13 Hawkbill Rock

THE TOWN OF HOT SPRINGS IS VISIBLE FROM LOVER’S LEAP.

SCENERY:

TRAIL CONDITION:

CHILDREN:

DIFFICULTY:

SOLITUDE:

GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES: N35° 53.520' W82° 49.289'

DISTANCE & CONFIGURATION: 4.5-mile loop

HIKING TIME: 3 hours

HIGHLIGHTS: Views of the French Broad River and Hot Springs, NC

ELEVATION: 1,314 feet at trailhead to 2,382 feet on top of the ridge

ACCESS: Free and always open

MAPS: USGS Hot Springs

FACILITIES: Pit toilet on the Silvermine Trail near the end of the hike

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: None

COMMENTS: This hike can be shortened by taking the Silvermine Trail from Lover’s Leap back to the trailhead. (Or it can be considerably lengthened by continuing on the Appalachian Trail to Maine.)

CONTACTS: (828) 682-6146; fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet

Overview

Nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains and beside the French Broad River, the quaint town of Hot Springs anchors the Lover’s Leap hike. The route follows the renowned Appalachian Trail (AT) beside the river and then presents a strenuous climb to Lover’s Leap overlook. This rocky outcropping provides views of Hot Springs, the serpentine French Broad, and the distant ridgeline of the North Carolina–Tennessee border. Past Lover’s Leap, the trail travels along the ridgeline before intersecting Pump Gap Trail. The route then follows Pump Gap Trail and weaves through the remnants of an old silver mining operation on its way back to the trailhead.

Route Details

You will begin the hike from a parking area directly beside the French Broad River, whose headwaters begin south of Asheville. However, because it falls to the west of the Eastern Continental Divide, the water flows north, traveling a winding route northwest through the mountains before emptying into the Tennessee River.

From the parking area you can locate the trailhead by turning south and looking for a small footbridge that spans a nearby creek. During summer, the creek is lined with Japanese Knotweed, an invasive exotic species that now grows rampantly throughout the Southeast. Rising above the knotweed is a trailhead sign with a white blaze painted on it. Follow this marker across the footbridge that spans the creek and then continue to follow the white blazes that lead south farther up the river.

As if this route weren’t already confusing enough, when you literally hike south along the north flowing river, you are theoretically progressing north on the most famous footpath in the world: the AT. The AT travels 2,175 miles from Georgia to Maine, and it is marked the entire way with the white blazes that you are now following alongside this river.

If you hike this trail in the spring you may be passed from behind by several rugged, sometimes smelly, thru-hikers who have set out to complete the entire trail in one calendar year. You may want to even consider bringing extra snacks in your daypack to share with these long-distance hikers. Sharing food along the AT is known as trail magic, and it is always appreciated.

Along the river, you may spot purple wildflowers such as the funny-sounding beardtongue (a common name for penstemon) or tall-growing spiderwort. After 0.2 miles of hiking you will notice a concrete tower to your right. This tower once served to gauge the height of floodwaters. In another 0.2 miles the trail will take a sharp turn uphill. This is the first of many switchbacks that leads up the steep mountain. The multiple switchbacks will raise your heart rate, but after 0.3 miles your hard work will be rewarded with views from rock outcroppings on either side of the final switchback.

The first rock outcropping is Lover’s Leap, for which this route is named. Cherokee legend suggests that this rocky ledge was the site where the fair maiden Mist-of-the-Mountain threw herself off the mountain, after she learned that her love had been murdered by a jealous rival. The next outcropping gives a better view back to Hot Springs and the French Broad River. This is also the trail junction with the Silvermine Trail. If you want to shorten your hike, you can take the Silvermine Trail down the mountain and arrive at the trailhead parking lot after 1.6 miles of total walking. Otherwise, remain on the AT and continue uphill.

The trail does not immediately flatten out but now climbs along the ridge of the mountain. In winter the bare trees reveal views of neighboring mountains to the north and south. After 1.4 miles of cumulative hiking, you will reach a nice level campsite on the ridge. Continue on the rolling ridgeline of hardwood trees and mountain laurel thickets for another 1.3 miles to a second small campsite on the left of the trail. Just past this campsite, the AT intersects the yellow-blazed Pump Gap Trail. Take a left onto Pump Gap Trail and follow it downhill beside a small stream.

The next half mile gives the feeling of hiking through a long green tunnel. Lady ferns and dog hobble choke the forest floor, thick groves of rhododendron flourish to your left and right, and tall poplar trees and Carolina hemlocks tower above. However, you may notice that many of the hemlocks are dead or dying, a state that is due to the nonnative woolly adelgid. You can tell that a tree has been affected by this tiny, sap-drinking aphid if the tips of its needles look white.

Over the past six decades, the woolly adelgid has decimated the hemlock population in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Efforts are under way to try to protect the remaining hemlocks, but this tree remains an endangered species.

After nearly a mile, Pump Gap Trail widens into an old roadbed. It continues to follow the stream down valley and past the remnants of old bunkers, which were once used to hold explosives. I like to think that the sticks of dynamite have been removed, but the danger explosives sign keeps me from exploring the concrete shed too closely, and I recommend keeping a safe distance.

Continue on the old roadbed to Silvermine Campground. Stay on the road and rock hop across a stream crossing. In normal to dry conditions you should not have to get your feet wet. After passing several houses and after one more creek crossing, you will find yourself back at the trailhead and parking area.

Nearby Attractions

A visit to the town of Hot Springs can turn this 4.6-mile hike into a full day’s outing. The main attraction is the Hot Springs Spa, where riverside hot tubs can be rented for an hour-long soak. These tubs are filled with water piped from the town’s naturally occurring hot springs. After a relaxing dip in the tubs, be sure to satisfy your hiking hunger with a trip to one of the Spring Street restaurants serving delicious food. Also, don’t leave town before visiting Bluff Mountain Outfitters. It’s a wonderful outdoor store with a knowledgeable staff who can help you prepare for your next adventure.

Directions

From Asheville, travel US 19/US 23 north (future I-26) to Exit 19A. Turn left off the exit and follow US 25/US 70 west 25 miles. Just before crossing the bridge over the French Broad River and entering Hot Springs, turn right onto River Road. After 0.1 mile turn left onto Silvermine Road and travel underneath the overpass. The trailhead parking is the empty dirt lot immediately to the right.