but there does not appear to be any effort to reopen it. On the return trip back to the car I met up with a couple from nearby Waynesville who were out enjoying this fine fall day.

I enjoyed talking to them as we made our way back to our cars.