driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 13,952 
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Post by driftwoody on Jan 19, 2017 17:06:56 GMT -8
I've pretty much decided to spend my week in late March in the BSF area rather than Savage Gulf, so to carry this forward (and for reference by others when they peruse this forum) I decided to make a new thread. First, here's all the useful information already provided: The No Business Creek area of the Big South Fork is hard to beat and is a great place to set up a base camp and explore. You might catch some good wildflowers late March and the overlooks at Maude's Crack and the John Muir Overlook are pretty hard to beat. No Business Creek is a pleasant hike, although the trail that parallels it is an old road so not as nice as single-track, and hiking up Tackett Creek is fun if you want a bit of off-trail adventure. Also some nice loops you can do from the Middle Creek (?) Trailhead that can take you by Twin Arches and then connects with Laurel Fork Trail (lots of creek crossing on Laurel Fork Trail, but it is a gorgeous area especially if you like the hemlock creek bottoms of southern Appalachia). The National Park Service has some great options for overnight backpacking trips listed on their website: No Business Creek/Maude's Crack area would be pretty nice if you wanted to spend a leisurely two-night trip to just hang out and take in the sights. Off-trail waterfalls, off-trail arches, two nice overlooks, cultural history (Ranse Boyatt homesite and old fences, etc.), decent wildflower displays, and a real "out there" feeling to it. The area was actually proposed wilderness at one time, from what I read in an old guidebook . . . the "No Business-Troublesome-Difficulty Creeks Wilderness" or something like that. Plenty of trail to walk from there, too, if you're just trying to stretch your legs without hiking off-trail and through rhododendron and what not. If you're not too big into off-trail stuff, then an option outside the BSF I would recommend an 11-mile loop using part of the Sheltowee Trace and the Rockcastle Narrows East Trail near London, KY. Really great loop (does have 2.5 miles of backtracking though) with some nice waterfalls, decent campsites, and not too many people. Big South Fork has some fun sites too, but it's a bigger area and everything's further between. I'd say it's most notable for the hundreds of sandstone arches and other formations. though, most are off trail, and most of the impressive arches are a simple out-and-back walk from the road. Needle Arch is small but very cool... just a short stroll from Slave Falls --one of the few large falls in the park. the park sees HEAVY horse traffic and some of them --especially around the Bandy Creek area-- are a nightmare to walk on. Markweth mentioned Maudes Crack --very cool feature. from that overlook you can get good winter views of a couple of buttes/mesas. there's an impressive chimney nearby too that's not too far off the trail. A great resource for exploring is the Tennessee Landforms website: tnlandforms.us/landforms/index.phpIt is a database with waterfalls, arches, and other landforms with GPS coordinates and other info. If you're in the No Business Creek area, the landforms I'd recommend looking up are: - Cap Rock Window (arch) - Russell Arch - Maude's Crack (rock, and the quickest and coolest way down from the ridge near the Terry Cemetery Trailhead to the valley floor) - Anderson Falls (waterfall, 65 feet tall, really rough bushwhack to it, at least the way I went) Some great campsites near the mouth of Anderson Branch where it meets No Business Creek. Also, depending on how overgrown it is, camping in the clearing around the Ranse Boyatt homesite is pretty cool. Great view of the stars. I did four separate trips to the No Business Creek area when I live in Kentucky . . . just couldn't get enough of the place! Have a great trip. Looks like Ashe was adding some great info just as I was posting this. The map he linked to is particularly helpful once you decide which general area you will end up in. A few other things: Tackett Creek is pretty awesome! Really enchanting stream, especially if you don't mind getting your feet wet. It is a tributary of No Business Creek and there is usually a decent campsite near its mouth. The John Muir Overlook is a great view of a rugged and remote area. The view of the lone chimney standing in the meadow below is particularly cool. There aren't any great places to camp nearby, even with a hammock, as the area was burned and the ridge is pretty narrow. There is a decent spot about 1/4 mile and it is an easy and cool hike to get to that spot. No water up top, of course. Definitely worth hiking up there from the valley floor if you are in the area. A friend and I had an awesome trip to the area in mid-March 2012 for a spring break trip. Three nights in the No Business Creek area wasn't enough time . . . we just kept wanting to explore. , which trailhead and trails would you recommend for accessing the No Business Creek area? I've been studying the BSF map, and there are several different possible routes of approach. I'd prefer something that is scenic but not too much of a grind. The approach from the west on the JMT is fairly long, and ascending/descending from the John Muir Overlook sounds kinda tricky in the trail book I have (Hiking the Big South Fork by Deaver, Smith & Duncan). Nevertheless, I can handle pretty much anything within reason for a 59 year old in decent but not great shape. I don't mind creek crossings, but my biggest concern for this time of year is getting trapped by rising waters. I will of course pay very close attention to the weather before setting off on any hike. |
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Post by markweth on Jan 20, 2017 7:15:53 GMT -8
Depends on how much time you have (I think said 2-4 nights?) and how much ground you want to cover. The quickest (and probably coolest) way in to the No Business Creek area is via the Terry Cemetery Trailhead and hiking out to Maude's Crack and then descending through the crack (not technical by any means, it's best described as a really steep, but not dangerous, "fat man's misery" type of crack in the rocks that allows you to go from the top of the cliffs to the base quickly) to hook up with the JMT and then take that to No Business Creek.
