King Meadows Trail #63
The King Meadows Trail generally follows the northern edge of the Snowbird Backcountry Area. It can be accessed from the Hooper Bald Trailhead at Milepost 8 on the Cherohala Skyway, following the Hooper Bald Trail just a few feet to the junction, or from the Snowbird community area by following Snowbird Road, #1115 off Route 143, then taking Big Snowbird Road #1120 to the end at a trailhead called the “Junction”.
From Hooper Bald, the trail descends through heavy growth, meandering around knobs and valleys until reaching King Meadows, a relatively flat area. This area is partly on private lands, and all-terrain vehicle usage is common here. From King Meadows, the trail descends to Deep Gap, taking an often-missed sharp turn to the southwest, then follows Firescald Ridge to a final steep descent to a bridge over Owlcamp Branch, then a short walk to the “Junction” Trailhead.
Trail Length: 7.6 Miles
Difficulty: Very Strenuous
Usage: Light
Average Hiking Times: 8 – 10 Hours
Activities
Day Hiking
HikingBackpacking
Alerts & Warnings
- Catawba Falls Trail (TR 225) Closed
- Camping and other restrictions now in effect at Max Patch
- Nantahala RD: Multiple areas under construction
- Appalachian RD: NCDOT construction near Harmon Den may affect Forest access
- Grandfather RD: Old House Gap Rd (FS192) temporarily closed
- Recreate responsibly
- Joyce Kilmer Trail Lower Loop Closed due to rain damage
- Target Shooting prohibited on Croatan National Forest