Smoky Mountains Spring Trio - Cucumber Gap Loop - Tue, May 19 2020

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Smoky Mountains Spring Trio - Cucumber Gap Loop


The Basics:
STATUS: Cancelled - Hide from Calendar
Event Type:Hike
Event Location: Little River Trailhead in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park   Hike: Smoky Mountains Spring Trio - Cucumber Gap Loop  National Weather Service Forecast
Date(s) & Time:Tue, May 19 2020  9:00 am >> Tue, May 19 2020 1:00 pm
Registration Opens: Thu, Jan 16 2020 7:00 pm
Registration Cut Off: Mon, May 18 2020 7:00 pm
Event Duration:4 Hours
Difficulty Rating:D3: Moderate
Distance:8.5 Miles
Pace:Moderate
Trip Leader(s):
Trish
Jeff
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Member Cost:None

Participant Info:
Who's Invited: Members Only, 21 And Older Only
Maximum Group Size:12
Minimum Group Size:2
Number Registered So Far: 10 / 0 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)
Are Dogs Permitted: No

Itinerary:

 

Cucumber Gap Loop from Little River Trailhead

Part 1 of 3 of the Smoky Mountains Spring Trio

This is the first of three consecutive Smoky Mountains day hikes.  The trip leaders will be staying in downtown Gatlinburg, TN for the duration of the three hikes.  You are welcome to stay where you like and join for one, two or all three hikes.

We will meet in the parking lot for the Little River Trailhead. From here the historic buildings you can barely see are from an era in the early 1900’s when Elkmont was a hunting and fishing resort. We will start by taking a quick look at Spence Cabin, a beautiful old hunting lodge.  Then we'll begin hiking on the Little River Trail. Expect to see abundant spring wildflowers as we hike the old logging road along the beautiful rocky river. At 2.5 miles, we will turn right onto Cucumber Gap Trail where we'll be in old growth forest and can see giant tulip popular trees occasionally for the next 2.5 miles. Beware of roots and rocks as the trail narrows and starts climbing along this section.

We'll turn left onto Jake's Creek Trail and start looking for the path to Avent cabin on the right. There are no signs leading to this restored log home. The cabin was used as a summer studio and retreat by a noted artist Mayna Treanor Avent (1865 - 1959). We will hike down and cross an easily manageable log footbridge to reach the treasured landmark.  Here we'll take a break to relax and enjoy a light lunch.

After lunch, we'll hike back across the log bridge to return to Jakes Creek Trail. As we walk down the road we'll pass the ruins of old summer homes. You can count the chimneys and imagine spending summers here in the early 1900's. Next we'll enter an interesting community where old style cabins are being built or restored. This is the Elkmont hunting and fishing resort we saw earlier from the parking lot.


Required Items to Bring:

Layers of clothing suitable for the season.

Good hiking boots/shoes.

Water, snacks, light lunch

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.

Hiking poles

Waterproof boots or change of shoes for possible stream crossing

Rain gear just in case


How to Get There:
Event Directions:

Google Address: Little River Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738

Starting from the Sugarlands Visitor Center, the Little River Trail parking lot is 7 miles away.  Typical driving time is about 17 minutes.

General directions:

From the Sugarlands Visitor Center, drive 4.9 miles west along Fighting Creek Gap Road to reach the turnoff for the Elkmont Campground, which will be on your left.

After turning into Elkmont, drive 1.4 miles to the campground entrance. Instead of proceeding into the campground, turn left and drive another 0.6 miles to reach the parking area of the Little River Trail.


Notes:

Smoky Mountains Spring Trio - Cucumber Gap Loop

The trip leaders will be staying in downtown Gatlinburg, TN for the duration of the three hikes.  You are welcome to stay where you like and join for one, two or all three hikes.

There are lots of lodging options in Gatlinburg and the surrounding area. Please make your reservations as soon as possible for the best pricing and accommodations.

This is not an AOC paid event.  All costs (transportation, lodging, meals and drinks) are paid by members on their own.


* We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines while participating in AOC events.


Cancellation/Partial Attendance:   Please review the AOC cancellation policy.