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Home > Trips > Appalachian Trail: Lovers Leap Loop
Appalachian Trail: Lovers Leap Loop
Sample a classic stretch of the Appalachian Trail on this 11.5-mile route around a 1,000-foot gorge, with overlooks and eye-candy vistas of the Smokies.
TO TRAILHEAD: US 19/US 23 N to Weaverville then US 25/US 70 W to Hot Springs, NC. Turn L onto River Rd., then L again onto Silvermine Rd. Pass under bridge and park in lot @ Nantahala Outdoor Center French Broad Outpost.
Position Format:
Datum:
Tracks
LLL02
Distance: 0.63 mi
Points: 16
Calories: none
Total Time: none
Speed: 0.0 mph
Pace: 0:00 / mi
Active Time: none
Speed: 0.0 mph
Pace: 0:00 / mi
Lovers Leap Loop (Track 2)
LLL01
Distance: 10.23 mi
Points: 379
Calories: none
Total Time: none
Speed: 0.0 mph
Pace: 0:00 / mi
Active Time: none
Speed: 0.0 mph
Pace: 0:00 / mi
Lovers Leap Loop (Track 1)
Points of Interest
LL001
Location: 35.893154, -82.822006
Head N; after .1 mi., join River Rd. and continue downriver on road
LL002
Location: 35.896065, -82.823097
R onto Reservoir Rd. (turns into dirt track). Follow to water tank; pick up Roundtop Ridge Trail (follow yellow blazes)
LL003
Location: 35.900066, -82.810722
Swing NE, ascending Roundtop Ridge (an original route for the Appalachian Trail, now rerouted)
LL004
Location: 35.922405, -82.802505
L @ T onto white-blazed AT for .4 mi. side hike to fire tower
LL005
Location: 35.927353, -82.805046
Rich Mountain (3,670 ft.). Climb fire tower for SW views of Smokies from Mount Cammerer to Mount Guyot. Return to WPT 4 and continue S on AT
LL006
Location: 35.910179, -82.790932
Cross US 25 @ Tanyard Gap on AT overpass; walk briefly on FR 113 and turn L from gravel road onto trail (white blazes)
LL007
Location: 35.905014, -82.790062
AT joins dirt road; in 480 ft., stay R on road, following white blazes; in .3 mi. turn R back onto trail leading through open meadows then into woods past a pond
LL008
Location: 35.888058, -82.795593
Reach Pump Gap and go straight @ 4-way, following vertiginous crest of Lovers Leap Ridge
LL009
Location: 35.890896, -82.819382
Short side trail to Lovers Leap, an outcrop of hard quartzite (compressed beach sand from 500 million years ago). Continue .1 mi. on AT above swirling French Broad River and hamlet of Hot Springs, NC
LL010
Location: 35.887478, -82.820328
Pass several rapids foaming over quartzite grooves on the .4 mi. hike N back to car
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