Let me know the duration of your trip and I can pitch some ideas out there so you have a few different options to consider.
If you have four nights and really want to stretch your legs, I would think about parking at the Rock Creek Trailhead, doing the Rock Creek Loop as an overnight warm-up, then leaving from the same trailhead (you could re-supply there with food so you're not hauling around 4 nights of food just to pass your car the next morning) and hiking the JMT to John Muir Overlook and No Business Creek.
I think the JMT from the Rock Creek Trailhead to the overlook is around 7 or 8 miles, but can't really remember and haven't been able to find the exact mileage (left my map with a friend when I moved form KY to MT). Regardless, it is a fairly flat and easy hike and as far as ridge-top hiking in the Cumberland Plateau goes it is actually fairly interesting. The way the trail unfolds coming from west to east is pretty cool, with the JM Overlook as your reward before descending into the valley. You could also scout out campsites for your return leg of the trip on the way in. No good water sources though, so I would plan on pushing all the way to the No Business Creek instead of camping on the ridge on the way in.
You could then spend a day or two in the No Business Creek area exploring and basecamping and either hike out in one day or camp on the ridge about 1/4 mile away from the overlook. It is well-worth hauling up the water to camp near the overlook and stargaze from the overlook if it is a clear night.
The last time I went up/down the JMT overlook from No Business Creek was in 2013 (I think) and it was easy to follow, had stairs built for the steepest parts of the rock sections, and some beautiful switchbacks. It was a nice hike and easy to follow. I think the book you have was written prior to it being re-constructed, but you might want to call the park to double-check.
Hope this helps!
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Post by cgaphiker on Jan 20, 2017 7:57:46 GMT -8
Has anyone mentioned the Hazel Creek loop? It's a good dayhike.
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Post by markweth on Jan 20, 2017 8:33:31 GMT -8
I think DriftWoody was looking for overnight trips as opposed to dayhikes. Hazel Creek is definitely a nice hike, though!
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Post by Coolkat on Jan 20, 2017 11:44:48 GMT -8
I'm watching this discussion since BSF has been on my list for a long time but have never done.
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 13,952
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Post by driftwoody on Jan 21, 2017 5:57:58 GMT -8
Has anyone mentioned the Hazel Creek loop? It's a good dayhike. A dayhike is not out of the question. Where in BSF is the Hazel Creek Loop? It's not mentioned in my book. |
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 13,952
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Post by driftwoody on Jan 21, 2017 6:26:21 GMT -8
markweth , I have a whole week, but I'm not planning to cover a lot of miles per day. Last summer I started developing some arthritis in my right hip, then I had shoulder surgery for a partially torn left rotator cuff from which I'm still recovering. I've been doing short local hikes, but this trip to BSF will be my first weeklong hiking vacation since the same time last year. It remains to be seen how well my aging body (which was pretty much trouble free until last year) holds up. I plan to start the trip with the Rockcastle Narrows - Sheltowee Trace loop near London. At 11 miles it can be a dayhike, but I'll make it an overnighter. The other two areas of interest for me are No Business & Tacket creeks, and Laurel Creek. Looking at the map, the shortest approaches to NB Creek are from the east from the end of Big Island Rd (which involves fording the BSF River) and from the north taking the Laurel Hill Multiple Use Trail to the Kentucky Trail. This looks like the better option to me, as long as I can park along the road at the start of the Laurel Hill Trail. The approaches from the west on JMT and from Rock Creek can be made into a loop, but they are considerable longer and I don't like the idea of climbing Maude's Crack with my shoulder not fully healed. I want to spend my time and effort exploring the NB & Tacket creek areas from a basecamp. I'm saving the longer and more ambitious hike for Laurel Creek. A 20 mile loop (which I would do in 3 days) would start and end from the Twin Arches TH and proceed clockwise east along the Station camp Creek Trail to the junction with the Laurel Fork creek Trail. My option would be to follow that for the entire length west upstream, or cut it short if necessary by taking the Jack's Ridge and Black house Branch north past Charit Creek Lodge and back to twin Arches. The longer loop would do all of Laurel creek and return to twin Arches via Slave Falls and the Charit Creek Trail. Let me know what you think of all that. Also, in your opinion which is the most scenic stretch of Laurel creek -- west or east of the intersection with the Black House Branch Trail?
