203 - Lookout Trail     Map

Moderate.  The difficulty here is finding the trail. It starts out okay from the trailheads but deteriorates after awhile. As a result, 203 is not hiked very much (and thus is hard to find and thus ...). But if one perseveres, there is some nice hiking here, particularly at the southern end.

The trail runs between trailhead T6 - Borden in the south to what is described as a temporary trailhead, T7 - Flannagin, to the north. The southern end conjoins trail 207 near the trailhead.

From the south, the trail snakes up and down hills and hollers at least half a dozen times. You are routed up to the bluff and down again to the valley. The views of the forest can be outstanding, with the large beech trees of particular interest.

The trail then straightens out in a northerly direction through pine woods and here is where it is most difficult to follow. Look for colored plastic tape hanging from trees for clues.

You need to cross Borden Creek about a mile from the northern end. Any difficulty with this crossing will probably reside in getting down and up the slippery banks, not with the stream itself, though expect deeper water in winter.

Waterfalls are minimal but geologists may enjoy outcrops both of the ubiquitous sandstone and the less common limestone. The route passes next to a number of sinkholes as well.

Given the underutilization of the trail, it is not surprising that there are few obviously ready-for-use campsites. And the southern end tends to emphasize the steepness of the terrain, not its flat spots. Yet water is available and one could make a go of it.

Trail 203 could be combined with trail 207 - Braziel Creek to make a loop by hiking along the unpaved FS 208 road between trailhead T5 - Gum Pond and trailhead T7 - Flannagin. The distance is about 2.2 miles and scenery is actually quite good. It is probably easier to walk from T5 to T7 than the other way around since the road tends to descend more than ascend in that direction.

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