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Cat Gap and Butter Gap loop - Pisgah National Forest, NC

3,021 views · Published 21 June 2018 · 16:36 · Indexed 11 October 2026

Channel: Zachary Robbins · 2018 · Travel & Events

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A hike the Sunday before Memorial Day in the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest. This is a longer version of the popular John Rock + Cedar Rock Falls loop. Beginning at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education I followed the Cat Gap Loop Trail east along the swollen Davidson River. This was in the middle of 2 weeks of heavy rainfall across the NC mountains, and every waterway was near flood stage and most trails were muddy messes. I skipped by the John Rock Trail, continuing up to Cat Gap to follow the Art Loeb Trail. The ALT passes beside the south wall of Cedar Rock Mountain, but I didn't see any good open views. I then took the manway to summit Cedar Rock Mt, which was heavily overgrown at first but when it started climbing it cleared up. It was further than I expected to reach the wooded summit (4,055 feet). I checked out a few of the rock faces on the southeast side near the summit, but none of them had particularly good views and were extremely hazardous from rainfall. 

On my way back down, it started raining, then pouring. I had to ride out a torrential downpour for nearly an hour, the first 30 min hiking as quickly as possible with my umbrella to the Butter Gap Shelter. At the shelter I waited out the next 30 min a ranger on a faux-911 call. I missed some cool trails to the southwest base of Cedar Rock apparently. If it didn't storm I might have had more time to explore the area. Afterwards I followed the Butter Gap Trail along Grogan Creek, which was very slick on the clay sections. Grogan Creek Falls, typically quaint, was roaring. I also spotted some nice collections of reishi, one had an enormous slug on top. After passing through Picklesimer Fields I reconnected with the Cat Gap Loop Trail and saw Upper Cedar Rock and Cedar Rock Falls. Cedar Rock Falls was very impressive with the flow compared to my last visit. I had to cut some video clips because they were too blurry, so if it seems my hike narrative is skipping some beats then you know the reason.

Hike was 11.0 miles with 2,740 feet elevation gain in 5 hours and 50 minutes.

Hike location
https://goo.gl/maps/uZMvD7K19AN2

John Rock and Cedar Rock Falls video
https://youtu.be/5aX2RVHEeOY

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