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Post by cgaphiker on Jan 21, 2017 9:04:03 GMT -8
Sorry, Honey Creek loop.  It's on the South side of the park. |
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Post by markweth on Jan 21, 2017 14:52:46 GMT -8
There's a Hazel Creek Loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so maybe that's where you got mixed up (and where I agreed about it being a nice trail ) Honey Creek Loop is pretty phenomenal . . . definitely one of the coolest trails in the Southeast. Starting with the Rockcastle Narrows East/Sheltowee Trace hike is a great choice. For sentimental reasons it is one my favorite trails/places and from an objective standpoint it is certainly one of the best hikes in Kentucky. There's a nice campsite near the Narrows rapids on the Rockcastle River. It isn't very obvious, but once you get near the rapids (you'll be able to hear them and they should be labelled on the map) just step off the trail a dozen feet or so and look for fire rings. My favorite spot was near a large boulder and it usually had a small fire ring and several nice spots for tents. The boulders along the river are great places to sit and take in the scenery. I have only approached No Business Creek from the Terry Cemetery Trailhead or Rock Creek area. The crossing of the BSF River near Big Island is a major-league river ford and not something I ever wanted to do, especially in March when temperatures could be chilly. If you were to park at the Terry Cemetery Trailhead, you could walk down the Longfield Branch Trail (old road) to reach the No Business Creek area and set up your base camp, then spend the next day hiking up to the JMT overlook without a full pack and explore Tackett Creek. Walking out to Maude's Crack overlook (only a 1/4 mile each way) before hiking into No Business Creek valley would be highly recommended. Also, exploring up Tackett Creek isn't a casual stroll, so I don't want to mislead you, but it has some nice surprises up it. Hiking up Anderson Cave Branch is more difficult, but man the waterfall at the head of that creek is stunning. So consider yourself warned. Even if you don't hike up either of those creeks, the views from the Maude's Crack Overlook, the JM Overlook, and just hiking around No Business Creek and the Ranse Boyatt homesite would be well worth it. I've only hiked Laurel Creek west of Black House Branch Trail (no horses allowed on Laurel Creek Trail west of that junction, from what I recall) and thought it was scenic but not necessarily stunning. Here is my description of it when the trail was discussed in another thread in 2015: I hiked part of this loop in November 2012; from what I recall it was from the Blackhouse Branch (?) junction back to the Middle Creek (?) trailhead. Perhaps a 5-mile section? At that time the junctions were well-marked/obvious and we didn't have any trouble with navigation. It can be a monotonous trail at times but has a timeless and enchanting character to it that served as a great counterbalance to the lack of scenic diversity. We camped in a nice grove of pines that was a great spot . . . no trash or fire rings and the sound of the creek in the background. Had a real untrammeled and "wild" feel to it . . . seemed almost out of a Cormac McCarthy description of the southern Appalachians from "The Orchard Keeper". The creek crossings weren't really "rough" by any means, but were frequent and almost all required boots to be taken off and Crocs to be put on. Depending on what time of year you're planning to hike this can be a deal-breaker. When we hiked it the temperatures were pleasant enough to leave the boots on and just hike in the Crocs for some of the sections with frequent creek crossings. A friend and I did a loop leaving from Middle Creek Trailhead or Sawmill Trailhead and then down to Slave Falls, passing Needle Arch, past Jake's Place, up to Twin Arches, down through Charritt Creek Lodge, connect with Black House Branch Trail, then Laurel Creek Trail back to the trailhead. We did that over three days and it was an awesome hike that I would really suggest you consider as an alternative to the route you came up with (which appears to be a great loop as well, so you're in a win-win situation). I gotta say, doing the Rockcastle Narrows East/Sheltowee hike, then No Business Creek, then the loop you described is going to be an awesome week! Please post a trip report when you get back. |
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 13,952
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Post by driftwoody on Jan 21, 2017 15:35:15 GMT -8
Honey Creek Loop is pretty phenomenal . . . definitely one of the coolest trails in the Southeast. I concur, having hiked it twice. |
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Post by cgaphiker on Jan 21, 2017 15:41:50 GMT -8
Sorry, I got my trails mixed up. I have done both. I have hiked on Laurel Creek and some others in BSF, but it has been so long ago I can't remember the routes we took.
