Trail Run Project Logo

A beautiful trail that follows the crystal waters of Basin Creek.


Your Rating: Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty:
Your Favorites: Add To-Do · Your List
Zoom in to see details
Map Key

3.2

Miles

5.1

KM

85%

Runnable

2,767' 843 m

High

1,565' 477 m

Low

1,240' 378 m

Up

38' 11 m

Down

8%

Avg Grade (4°)

27%

Max Grade (15°)

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Waterfall · Wildflowers

Need to Know

The trail is only blazed at the creek crossings. Sometimes the small blazes can be hard to locate, but the crossings are pretty obvious -- for the most part.

Runner Notes

This is a good even trail with a couple of tricky creek crossings.

Description

To access the trail, run up Grassy Gap Fire Road a little over a mile and a half. Watch for a well-marked trail heading up and right. The trail immediately heads up through thick forest on what seems to be an old road. After a quick rise, the trail evens out and travels alongside the crystal waters of the creek.

Crossing the creek a few times, you see the remnants of old homesteads along the way. After a little over a mile, the trail diverts up and left of the creek to avoid the long drop to Lower Falls. To visit the falls, bushwhack up the right side of the creek.

Once above the falls, you follow the gentle rise of the creek again, making multiple rock-hops across the water. After passing several chimneys, you eventually come to Middle Falls, which is pretty but much more petite than Lower Falls.

From here the trail heads uphill more precipitously and becomes true singletrack, finally arriving at the Caudill Homestead.

Contacts

Land Manager: NPS - Blue Ridge Parkway

Shared By:

Russell Hobart with improvements by Chris Coffee

Trail Ratings

  4.3 from 6 votes

#8630

Overall
  4.3 from 6 votes
5 Star
50%
4 Star
33%
3 Star
17%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#312

in North Carolina

#8,630

Overall
7 Views Last Month
1,174 Since Apr 12, 2018
Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult

0%
0%
29%
14%
57%
0%

Photos

A hand-chiseled millstone lies abandoned in the creek
Apr 18, 2018 near Sparta, NC
Crystal waters on Basin Creek
Apr 15, 2018 near Sparta, NC
The Middle Falls drops into a welcoming pool
Apr 18, 2018 near Sparta, NC
The only remnant of an old homestead
Apr 15, 2018 near Sparta, NC
The Caudill Homestead
Apr 15, 2018 near Sparta, NC

0 Comments

Weather


Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.