Parking for Spruce Mountain Trail

[HooKooDooKu]

Planning a trip that would include camping at CS#42 at the end of Spruce Mountain Trail.

But I've heard that parking isn't so great at the trail head along Balsam Mtn Rd... specifically that there can be as little as space for only one car when an inconsiderate hiker parks in the middle of the parking area at the trail head.

So if I get to the trailhead and there's no additional room to park, is there anywhere else within reasonable distance to park for this trail head?

[TNhiker]

yeah.........

from my memory------right across the road just a touch before trailhead, theres a space for at least one car------thats where i parked when i went up to the campsite...


if that space if taken (which i doubt), i think there are others within walking distance but i cant exactly remember that.......


also----when you get on trail---just a short ways up from the road----theres a spring on the right...

fill water up there.......

i couldnt find a spring up at the campsite..............

[martinb]

Adding to what TN suggested, last time I was up there, about three years go, the trail and campsite were getting heavily overgrown. Definitely get water at the small stream going across the trail about 1/2 -3/4 mile from 42 as there's no water up there (that I could find).

[HooKooDooKu]

Unfortunately, by the time final plans were ready for this past weekend, 3 of the 4 available spots at #42 were taken (I needed 2 spots).
I wound up doing the trail as a day-hike. The trail was a little overgrown is spots, but overall not bad. The campsite didn't seem overgrown at all.. but the water source just beyond the camp was dry.
Three cars managed to fit into the parking area. When I got there, one SUV was already parked. I had no problem parking right up behind them. By the time we returned to the parking, a third car had managed to squeeze in such that they were just barely out of the road yet still leaving the guy in the middle room to leave.

[TNhiker]

but the water source just beyond the camp was dry

where is this water source?

[HooKooDooKu]

where is this water source?

I've never been to this campsite before, but when I've asked about it, I've been told there is a water source just beyond the campsite so I went looking.
Looking at a Topo map, you can see that the camp is located at the headwaters of Bear Branch.
I had no problem finding what was apparently Bear Branch about 100 feet beyond the fire ring. But at this time, the drainage only contains mud, no flowing water or standing pools.

BTW: Hiked to CS44 the next day. Despite the recent lack of rain, the natural spring is still running there... not very much, but enough of a flow to be a water source.

[TNhiker]

I've been told there is a water source just beyond the campsite so I went looking.

ok.......

that sounds like the general area of where i looked years ago......

i cant remember off the top of my head when i was up there-----but i went looking for a spring and saw a very old roadbed and followed it for a touch, but never really saw any sign of a spring.....

so i kinda gave up, as i had filled up on the way up............

[HooKooDooKu]

never really saw any sign of a spring.....

The water source at 42 isn't a "spring"... not like the well defined springs you find at 44 (McGee Spring), 52 (Newton Bald), and Icewater Spring shelter.
But if you look at the topography on a topo map or Google Earth, you can see how the mountain behind 42 drains an area of about 15-20 acres into the "valley" that 42 sits in.
The "Google Terrain" topo shows the upper reaches of Bear Branch starting only about 50' (in elevation) above 42.

[TNhiker]

ok.....

let me state it a different way-----after tramping around the woods beyond the campsite----i saw no sign of a water source....

i looked for about 2 hours before i decided to go cook steak over the fire.....

[gollwoods]

I had no luck there some years back. A obvious little gully was where I thought water my be. A bit south and east from camp. No luck. There was a site 42 marker so I tried going past that down in thick Rhodo, got nowhere.

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[martinb]

Hoo, thanks for the 42 update. I've been wondering about this site since I really enjoy the Balsam MT area. From your description, looks like this spot is getting more use since the campground closed down. I did not find that dry stream bed you noted. Is it behind the CS or down one side of the trail?

[TNhiker]

Balsam mountain campground (if that's the one you're referring to) is back open....

it will close down for the season though in a few weeks....