Yellow Mountain - Member Hike
| Hike Name: | Yellow Mountain |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | North Carolina |
| Nearby Town: | Cashiers, NC |
| Rating: |  |
| Directions: | Hwy 64 traveling from Cashiers to Highlands,NC turn right on Buck Creek Rd. Trail Head 2.3 miles on R, parking area just across road. |
| Total Hike Distance: | 10.00 miles |
| Hike Difficulty: | Very Difficult |
| Permit Required: | No |
| Hike Type: | In & Out, Backtrack Hike |
| Hike Starts/Ends: | At trailhead on Buck Creek Rd. USFS Yellow Mountain sign. |
| Trails Used: | Yellow Mountain trail |
| Backcountry Campsites: | No |
| Backcountry Water Sources: | None |
| Management: | U.S. Forest Service |
| Contact Information: | Unknown |
| Best Season: | Spring, Fall |
| Users: | Hikers, Dogs |
| Road Conditions: | Secondary Paved Roads, Maintained Gravel or Dirt Roads |
| Hike Summary: | We missed the trailhead sign initially, but eventually found it. The trail begins on the right side of Buck Creek Rd. and climbs up and down several ridgelines to the halfway point where there is a sign. Just prior to the sign you can look to the left and see a tall mountain with a small white structure on the top. That is the destination. It is a recently rebuilt fire tower that is your target. While you are descending down the ridgeline it seems rather daunting that the tower is your destination. You reach the sign and continue down the ridge before beginning up Yellow Mountain. Some of this hike will be on an old logging road. The trail off the road is on your right that leads up the mountain. There will be a brown rectangular metal sign that marks where the actual trail picks up off the road. Fortunately, my wife saw it as I totally missed it. Its uphill most of the way for the last 2.0 miles. Its not the steepness of the climb that makes this hike strenuous, but the length of the climb uphill. Once you find the trail emptying out on a gravel road immediately go left. Follow the road until it ends. The trail to the tower is at the end of the gravel road. While hiking up the road on the right hand side are several overlooks with good photo opportunities. When you get to the top of the mountain and the fire tower, the view is worth the climb. It may be crowded as we found there is a much shorter hike on the other side of the mountain from another trailhead. However, the fall color we saw along our hike was spectacular. It was a colorful and rich as anywhere in NC,SC, or TN in my opinion. When we got to the top you could look east and see Whiteside mountain, Hogback mountain (I believe), Scaly mountain to the south, and the mountains that form the perimeter of Panthertown Valley to the north. I highly recommend this hike. My wife and I are in decent shape, but this challenged us. We highly recommend this hike!!! |
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