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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