The view of Pinnacle Mountain and Table Rock from Caesars Head
The view of the South Carolina Piedmont from Caesars Head
Looking east from Caesars Head
The sign at Caesars Head explaining the view landmarks
This helpful trail map, complete with contour lines, is at all trail intersections and trailheads in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area.
The kiosk at the start of the Tom Miller Trail - You register your hike here and pay your $2 fee for use of the Park
Tom Miller Trail - I started out on Tom Miller Trail accidentally...thinking it connected to my destination trail (Coldspring Branch Trail)
Tom Miller Trail - Morning sun on the white pines.
Coldspring Branch Trail - It didn't take long to figure out that Coldspring Branch Trail started from a different spot in the same parking area near the Tom Miller trailhead.
Coldspring Branch Trail - After a nice little climb from the parking area in the woods, you emerge at this spot right near a gate beside US 276. Why don't they just start the trail here?
Coldspring Branch Trail - The trails are for the most park well mark throughout the MBWA.
Coldspring Branch Trail - Now for a short climb along an old logging road, through tunnels of rhododendron.
Coldspring Branch Trail - More rhodo tunnels and freshly fallen leaves.
Coldspring Branch Trail - Nice maroon ground cover
Coldspring Branch Trail - The colors were nice but the leaves were about half gone for the season.
Coldspring Branch Trail - A pretty maple
Coldspring Branch Trail - Approaching the Bill Kimball Trail intersection. I was here back in March on a chilly and icy day.
Bill Kimball Trail/Coldspring Branch Trail intersection - They've replaced the sign since my last visit.
Coldspring Branch Trail - The unique mile markers
Coldspring Branch Trail - Continuing on Coldspring Branch Trail, first a short downhill and then a good climb.
Coldspring Connector Trail/Coldspring Branch Trail intersection - The sign was a casualty at this intersection.
Coldspring Connector Trail - Now a sharp downhill on the 0.5 mile long Coldspring Connector Trail.
Coldspring Connector Trail - You can't tell from the picture, but this is a STEEP downhill.
Coldspring Connector Trail - Reaching the first of two small crossings
Coldspring Connector Trail - Partridgeberry are always fun to spot with their two eyeballs. (poisonous though)
Coldspring Connector Trail - Approaching the second crossing
Coldspring Connector Trail - The second crossing, and low spot on this little connector.
Coldspring Connector Trail - Approaching the Frank Coggins Trail intersection after a VERY steep climb up the other side of the ridge.
Coldspring Connector Trail - This little 0.5 miler has some serious teeth to it.
Frank Coggins Trail/Coldspring Connector Trail intersection - My original plan was to continue east on Frank Coggins Trail to pick up the Rim of the Gap, but I abandoned here to avoid a massive return trip climb.
Frank Coggins Trail - This is looking east towards my original destination. A big downhill here meant a big uphill on the return leg, so I decided to abandon and drive over to the other side of the Gap to pick up the Rim of the Gap Trail from the east end.
Frank Coggins Trail - Returning to US 276 via FCT.
Frank Coggins Trail - A Ranger leads a group on an interpretive walk.
Frank Coggins Trail - Purple blazed and numbered.
Frank Coggins Trail - Turning into an old logging road.
US 276 at Frank Coggins trailhead - Emerging here at the Caesars Head State Park Visitor Center for the road walk back to the car.
US 276 - Now a 1+ mile northbound road walk back to the car at the Raven Cliff Falls parking area.
US 276 - Views towards the gorge. Not the rhododendron strip where the power lines cut through the forest.
Jones Gap State Park - After the road walk, a 1/2 hour drive over to Jones Gap State Park, and a long wait in the queue to enter the full Park...I'm finally back walking again. Admittedly I should have stuck with the original plan. :o(
Jones Gap State Park - A nice footbridge over the Middle Saluda River.
Jones Gap State Park - The former Cleveland Fish Hatchery
Jones Gap State Park - The very nice log Visitors Center at Jones Gap State Park
Jones Gap State Park - The Middle Saluda River
Rim of the Gap Trail/Jones Gap Trail intersection - I was here in March and had to continue on Jones Gap Trail because ROTGT was closed due to ice and snow.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Doubling back to climb above the entrance road through the freshly fallen leaves.
Rim of the Gap Trail - The start of the trail has some very impressive block fields, some the size of houses.
Rim of the Gap Trail - It's hard to tell from the picture without something for scale, but this huge rock was the size of a duplex.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Duplex rock with a 6 foot high cave in the bottom.
Rim of the Gap Trail - More impressive boulders standing rank over the trail.
Rim of the Gap Trail - The trail gets skinny as it climbs steeply up the ridge. Log borders keep you from slipping down the mountain.
Rim of the Gap Trail - A cable to help the walker through a very steep spot.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Another huge boulder
Rim of the Gap Trail - Approaching the Pinnacle Pass Trail intersection
Pinnacle Pass Trail/Rim of the Gap Trail intersection - Looking right to continue switching back up the mountain.
Pinnacle Pass Trail/Rim of the Gap Trail intersection - Now looking left at white-blazed Pinnacle Pass Trail. I'll have to see this one another day.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Old trail markers. ROTGT is now yellow blazed instead of orange.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Another huge sandstone boulder balances precariously on a 'pebble'.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Views starting to peak through as I climb
Rim of the Gap Trail - My worst nightmare...blowdowns across the trail.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Trail workers rerouted traffic around the blowdowns and left a blaze to help guide walkers.
Rim of the Gap Trail - At a kink in the trail, a nice white pine grows directly in the center of the trail.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Now switching back to climb up through slippery rocks, made more slippery by the fresh leaves.
Rim of the Gap Trail - First signs of the views on the other side of the gorge.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Exposed granite walls on the opposite ridge
Rim of the Gap Trail - Exposed granite walls on the opposing ridge
Rim of the Gap Trail - A lichen covered tree stump.
Rim of the Gap Trail - The cracks in the granite wall are probably many feet across. Rainbow Falls is on the right.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Looking northeast across the gorge cut by the Middle Saluda River.
Rim of the Gap Trail - If you look closely you can see the power poles, which give you an idea of the scale of these massive granite cliffs.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Another impressive rock directly beside the trail.
Rim of the Gap Trail - This rock was probably 15 feet high.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Looking through the pines to the opposing ridge. I heard the calls of Falcons very closeby to this spot.
Rim of the Gap Trail - Autumn color through the pines
Rim of the Gap Trail - The north ridge of Jones Gap with the sheer cliffs
Rim of the Gap Trail - More of the cliffs
Rim of the Gap Trail - And another
Rim of the Gap Trail - A closer shot of the huge cracks in the cliff walls
Jones Gap Trail - Now back down the mountain with plenty of daylight to spare, this is again the Middle Saluda River.
Jones Gap Trail - Old signage on Jones Gap Trail
The Middle Saluda River
The Middle Saluda River with a slightly longer exposure
One more of the Middle Saluda River. This ended my day walking around the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area on a perfect Fall day.
