Low Gap - Camel Gap - AT - Low Gap Loop

New Miles Completed: 6.6
Total Miles Hiked: 15.8
1 June 2017

I really love the Cosby area of the park. It feels to me much more like the GSMNP must have been in the early years, compared to the hustle, bustle and ultra-touristy feel of Gatlinburg... And on this day the Cosby entrance sign was framed by beautiful Rhododendrons in flower.

Cosby entrance to the GSMNP

The goal for this hike was to make a loop out of the Low Gap, Camel Gap, and Appalachian Trail. Starting at the Cosby hiker's parking lot, up and over Low Gap down to it's junction with Big Creek, hooking up there with Camel Gap and taking it up to the AT, then back down to Low Gap and Cosby Campground. I had previously done the north side of the Low Gap trail (what the Little Brown Book calls "Low Gap II"), but had never done the southern half ("Low Gap I").

Trailhead is at the Cosby hiker's parking area, which requires hikers to navigate the maze of trails surrounding Cosby campground in order to get to the real beginning of Low Gap trail.

Low Gap trailhead

Low Gap junction with Lower Mt. Cammerer trail

The hike up and out of Cosby to Low Gap is only 2.9 miles, but gains over 2000 feet in elevation over that distance. It's a butt-kicker way to start your day! While steep, it is also beautiful with wildflowers and follows Cosby creek for much of the lower section. It is also well-traveled though and can by very rocky and rooty.

Cosby Creek

Worn trail leaving behind a network of roots to trip over.

Galax

Mountain Laurel

Clinton's Lily or White Clintonia

At Low Gap you cross the Appalachian Trail which leads left (northwest) toward Mt. Cammerer or right (southeast) toward Cosby Knob shelter. The elevation at Low Gap is 4242 feet according to the USGS marker there.

USGS marker at Low Gap

Trail sign at Low Gap

From here I plunged down the southern side of Low Gap trail down toward Walnut Bottom and Big Creek. The trail going down from Low Gap is much the same as the trail going up on the other side. Along the way down I paused at a water crossing and looked closely at the source of the stream only to realize I was standing right beside a constructed spring house that someone had built around a lovely spring. There is evidence of the people who lived here all around us, although nature is slowly, but surely taking it back. There are lots of lovely little cascades along this section too.

Spring house

About 2.5 miles below Low Gap the trail runs into Big Creek and the Big Creek trail near backcountry campsite #37. 

Low Gap - Big Creek trail junction

I turned right along Big Creek toward Camel Gap trail and backcountry campsite #36 where I stopped for lunch. Campsite 36 was build to accommodate horses and so comes complete with a set of stalls in addition to the usual bear cables and fire pit. There was also some unidentified metal scrap. This trail is an old rail line right-of-way from the logging days before the park, so there are a lot of railroad artifacts along the way.

Horse stalls

Campsite sign and scrap metal

Fire ring

Big Creek which is right beside CS #36

This is a nice, big open campsite that is right along Big Creek. Because it's a horse trail and campsite it was really buggy, but otherwise a lovely site. I stopped here for lunch, and sat on a rock on the creek bank soaking in the sights and sounds. After finishing up lunch I headed further up Big Creek trail toward Camel Gap. Now here's an odd thing: most trails begin and end at significant spots like road crossings or junctions with other trails. Not so with Camel Gap trail... Apparently Big Creek trail ends and Camel Gap trail begins at some completely indistinguishable spot on the trail between CS #36 and the junction with Gunther Creek trail. There is a sign here that points out the change, but there's no rhyme or reason as to why it is at that particular spot.

End of Big Creek trail / beginning of Camel Gap trail.

Camel Gap - Gunther Fork trail junction

Camel Gap trail seems to me to be one of those trails that is simply not well-traveled, which makes sense. It's not an important connector between other well-traveled trails, nor are there big, exciting things to see like big waterfalls or amazing vistas. So the trail is kind of grown over (unfortunately for me in my shorts, it is grown up with a lot of stinging nettle). But it is really a wonderful trail that follows the beautiful Big Creek essentially to it's source. Along the way there are LOTS of great views of small waterfalls and cascades, and just gorgeous shots of the river itself. 

Camel Gap trail

Big Creek along the Camel Gap trail

Unkown (to me) chunk of metal along Camel Gap trail

This section of the trail is still on an old railway, so parts of it are held up by rock walls presumably originally built for the rail lines. The trail alternates between walking creekside and being on the floodplain just on the other side of a wall of Rhododendron from the creek. The valley you are climbing up is lush and green. The lower section of Camel Gap trail is reasonably flat - it does gain some elevation, but slowly so you don't really feel it. Then about half-way up the trail you start to climb away from Big Creek and up the ridge toward the crest of the mountain and the Appalachian Trail. Here the trail gets steeper, and the upper section of this trail is no joke. It climbs up and then along the ridge, and at least at one spot provides a wonderful view.

Old piece of railroad track slowly getting lost under the foliage

Blue-eyed Grass

Upper section of Camel Gap trail

View from Camel Gap trail

Ultimately the Camel Gap trail empties out at the Appalachian Trail about 2.4 miles southwest of Low Gap. I had naively assumed that the section of the AT from Camel Gap down to Low Gap would be mostly downhill. I was sorely disappointed... The AT from here climbs up and over Ross Knob before flattening out and following the ridge for a ways before ultimately descending into Low Gap. This was actually a really pleasant part of the day (despite the uphill) because I LOVE being at high elevation and there were lots of great wildflowers still going strong.

Camel Gap - AT junction 

White blaze of the Appalachian Trail

Canada Mayflower

Solomon's Plume / False Solomon's Seal

Bluebead Lily

Catawba Rhododendron

Waterleaf

Ganoderma

Finally I made my way back to Low Gap and then back down the Low Gap trail the way I had come up earlier that morning back to Cosby hiker's parking lot. Camel Gap trail was a pleasant surprise. Next time I go I will wear long pants (or go in the winter), but it's a neat trail and Big Creek is an absolutely gorgeous creek. 

The whole loop of nearly 16 miles took me about 7 hours to complete. The hike up Low Gap and then the upper section of Camel Gap were steep and tough. I was pretty worn out by the time I got back to the car. But it's always a great day when you're in the mountains, and this day was no exception.

Til next time, happy hiking!