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 13,952
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Post by driftwoody on Jan 21, 2017 15:43:42 GMT -8
The creek crossings weren't really "rough" by any means, but were frequent and almost all required boots to be taken off and Crocs to be put on. Depending on what time of year you're planning to hike this can be a deal-breaker. When we hiked it the temperatures were pleasant enough to leave the boots on and just hike in the Crocs for some of the sections with frequent creek crossings. That's the one thing that kept me from this last March. However, doing a 20 mile loop in 3 days is not a demanding pace. I have the time to switch between my boots and sturdy sandals to ford creeks above ankle level. As long as I avoid potential flooding, I should be fine. I'm leaning towards the loop I described because it travels the entire length of the Laurel Fork. That way I won't miss anything. And I'll be sure to post a trip report. |
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 13,952
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Post by driftwoody on Jan 23, 2017 19:57:43 GMT -8
I would recommend an 11-mile loop using part of the Sheltowee Trace and the Rockcastle Narrows East Trail near London, KY. Really great loop (does have 2.5 miles of backtracking though) with some nice waterfalls, decent campsites, and not too many people. I'm definitely interested in doing this hike, but the info I found shows a 12 mile loop. How does the hike you describe differ from the one in the link below? www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recarea/?recid=39700 |
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Post by ashepabst on Jan 24, 2017 8:35:01 GMT -8
Laurel Fork is one I like to recommend to folks. Like markweth said, there aren't a whole lot of outstanding features... just a very pleasant and remote-feeling creek walk... lots of very inviting creekside campsites... and no horses!
that shortcut via Blackhouse and back down the other side of the ridge to Station Camp is also a fun section of trail.
I have not done the river ford at Big Island but the river is definitely big there. Check with rangers for their opinion, but I wouldn't count on that being passable in March.
Station Camp is a horse trail --I thought it was fine, but not quite as lovely as Laurel Creek (old road vs. single track; I think I remember the fords being blocked-out in concrete for the horse traffic).
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Post by ashepabst on Jan 24, 2017 8:39:54 GMT -8
Hiking up Anderson Cave Branch is more difficult, but man the waterfall at the head of that creek is stunning. So consider yourself warned. can I pick your brain on that, markweth? is there any exit from the end of that cove or did you have to out-and-back to the falls from No Business Creek? does the trail heading up No Business just dead-end as it's shown on the map? |
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The No Business Creek area of the Big South Fork is hard to beat and is a great place to set up a base camp and explore. You might catch some good wildflowers late March and the overlooks at Maude's Crack and the John Muir Overlook are pretty hard to beat. No Business Creek is a pleasant hike, although the trail that parallels it is an old road so not as nice as single-track, and hiking up Tackett Creek is fun if you want a bit of off-trail adventure. 
Big South Fork has some fun sites too, but it's a bigger area and everything's further between. I'd say it's most notable for the hundreds of sandstone arches and other formations. though, most are off trail, and most of the impressive arches are a simple out-and-back walk from the road. Needle Arch is small but very cool... just a short stroll from Slave Falls --one of the few large falls in the park. the park sees HEAVY horse traffic and some of them --especially around the Bandy Creek area-- are a nightmare to walk on. Markweth mentioned Maudes Crack --very cool feature. from that overlook you can get good winter views of a couple of buttes/mesas. there's an impressive chimney nearby too that's not too far off the trail. 
