This was my first hike on the Appalachian Trail. While I can't say I felt the "special something" that sparks a desire in so many folks to thru-hike it, I can say it was a wonderful experience overall. I highly recommend hiking this loop than late Fall/early Winter. (November 2021)
Check out the itinerary I put together from this trip! Route details, resources I used to plan the trip, campsite and water source descriptions, elevation profiles, and MORE all in one neatly organized PDF. (While it isn’t a substitute for doing your own research and preparation, hopefully it will take the guess work out of planning your own trip.)
Standing Indian Loop
Hike Overview
Type of hike: Loop (clockwise)
Trails hiked: Long Branch trail, Appalachian Trail, Kimsey Creek trail
Time span: 3 days 2 nights
Total Est. Mileage: 24 miles
Day One
Our weekend adventure on the AT began at Standing Indian campground. We worked our way up to Albert Mountain, making a quick stop at Big Spring. While the shelter was no longer there, the water pipe was still accessible. I did have to work for it though; navigating over blowdowns in the old camping area. A few trip reports I read indicated the campsites on the other side of Albert Mountain were dry. So, I decided to fill up 3 L of water just in case.
We reached the tower about an hour before sunset. Talk about an incredible sight! Access to the top is usually blocked off, but during our visit it was open. Unfortunately, the steps were too steep for Barrett to climb. I continued up to the top, while he waited patiently (sort of) tied to a leg of the tower. After taking in the 360 views, we carefully navigated down a series of steep rock scrambles. Thank goodness we went clockwise. The trail leading up to Albert Mountain was a little steep and rocky, but nothing compared to the way down. Trying to climb up all that on the last day would have sucked majorly.
We made camp in a nice, wooded area a little less than 0.5 mile from the tower. The camp was dry as I expected, making the extra 5 - 6 lbs of water worth it. I prioritized getting my bear bag line up and collecting a decent stack of firewood over any other camp chores. In my opinion, these are the two most frustrating tasks to try to accomplish in the dark. After getting the rest of our camp set up I decided to try out the new fire building trick my friend showed me: the upside-down fire. I was pleasantly surprised how little work was needed to maintain it! Barrett took a nap in a pile of leaves through all of this.
Day Two
We continued on the AT bright and early the next morning, taking a short coffee and kibble break at Betty Creek Gap. Walking in a tunnel of gold leaves with Winter views peeking through is a perfect way to start the day! We hiked through Mooney Gap, Carter Gap, and Beech Gap. Water was a lot easier to come by on this part of the loop.
At Carter Gap shelter we met a wandering hunting dog. Barrett wasn't so sure about him at first, but it wasn't long before they were nose to nose through the shelter window. I wish I had gotten a picture of it! We made another stop at Beech Gap to have lunch. I started down what I though was a spur trail to water. About 0.25 mile later I got the feeling it may be just another trail. It was. While there was a small stream eventually, the extra 0.5 mile on Indian Ridge trail felt like an unnecessary venture.
We reached Standing Indian Mountain around 3:30. Plenty of time to check out the overlook and find a good campsite. We hit the jackpot up at the summit! A soft patch of grass, stack of wood by a fire ring, and no one else in sight. It would be crazy to pass that up. I tied Barrett up to a random post in the ground and started setting up camp. Ordinarily I would let him roam at camp, but he was a little too interested in the overlook for my comfort.
At one point I untied his leash to go look for a spot to hang the bear bag line. There was something about the grass up there Barrett just couldn't resist. Literally every couple feet he would pull away and rub his face in it. I got pretty irritated at one point, so I pulled him back over and started to scold him. He stopped, looked me in the eyes, and then body slammed into the grass snorting and rolling. It was so ridiculous! I couldn't stay mad at him.
Unlike our camp the night before, there was a spring close by. We followed the steep spur trail down to a barely dripping pipe. A little disappointed, I continued down the slope looking for a enough of a flow to set my water bladder under. Further down to the right was a second pipe with a much stronger flow. Thank the Lord! I carried about 5 L back to camp. Which may have been a little over kill, but I wasn't planning on making another trip down there.
Camping on the summit was a one-of-a-kind experience. The sunset was incredible, but boy did it get windy and chilly! Thankfully the fire ring was deep enough to shield most of the fire from the elements. Hijinks ensued when I tried to hang my food bag though. If you've ever hung a bear bag before you know, after hoisting the bag up there's some extra slack in the line and the bag lowers a little, while you tie it off to a nearby branch or tree. After hoisting the bag up, I went to tie it to a trunk, and it didn't drop. I let the line go completely. Nothing. It was stuck! Shaking and pulling on the line only made things worse. I ran back and forth between the stack of logs at camp and the stuck bag trying to find one that would reach. I finally found a log tall enough and started swinging at it like a pinata. The bag came tumbling down with a rain of moss and debris. Thankfully the line did not catch on the branch again after that.
Later that night, I found my battery pack dead and my phone (which I thought was charging) drained to 10%. It's a good thing we only had 6 or so miles to go the next day.
Day Three
At first I was a little concerned about not having my phone to navigate. The truth is I probably didn't need it. I knew exactly where we were and which trails would take us where we need to go. I guess it's one of those things we get so dependent on that when we don't have it, we feel less confident.
I passed a couple other backpackers about a mile from Standing Indian that warned me about the potentially dangerous water crossings on Kimsey Creek trail. Which sounded a little odd to me because literally nothing I read when planning this trip mentioned that. There were definitely a couple creeks and streams to cross, but I easily rock hopped across all of them. In fact, the whole 4 miles I kept waiting for this big bad water crossing, but it wasn't there. Maybe in the rainy season some of them get a little tricky to cross?
I will say a major downside to that trail was all the mud. Most of it was a soggy, waterlogged mess. I can see why some hikers prefer to take the Lower Ridge trail back to the campground instead. Barrett didn't seem to mind it. While I tried to skirt around the puddles and mud pits, he jumped right in.
Navigating back to the parking area was a bit of a challenge since literally ALL the trails around the campground (besides the AT) were blazed blue. Apparently, I took the blue blazed trail instead of taking the blue blazed trail, and we ended up looping back around behind the picnic area. (I went straight at the bridge instead of taking a right.) We wandered the campground for at least 20 minutes before I found someone who could point me in the right direction. It got a little confusing at the end there, but we made it back and had a great three-day adventure over all.
Trip Highlights
Here's the three most memorable landmarks on this loop.
Albert Mountain Fire Tower - You can't beat a photo op at a historic fire tower with 360 views of the Appalachians.
Carter Gap - It's not a proper hike on the AT without making a quick stop at one of its iconic shelters. You'll find a new modernized shelter, as well as an old weathered one here.
Standing Indian Summit - If you can catch it on a clear day, the views at the top are absolutely beautiful. Especially at sunset!
Things to do in town: If you find yourself passing through Franklin be sure to check out Three Eagles Outfitters. They've been serving thru-hikers and backpackers on the A.T. for 26 years! You can reach them at 828-524-9061 OR www.threeeagles.shop
Three Eagles Outfitters is located at:
Other things to know?
Big Spring shelter has been removed and replaced by Long Branch shelter about 2 miles North. Camping is no longer permitted at Big Spring or at Betty Creek Gap in an effort to restore the areas to a natural state.
According to signs at Betty Creek Gap, the Forestry Service "recommends" AT hikers use bear resistant containers due to encounters between Betty Creek Gap and Carter Gap.
Parking is available at the Backcountry Info Booth, Standing Indian Campground, and Rock Gap. Standing Indian Campground charges $2 per day to park within the grounds.
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