July 23, 2024
Chinquapin Mtn & Glen Falls Trails
near Highlands, NC
Despite the overnight rains, both trails were in very good condition showing ongoing maintenance. Thus, we encountered very few muddy sections or blowdowns. The Chinquapin Mtn. Trail is moderately difficult, but the climb up the mountain is not very steep. While there are no trail blazes, the trail is obvious and there are trail signs at major intersections. The short access trail to each overlook had signs however. The several small water crossings in the first section of the hike were very easily crossed without getting wet, even with the previous night's heavy rains. Views of the Blue Valley were mostly obscured by low clouds, but still worth checking out. A hike in the late fall through early winter would provide better views. We only visited the first two of the Glen Falls, but they were quite beautiful. Not a lot of wildflowers today, but there are always some interesting trail features to be seen if you take time to look.
Today's Hikers: Roger Willis, Shelia Getman, Claudia Pardue, Ken Pardue, Lynn Steele, Matt Henderson, Jenny Bell, Kim Johnson, Vic Robson, Edwin Pruitt, Jim Driggers, Mike Bell, Ken Kellerman and Cutie Pie.
The route
5.9 mi · 1,329 ft climbing · 4h 23m out, 3h 35m walking · 1.7 mph moving
Elevation
Hover over the profile to see the elevation and steepness. Your position will be shown on the map.
- Steepness
- Gentle under 5%
- Moderate 5–10%
- Steep 10–15%
- Very steep over 15%
29 photos are shown on the map where they were taken — click one to see it full size.
Photos (29)
One of the few mostly clear views of the Blue Valley from Lookout #5 from Chinquapin Mtn. Today's Hikers (L-R): Roger, Shelia, Claudia, Lynn, Ken, Matt, Jenny, Kim, Vic, Edwin, Jim, Mike & Ken with Cutie Pie Now which way is the trail? Here it is. Pretty nice, but it is a shallow climb to Chinquapin Mtn. Nice to have a bridge to cross this branch. This trail zig-zagged across this same branch several times. These are two of the larger crossings, none requiring one to get their feet wet. We saw a couple of trees with these striking large mushrooms staggered up its trunk. Sad to see this cluster of dead Hemlocks or are they Pines . . . not sure now. Check out the size of the root atop this boulder. Our first lookout was Outlook #5. A bit foggy, but Rabun Bald can be seen in the background. Lungwort lichen found on base of tree enroute to Lookout#4. Wikipedia reports, "it is sensitive to air pollution and is also harmed by habitat loss and changes in forestry practices." Lookout #4 was totally obscured by a low cloud layer. Yep, there really are mountains out there. We found this Starry Campion on our way to Lookout #3. It is an endangered species in several states including Georgia. There was a fairly long side trail down to Lookout #3. Unfortunately, the view from there was obscured, too. Some of our hikers (aka "The Jury") decided to take a break here. Returning to the trail from Lookout #3 was a bit of a climb. But , there were a few white wildflowers to see along that side trail. And a fair number of ripe huckleberries, too. Lookout #2 gave us just a peek into the Blue Valley. This would be a limited, but still beautiful view on a clearer day. We saw a large boulder covered with this Smooth Rock Tripe on out way to Lookout #1. Lookout#1, a clearer, but also limited view. Cutie Pie relaxing, although he does look a bit worried, on our way back to the trailhead. Truly some gnarly wood and burl. On to Glen Falls . . . or at least two of them. Such a beautiful view from the uppermost falls to the southwest and Rabun Bald in the background. Chinquapin Mtn. to the right.. A view of the bottom of the uppermost falls. It's all downhill to see these falls . . . until you return. Right Matt? A view from the bottom of the 2nd Glen Falls. Thanks Kim for the pic at the upper Glen Falls. You know, I didn't have any of those wrinkles until I started leading this group.