This moderately difficult loop hike starts at the parking lot for the maintenance sheds across the Skyline Drive from Matthews Arm Camp Ground at ~ mile marker 22. The Piney Ridge Trail takes you gently down hill for 2 miles without many interesting features, other than myriad wild flowers, esp. wild geranium.
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| wild geranium |
At about mile 2.0, Piney Ridge intersects with the Fork Mountain Trail and branches left. The loop hike continues on the Fork Mountain Trail for another 2.0 miles, much of the way through a gorgeous stand of tulip poplar with many big, old trees. Tulip (or yellow) poplar is an ancient species that doesn't make good timber, so the pre-park denizens of the area didn't cut them regularly and many old trees grow throughout the Park. This stand, which goes on for almost a mile, must be one of the biggest in the park.
At about mile 4, Fork Mountain intersects with the Hull School Trail and the hike turns left onto Hull School for a short distance to the Piney Branch Trail. It turns left (north) again onto the Piney Branch Trail, along guess what? Piney Branch, a beautiful stream tho far from the trail for most of the hike. Eventually, the branch valley narrows and rock walls go up along the far bank of the Branch, reminding me just a bit of the Keyser Run /Little Devil Stairs Gorge (not too far to the northeast), though not nearly as strikingly beautiful. You can bush wack down the Branch...easier in some areas than others due to slope. There are many cascades that are barely visible from the trail, but I imagine they're beautiful! The trail gradually moves away from the Branch as it takes you back to the parking lot. I startled a deer that ran up the ridge before I got a good look.
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| Stand of old tulip poplars along Fork Mountain Trail |
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