Alex Hauck: Frozen Head State Park

Thursday, April 4, 2024

Old Mac Loop

Frozen Head State Park
Sunday March 24, 2024

This is one of my favorite short hikes when I want to get out but do not have all day to spend in the woods. Just under seven miles, this is a great hike to stretch your legs on. Also, I just got my Garmin Mini 2 and wanted to give it a test run before my big two-night trip to the Smoky Mountains.

My Route:
(1)	Old Mac Trailhead	0.3 Miles
(2)	South Old Mac	2.7 Miles
(3)	West lookout Tower	0.25 Miles
(4)	North Old Mac	3.55 Miles
(5)	Old mac Trailhead	0.15 Miles

No matter which of the trails you take up the mountain there is going to be some elevation gain. I have hiked this loop both ways several times and I cannot really tell a difference as far as ease. What I really love about this park is all the big rock formations there are. To me it just makes for a great landscape to hike through.

At the top of this trail is a pretty large backcountry campsite with some picnic tables and it is a good place to stop for a snack or lunch if not occupied. Frank and I took a break here and ate our peanut butter sandwiches and rehydrated. On our way down there is a rock just off the trail with a magnificent view of the mountain across the way. This is also a wonderful place for a snack and Frank, and I always get some sort of picture here.

Again, this is a great short-day hike and my Garmin seemed to operate just fine for my big Abrams Falls hike coming up. As always, my friends, hike on and stay safe out there.

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Thursday, November 10, 2022

Fall 2022 Frozen Head Hike

Frozen Head State Park
October 23, 2022

I took Frank up to Frozen Head State Park for a fall hike and not going to lie it was one of the best fall hikes I have been on since moving to East Tennessee. The only one I would rate better was the Rich Mount Loop in the Smoky Mountains around the second year we moved down here. Today the weather was perfect with a slight breeze and crystal, clear blue skies. Since we have been in somewhat of a drought, the colors are not popping quite like usual, but they are still beautiful with most being a golden yellow with a few red ones worked in.

When hiking in familiar locations I try to find new routes or tweak trails to make it a little different from previous hikes. On this hike I hit a new section of trail to make a loop just over ten miles. Below are the trails I hit to make this loop.

(1) North Old Mac …............ 3.55 miles
(2) West Lookout Tower …... 6.33 miles
(3) Flat Rock Story Book …... 0.45 miles

- Click Here For Park PDF Map -

The section of West Lookout Tower from North Old Mac to the Bird Mountain junction was a section I have not hit before. That section of the trail is not too bad and is part of an old dirt/gravel road with some pleasant views and nice places to stop and rest or snack. But the section that goes from the Bird Mountain junction to the campground is downhill with big rocks. That combination makes it really rough on the ankles and knees, especially with an overzealous dog like Frank. From the campground you can hit part of the Flat Rock Story Book trail to get back to the main trailhead parking lot.

- Click Here For My AllTrails Recording -

I have plans at some point to do the circumference of the park but will need to split that up for a day or two. I need to get out to some of the backcountry spots and scout out the water sources as sometimes water is hard to find in the park. Overall, this was a beautiful day and another great hike for the books. If you have not been out to Frozen Head, I would suggest checking it out at some point.

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