Access Jackie's Bottom Trail off South River Road near the bridge by turning west onto the trail. Riders may access this trail by parking on River Road in the pull off area just east of South River Road or by parking in the designated pull off on Hooker Road then riding on River Road to South River Road.  Note:  GPS has Hooker Road labeled Spicer Road.  Street signs indicate Hooker Road. 

 

Follow Jackie's Bottom Trail along the Pacolet River (river will be on your right). At the end of Jackie's Bottom Trail, riders may turn right onto TJ's Trace and ride along the river or turn left onto Olympic Trail passing between the two back pastures of Cotton Patch. TJ's Trace comes back into Olympic trail.

 

Continue on toward the goats' pasture onto Waterfall Way (from TJ's Trace turn right onto Olympic Trail and head toward the goats). Another trail split option here. Riders can go right onto Riverside Lounge which follows the river and returns to Waterfall Way or continue straight.

 

Continue on Waterfall Way past the waterfall (coming out of Riverside Lounge, turn right onto Waterfall Way). Follow the trail up the hill. Continue straight onto Trillium Trail. The river is on the right.

 

At the next trail intersection, turn left to continue on Trillium Trail. Follow the diamond markers and turn right to go up the hill. Do not go past the "No Horses" sign. At the "T" intersection, right turn only. At the next intersection, turn left onto Turkey Trot.

 

Take Turkey Trot to the 4 way intersection. There are two ways to finish this loop. Option One is via Still Branch Trail to the left. Option Two is to continue straight on Turkey Trot to Long Lane.

 

Option One: Left onto Still Branch Trail. Follow Still Branch across the gasline then right onto Waterfall Way. Reverse the path back to your trailer.

 

Option Two: Through the intersection, continue on Turkey Trot. Cross the driveway at Long Lane and ride up the short incline to the "T" intersection with Long Lane Trail.                                  

 

Turn left onto Long Lane Trail. Turn right under the powerline and follow the trail downhill. Go past Little Orchard Trail on the right. Take the next left which is Two Ponds Overlook. Go past Thompson Drive Trail. At the end of the goat pasture, turn right toward Olympic Trail. Reverse the path to your horse trailer. 

Trail riding season is upon us. Western North Carolina and the surrounding areas in Upstate South Carolina, North Georgia, and East Tennessee possess some of the most beautiful, scenic horse trails found anywhere. The topography varies from mountain-laurel-canopied ridge trails to flat river trails lined with cane and hemlocks. Waterfalls are often part of the landscape.  It is recommended to always check websites for alerts and trail closing notices before visiting. 

 

Following are links to regional parks and forests that contain horse trails and camping facilities. This list is not complete. For additional trails, visit the Horse Trail Directory website. I also recommend the book, "Horseback Riding Trail Guide to North Carolina" by Martha Brannon Holden which contains a wealth of information about riding in our region. Particularly helpful are the trail descriptions, length, and difficulty ratings which serve to accurately plan a ride for any experience level of horse and rider.

 

   

Links to Horse Trails in North Carolina

 

Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve (Moses Cone) 

 

Dupont State Forest 

 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Horse Camps) 

 

Leatherwood Mountains  

 

 

Pisgah National Forest (Horse camping and riding) 

• Harmon Den 
• Wash Creek Horse Camp (North Mills River) 
• Wolf Ford Horse Camp and South Mills River  

 

 South Mountains State Park 

 

Standing Indian (Nantahala National Forest) 

 

 

 

Links to Horse Trails in South Carolina

 

Buncomb Horse Trail 

 

Croft State Park 

 

Clemson Experimental Forest (Fants Grove Horse Trails) 

 

Lakeview Plantation 

 

Whetstone Horse Camp (Rocky Gap) 

 

 

 

Links to Horse Trails in Georgia

 

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest 

            Jacks River Field Horse Camp 

            Coleman River Wildlife Management Area

            Willis Knob Horse Trails 

 

In the "Save the Trails" section of the March issue of Trail Rider magazine, there is an article by Deb Balliet about FETA entitled, "Tryon Trail Triumph.  I have included the link here in case you missed it.

Many riders from our area enjoy the trails at DuPont Forest.  Hikers and cyclists also enjoy the trails there.  There is concern that these user groups have a growing voice and input outnumbering equestrians.  Please considering supporting the Friends of DuPont with a $25 membership to increase our visibility as a user group.

Friends of DuPont Forest is a volunteer service organization working to enhance the public use and enjoyment of the DuPont State Forest while protecting its natural resources.  Service includes:

• Trail building and maintenance workdays
• Building projects and upgrades
• Fundraising projects
• Visitor information

Yvon Chouinard, the founder and president of the Patigonia brand of outdoor wear is a noted outdoor enthusiast known for saying "It's not an adventure until something goes wrong." This ride was an adventure.

