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Appalachian Trail (AT)
The Appalachian Trail runs over 2100 miles from Georgia to Maine. Thirty miles of this trail is in Johnson County. It enters Johnson County on top of Iron Mountain and runs north to Cross Mountain, where Iron Mountain and Holston Mountain intersect. At that point it crosses over to Holston Mountain and follows it to the Virginia state line. Access to the Appalachian Trail is available at Cross Mountain Road, at U.S. Hwy 421 on Holston Mountain and at McQueen's Gap Road. Access is also available by trails at Lynn Greer Lane and Backbone Rock in Shady Valley.
Rating: Average
Length: Approximately 30 miles
Trailhead: Varies
Managed by: Appalachian Trail Conference, Cherokee National Forest
Appalachian Trail: Uncle "Nick" Grindstaff Monument
Rating: Average
Elevation: At Monument is 4,100'
Length: 6 miles (3 miles each way)
Trailhead: Cross Mountain Road
Managed by: Appalachian Trail Conference, Cherokee National Forest
Directions: Start at Hwy 421 and Hwy 67. Head north on Hyw 421, go 11.0 miles to Shady Valley crossroads. Turn left onto 91 go South 3.4 miles to Cross Mountain road. Just before Cross Mountain road there is a parking area on the left side, park there. The trail starts at the SE corner of Cross Mountain Road and Hwy 91. Follow the trail south for three miles. The Appalachian Trail is blazed with white markings.
Notes: This trail is on Iron Mountain, which is the dividing line between Doe Valley and Stoney Creek. Most people think the monument was a chimney from an old house, it was not. The monument was erected by his friends out of cement and mountain granite. The inscription reads, "Lived alone, Suffered alone, and Died alone". Uncle Nick lived here as a hermit for 40 years. He had a pet rattlesnake that was killed by Sam Lowe, a dog-named Panter that stayed with him until Nick's death and a steer that he used as a pack animal. There are many great views of Doe Valley from this trail.
Appalachian Trail: Cross Mountain to Hwy 421
Rating: Average
Elevation: 3,500' to 4,247' to 3,400'.
Length: 7.0 miles - Two trailheads (Need two cars)
Trailhead: Cross Mountain Road; Holston Mountain summit
Managed by: Appalachian Trail Conference, Cherokee National Forest
Directions: Start at intersection of Hwy 421 and Hwy 67. Head north on Hwy 421 to Shady Valley 11miles, go past crossroads 2.6 miles to top of Holston Mountain. Leave 1 car in parking area. Proceed back to crossroads and turn right onto Hwy 91. Go 3.4 miles to Cross Mountain road. Just before Cross Mountain road there is a parking area on the left side, park there. The trail starts on the other side of the Hwy 91 and goes west from there. The Appalachian trail is blazed with white markings.
Notes: Double Springs shelter is 3.5 miles (4,247') halfway between the two trailheads. There is a spring approx 100 yards west of the shelter. Trail is completely in forested area and offers great views of Shady Valley.
Appalachian Trail: Hwy 421 to Abingdon Gap Shelter
Rating: Average
Elevation: 3,400' to 3,900' to 2,500'
Length: 7.0 miles - Two trailheads (Need two cars)
Trailhead: Ivan Greer Lane; Holston Mountain Summit
Managed by: Appalachian Trail Conference. Cherokee National Forest
Directions: Start at the intersection of Hwy 421 and Hwy 67, go north on Hwy 421 towards Shady Valley. It is 6.5 miles to top of Iron Mountain. Continue on 421 to crossroads in Shady Valley 4.1 miles. Turn right at crossroads and proceed on Hwy 133 for 5.5 miles to Ivan Greer Lane on left. Proceed 0.3 mile on Ivan Greer Lane where there is a forest service gate on right. Leave one vehicle there. Proceed back to Shady Valley Crossroads and turn right. On Hwy 421, it is 2.6.miles to top of Holston Mountain. Park on area to right of highway. The Appalachian Trail for this section begins here and proceeds north (to the right). The Appalachian Trail is marked with white blaze.
Notes: At four miles you will intersect McQueens Gap Road, a dirt road that goes across the mountain. About 1.1 miles north of this road is Abingdon shelter. 0.4 mile north of shelter is trail on right side, 1.6 miles down the mountain. This is location of first vehicle.
Appalachian Trail: McQueen's Gap to Backbone Rock
Rating: Average
Elevation: 3,700' to 3,000' to 2,200'
Length: 7.0 miles - Two trailheads (Need two cars)
Trailhead: Backbone Rock; Holston Mountain Summit
Managed by: Appalachian Trail Conference, Cherokee National Forest
Directions: Start at intersection of Hwy 421 and Hwy 67. Head north on Hwy 421 to Shady Valley 11 miles to crossroads. Turn right (Hwy 133) proceed 9.5 miles to Backbone Rock. Leave 1 vehicle in parking lot on south side, required parking fee $2. Pay at envelope drop. Drive back 6.5 miles to McQueen's Gap Road on the right. Proceed on McQueen's Gap Road (which turns into a dirt road after about 1 mile) to the top of Holston Mountain. Park at side of road. The Appalachian Trail is marked with white blaze.
Notes: Go to the right (north) 1.1 miles to Abingdon Gap shelter. Backbone Rock access trail is 5.5 miles north of Abingdon Gap Shelter. The access trail, marked with blue blaze, is 2.0 miles down to Backbone Rock and location of 1st vehicle.
Appalachian Trail: Backbone Rock to Damascus
Rating: Average
The Appalachian Trail is average, but the access trail to the top is Difficult (all uphill).
Elevation: 2,200' to 3,400' to 2,000'.
Length: 6.9 miles - Two trailheads (Need two cars)
Trailhead: Top of the stairway to Backbone Rock; Damascus Park
Managed by: Appalachian Trail Conference, Cherokee National Forest
Directions: Intersection of Hwy 421 and Hwy 67. Proceed north on Hwy 421 to Shady Valley crossroads 11miles. Turn right (Hwy 133). Go 9.5 miles to Backbone Rock, and then 5.2 miles to Damascus. Turn left on the main street, go 3 blocks to a park on the left (look for train caboose). Leave one car here. Proceed back to Backbone Rock. Park in the parking lot on south side of Backbone Rock (parking fee required $2, look for payment drop).
Notes: The access trail to the Appalachian Trail starts at the top of the stairway to Backbone Rock. The access trail is blazed with blue markings. This 2.4-mile section of trail is difficult in that it is uphill to the top of the mountain. At the Appalachian Trail, marked with white blaze, turn right (North) and the trail is downhill all the way to Damascus. This trail offers spectacular views of the mountains.
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