Chestnut Mountain Road Runs

OK. That's actually great! I've been searching for info on the distance from the I-40 entrance to the 1st creek, (which I hear is also the deepest creek crossing in that road). I even tried to measure the distance on Google Maps but the satellite feature doesn't even show the creek or the road. Just trees. How far in from I-40 would you guestimate is the 1st creek? 1/2 a mile? 1 mile? Thank you

Wow! HAHAHA! That's rough. And yes, that red clay is rough. There's some of that in North Florida & it's sticky as hell!

 

1/2 mile maybe. It’s not far.

 

Then this may be my best option. From some videos that I’ve seen there are a few spots to turn around in once you pass the creek. It’s tight but do-able

 

I mean I did it in a prerunner over the summer and it was after a lot of rain too. I mean it’s always a risk you take. Could always jump over to the Western NC thread and ask anyone if they’ve ran it over the past few days.

 

Good idea

 

CMR Agenda:

• Stop at the ranger station/visitor center, check out the center itself. It's full of information about the Gorges. Grab a Friends of Gorges Map and a sticker.
• Ride around to the parking area for the trailheads. Get out and read the info. You can catch some great hikes and waterfall views. We talk about wheeling this area, but it's much more than that.
• Take the drive down to the end of Chestnut Mountain Rd. It's a kinda cleared area with a couple of routinely gated roads. Park for a bit and walk around. There is a bit of scenery to see.
• You came down a steep hill to get to this point, but look back and you will see another road that leads onto Auger Hole Trail. There is no gate to go onto this road. Get on it!
• There are a couple of places you can park off on the high shoulder and look or walk around the Appalachian Trail.
• Auger Hole Trail twists around the mountain until it comes to the river. Stop and admire the whitewater, maybe crank up a small fire and roast some dogs or s'mores. This is a great place to camp if it's not crowded.
• Cross the bridge into the game lands. This is probably the only place where 4wd is really needed, but we've had guys go through it with 2wd and lots of revs, or getting tugs.
• Climb up the mountain with more scenic views and some water crossings until you reach a gate guarded by Duke Power. In the words of a wise man... You shall not pass.
• Turn around. Enjoy everything in reverse.

There is more. I am having a bourbon right now trying to remember everything Gorges offers, but you really just need to go there, explore it. It's a state park, no homeowners to worry about, other people enjoy it, just a great place to go.

 

Hahahah! Enjoy!
And thanks for that!

 

@EricL , Am I able to get to the bridge and then turn back if I don't want to get into the more aggressive roads following that bridge?

 

Ooooo, I just happen to have a key to the duke locks.

 

Yup, there is a large clearing there beside the river that people use for a camp spot. It's large enough for several trucks.

Wanna take a ride? I am pretty positive that last gate leads through to Musterground. That would be awesome ride all the way through Gorges past Jocassee and come out at Bad Creek.

 

I will have to try and look that gate up on the ROW maps tomorrow. It could possibly be a blue ridge lock also but I seriously doubt that.

 

I'm pretty sure Duke owns all the land back there up to the NC border. Next time I am that way I can see about getting GPS coordinates at that gate if it helps.

 

SWEET! Looks like Tuesday morning I will be there. I will definitely buy a map. In order for me to get there from Pigeon Forge do I just search on Google map "Gorges State Park" or "Chestnut Mountain Road"

 

976 Grassy Ridge Rd, Sapphire, NC 28774

https://www.google.com/maps/place/9...hUKEwjd7sKv_ebgAhVxUd8KHV_PCJoQ8gEwAHoECAAQAQ

Follow Grassy Ridge Rd around to the trailheads and you will see a gated entrance to a gravel road. Take that road to Turkeypen Gap. Turkeypen Gap is at the bottom of a steep downhill and it should be pretty obvious. It almost looks like a parking area. Here you need to take that hard right switchback onto Auger Hole Tr. If you zoom way in on Google Maps it's called National Forest Rd, and you can see the whole track on Google Maps, too. Take that all the way to the Horsepasture River, and from there you can turn around on keep going across the bridge. This shot is from the clearing.

 

Down by the river? If so, that’s where we camped last fall and it was awesome.

 

THANK YOU!

Good to know I can turn around. I thought it was only one way.

 

Oh, yeah, I love that spot, but haven't actually camped there. It may happen this year if it doesn't get crowded, though. There are some really nice spots up the mountain, too. The thing is, you are really in the bottom of a valley at that point, and as you go up, you run into other ... estuaries, I am going to call them, that are flowing down the mountain, and there are more camp sites that are so remote you will probably not encounter another person. Supposedly you can run up Jocassee and even more remote camp sites, but I haven't found them yet.

If you end up needing to turn around there are a number of places where you can, none to difficult, but it's a pretty easy and scenic road up until the bridge, and even after that it's not really difficult. You honestly don't even need to engage 4wd until you cross the bridge, but it's good to get the work in for the transfer case. Coming back out you are climbing up the mountain, and 4wd will be a very nice thing to have engaged.

I wish I could go, but I will be on my 8-5, and I've already taken Thursday and Friday off to go to Land Between the Lakes, or I would absolutely go hit this ride with you.

 

Estuaries, not the right word... Distributary is more like what I was looking for.

 

1:
Thank you for all the info. Seriously. I really appreciate it. And I was thinking exactly that for the transfer case.

2: If anything changes with your schedule then please DEFINITELY let me know. It would be awesome if we could go together and I would be there at what ever time would be most convenient for you. I have all day Tuesday so I’d be fine with whatever time.

3:
And if we stop anywhere to eat, food is on me. It would be the least I could do.

 

Me and my buddy camped during the middle of the week and didn’t see a soul other than the park ranger at the beginning.