Skip to content
Northeast Georgia HikingNew & Old Friends Who Like to Hike

August 5, 2014

Pickens Nose Trail - Appalachian Trail Albert Mt. - Laurel Falls Trail - NC

This week's hike was on three trails. First was the Pickens Nose Trail followed by the Appalachian Trail to Albert Mountain followed by the Laurel Falls Trail near the Standing Indian Campground

Trail information

Pickens Nose Mountain was named after Revolutionary War General Andrew Pickens. The Pickens Nose Trail is heavily used by rock climbers/rappelers since it has magnificent rock faces. The views there are awesome! Our second hike started at the parking lot below the summit of Albert Mountain, there is a connector trail up to the Appalachian Trail and then we follow the A.T. up to the summit and fire tower for some of the most spectacular views on the entire 2,000+ mile Trail. The Laurel Creek Trail is on the forest service road toward Standing Indian Campground. Laurel Creek Falls is a beautiful jewel in the NC mountains and the creek combines with others to form the headwaters of the Nantahala River. Total hiking distance today - About 5 miles with considerable elevation gain. We rate the hike moderately easy

Directions

Take highway 441 north from Clayton, GA to the community of Otto, NC. Turn left onto Coweeta Lab Road . Drive several miles up this road and you will see the Coweeta Hydrologic Lab on your right. Continue on past the lab and the road becomes a gravel Forest Service road 83. Continue up this road for several miles and you will come to a sign for Pickens Nose. There is a parking area here. For Albert Mountain, continue on past this area a mile or so and there is a fork in the road and a sign pointing to the right to Albert Mountain. Continue on the right fork to the end of the road where there is a parking area. Hike up the connector trail behind the gate to the A.T. and turn right to Albert Mt. For Laurel Creek Falls, drive back down the road from Albert Mountain and turn right onto F.S. road 83 and continue several miles to the trail sign on the left. Another great day for a hike! Partly Cloudy with temperatures steady in the mid-60's F

Conditions

Partly Cloudy with temperatures steady in the mid-60's F.

Hikers (20)

  • Phil Brownrigg
  • Jan Burgess
  • Cup Gales
  • Stephen Gales
  • Tim Hale
  • Charles Hall
  • Adam Hunt
  • Bill Hunt
  • Layne Hunt
  • Kim Johnson
  • Mike Jones
  • Dick Metzgar
  • Trushna Nadig
  • Huck Phillips
  • Tony Presley
  • Joe Raguckas
  • Sandy Robson
  • Vic Robson
  • Bob Magee
  • Carole Wintle

Flowers in bloom

Heal-all, Purple-flowering Raspberry, Turk's Cap Lily, Southern Harebell, Spotted Jewelweed, Lance-leaved Loosestrife, Oxeye Daisy, Tall Bluet, Bush Honeysuckle, Thin Leaved Sunflower, White Yarrow, Downy Phlox, Angelica, Rosebay Rhododendron, Indian Pipes, Lance-leafe Coreopsis, White Snakeroot, Heal-All, White Bee Balm, Joe Pye Weed, Black-eyed Susan

Birds identified

Blue Jay, Broad-winged Hawk, Pine Warbler, Towhee, Junco, Nuthatch

Photos (15)

  • Parking on Forest Service Rd. 83.
  • The trail has several dense Rhododendron tunnels.
  • The view from our first over-look!
  • Indian Pipes enjoy a moist forest floor.
  • The famous rock outcrop at Pickens Nose!
  • Vic stands near the edge!
  • Next, we move up the road a couple of miles to the access trail to the Appalachian Trail and Albert Mountain.
  • Another great day for a hike!
  • We arrive at the summit of Albert and the old fire tower.
  • Great views from the tower!
  • The fog was moving around.
  • Next, we move down the road to Laurel Creek Falls Trail
  • Crossing the creek.
  • Beautiful Laurel Falls!
  • The OFHC gang for today's hike. (l-r sitting) Mike Jones & "Barney", Sandy Robson and Vic Robson. (l-r standing) Tony Presley, Joe Raguckas, Charles Hall, Jan Burgess, Stephen Gales, Cup Gales, Tim Hale, Huck Phillips, Phil Brownrigg, Bob Magee, Trushna Nadig, Dick Metzgar, Adam Hunt, Bill Hunt, Layne Hunt, Carole Wintle and Kim Johnson.