 

We pulled into the Whetstone Horse camp at 11am after a 2 ½ hour drive from Tryon. It was a weekday so we had the parking lot and Sumter National Forest all to ourselves. The first river crossing at Earl's Ford is a short 20 minute ride from the parking area. The Chattooga River is chest deep at this crossing at normal stage which it was on this day. We crossed safely keeping mostly dry except our riding boots. Soon after crossing to the Georgia side, we encountered a dicey section of trail. The choice was to ride upstream in the river, following the bank but walking on top of slippery boulders or choice number two which was a steep, rocky climb up and over the trouble spot. We opted for choice number two. I grabbed a handful of Micah's silver mane and leaned forward on his neck. He surged up the narrow rough cut trail then picked his way slowly down a steep descent back to the level trail along the river. Three miles on and we stopped at a picturesque spot for lunch, established by the Georgia Back Country Horsemen.

 

After lunch, we continued our ride each one chattering on about the beauty that surrounded us; the river, the trails, and the day.  We arrived at Adline Branch where we crossed the Chattooga River back into South Carolina. This ford is much easier, between knee and belly deep on the horses.

 

It was still another five miles to get back to the horse trailer via Rocky Gap trail. This trail deserves its name. It is rocky and a long climb to the ridge. Once on the trail and well on our way, at the first intersection we opted for the more direct trail on the eastern boundary and from the map estimated our return to the trailer was 2.2 miles (45 minutes). The trail came out onto an unmarked forest service road past a guard rail we had to go around. We decided to turn right onto the road. We rode for 35 minutes and didn't find any landmarks matching the trail map. We back tracked to where we started at the guardrail (another 35 minutes) and rode 45 minutes (2+ miles) in the other direction where the forest road ended. There were still no landmarks or trails along the way to match the trail map.

 

We had no cell service. It was 5:15 and getting dark and turning colder. I called 911 and to my surprise my phone got through. I gave the dispatcher our location. She put me through to a forest ranger.  After describing our location and surroundings, the ranger said we were on Mongold Gap. We waited 45 minutes for him to drive to us. I left my horse Micah with my trail companions Carole and Dot while the ranger drove me to my horse trailer. As we pulled into the day use parking, nearly dark, I was surprised to see all of the vehicles that had filled the empty lot. The Whetstone Horse Camp has a large parking area that can accommodate at least 10 rigs and it was filled with forestry trucks, pickup trucks, and trucks with trailers hauling ATV's. I thought they were having some sort of forestry meeting. From the passenger seat I asked the ranger, "What are all the vehicles here for?" "They're here for you. It's Search and Rescue." Oh my gosh. As he pulled in behind my trailer, I got out and shielded my face in shame. They all laughed. We spent a few minutes looking over maps and comparing notes. The ranger assured me that most people who call for help have no map or compass and nary a clue as to which direction they're headed or where they are. He applauded me for being equipped and said he would take the blame because the trails in that area are not adequately marked and the map is incomplete.   He said they would work on putting up better trail signs and getting an updated map on the forestry website. I thanked everyone and headed out with my truck and trailer to pick up my friends and our horses from where I had left them in the forest nearly an hour before. 

 

It took 35 minutes to drive 7 miles on the mountainous roads back to my friends. At the end of the unmarked forest service road where we had stopped riding and waited for the ranger there was an area to turn around which was put there for flatbed trailers hauling heavy equipment for fire access. I hauled the trailer in on the narrow gravel road with steep sides, overhanging branches, and trees leaning into the path of my truck. It was dark by now and the road seemed to go on forever. 

 

I arrived to friends and horses patiently waiting in the cold, in the dark, with feet still wet from the river crossing 7 hours before, tired and hungry. Even though we were all mentally, emotionally, and physically spent, there were only kind and encouraging words.

 

We loaded the horses in the cold, dark night and started home. We arrived back at my farm a little before 10:00pm. An exhausting 14 hours for horses and humans.  It has been several decades since I was lost on a trail. There is a compass always attached to my saddle. I review the trail map a number of times before each ride even in areas I am familiar with. I provide maps for fellow riders in case I become disabled.  I also provide the name of the forest, parking area, and telephone number of the ranger station. We were prepared as best we could have been in this circumstance. I am not going to say that I would enjoy repeating this adventure but I am grateful for the experience and especially thankful for my loyal and kind friends, Dot and Carole. Neither panicked nor became impatient or condemning. Both were encouraging and positive. Proverbs teaches that to have good friends we must first be a good friend. I pray that I would be this kind of friend.

 

My next ride at Rocky Gap is planned for May 3.  You can view photos of this ride on my Facebook page.

Faith Jorgenson
Foothills Equestrian Trails Association