October 12th, 2008 -  We met our friends the McMurrays at Dennis Cove and hiked to Laurel Falls heading north on the A.T.  We had a beautiful day and our hike was very pleasant.  We rested at the falls, and Erick and I took a lot of photos while the kids played.  The only downside was the water volume in the falls was extremely low due to the drought (see here for higher volume photos from this past March).                     

The Gang (Except for Erick and I Taking Photos)

On the hike back out Erick introduced us to geocaching, and we had four finds on the trail.  Campbell really enjoyed it, so I'm sure we'll do more geocaching in the future.  Amy talked some photography tips and techniques with me on the way out too... she does absolutely wonderful work (see here), as does Erick.  We also ran into a small Ring-Necked Snake, which the kids all had to hold while we took their photos.     

Looking Up at the Fall Colors

Cam Holding a Tiny Ring-Necked Snake

We had such a good time that when we got back to the car we decided to drive on up to Carver's Gap at Roan Mountain for another short hike to see the fall colors.  Click here for the rest of our great day! 

Total Miles Hiked:  2.4 

Getting There:  

Driving - From Elizabethton, take 19E toward Hampton.  Once in Hampton turn left onto highway 321 toward Mountain City.  Proceed 0.8 miles and turn right onto Dennis Cove Road.  Follow this winding road for 4.0 miles and you'll see small parking area on your left.  If you wish to hike in from the Hampton Blue-blaze route see these directions instead.    

Trails - The trailhead will be off to your left from the parking area.  This is the Appalachian Trail (heading north) so just follow the white blazes.  After approximately 1.1 miles you make a sharp turn to the left and proceed down into the ravine for another 0.1 miles (again following the white blazes).  If you wish to hike in from the Hampton Blue-blaze route see these directions instead (it's about 5 miles round trip instead of 2.4).