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You should obtain current information before attempting any hike.
Date Hiked: 5/27/90
Length: 7.2 miles
Type: backtrack
Difficulty: 4
Scenery: 3
Blaze: no blaze on West Fork Trail or Scaly Mountain Trail, yellow blaze on Bartram Trail
Main Features: views, streams, small waterfall
Animals: mourning doves, towhees, shrew, ringed-neck snake, eastern box turtle
Location: Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina
Driving north in SC on highway 28 towards Highlands, turn left on a paved road 0.3 miles after crossing the NC state line. Coming from Highlands, turn right 1.0 miles after Sassafrass Gap Road which is clearly labeled on the right (about 5 miles from Highlands). The turn is across the road and several yards south of Blue Valley Baptist Church. Drive 6.9 miles to the turn-around area at the end. (The pavement ends after 0.5 miles.) The road ends at a gate at the West Fork
of Overflow Creek. As you come down the road towards the gate, the trail starts on the right where the road begins widening to create the turn-around area.
Approximate Altitude Changes
Ascend 840 feet to Osage Mountain Overlook
Ascend 870 feet to Scaly Mountain Trail
Ascend 240 feet to the top of Scaly Mountain
Total Ascent: 1,950 feet
Miles
0.0 turn-around area
0.5 stream crossing
0.7 stream crossing
rocky overhang on right
0.9 turn right on Bartram Trail (yellow blazes)
1.1 rocky overhang on left
1.3 large boulders on left
1.6 Osage Mountain Overlook on highway 106
bear left across highway and ascend steps
1.9 bear right at fork (left goes a few yards to a small waterfall)
2.0 stream crossing
views to southwest
2.4 turn right on old road (remember this turn for the way back)
2.6 - 2.8 intermittent views on the right
2.7 large boulders on each side of the trail
2.8 continue straight (ignoring faint right turn)
water flows down and across the trail
3.0 turn left on Scaly Mountain Trail (yellow blazes continue to the right)
3.4 rock clearing with panoramic views to south and west
3.6 trail ends at rock clearing with views west
backtrack
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