Appalachian Trail #2 (Rock Gap to Wallace Gap)

The Nantahala National Forest is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina and is the the second wettest region in the country – after the Pacific Northwest. The word “Nantahala” is a Cherokee word meaning “Land of the Noonday Sun.” In some spots, the sun only reaches the floors of the deep gorges in the middle of the day. The National Forest has 531,270 acres with elevation ranging from 5,800 feet at Lone Bald in Jackson County to 1,200 feet in Cherokee County along the Hiwassee River.

This is a short section of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina that I missed when I hitched a ride from Rock Gap to the Rainbow Springs Campground during my 1994 thru-hike. After an 18 mile day, I mistakenly thought Rock Gap was Wallace Gap and hitched a ride from the parking lot. ALE and I hiked this section during a trip to the area in November 2001 to make up the missed miles. It’s an easy walk that is best combined with another section of trail.