K4KPK

Tray Mtn: Drive to Trailhead & Trail Guide

**Do not drive through Helen. Traffic is often 2 MPH. **

NOTE: There are four ‘entry points’ to the trailhead. 3 of 4 are sometimes impassible for a sedan.:

Southern: Tray Mountain Road all the way from GA-75. In 2020, this had scary erosion gullies and a huge mud wallow.
Ford: Ford a creek near GA-75 on Indian Grave Gap (IGG) Road, past IGG, then Tray Mountain Rd. The Tray Mountain stretch is sometimes too rutted. The creek bed is lined with fist-sized rocks. I’ve never had a problem crossing it with my Corolla, but it is scary because I can’t see the creek bed well. IGG Road is always in very good condition for a forest service dirt road.
Northern: Drive past other two entry points, cross new Hiwasee River bridge, Corbin Creek Rd all the way. Bumpy and long. Sometimes impassible in a sedan.
Indian Grave Gap: Park at Indian Grave Gap and walk 1.8 miles to Tray Gap.

Conditions:

2020.09.04: Tray Mtn Rd between GA-75 and IGG Road. Very scary. Erosion gullies and huge mud wallow. I had to leave the road and drive between trees to get around mud wallow. This is Tray Mountain Road before reaching Indian Grave Gap road.
2018.08.26: Foot-deep erosion gully from one side of the road to the other, just past the 6 mile mark on Corbin Creek Rd.
2016.05: Tray Mtn Rd from IGG Rd to Tray Gap deeply rutted; unsafe to drive in a sedan. Deep ruts, big rocks.
2015: Corbin Creek Rd is 10.1 miles and 45 minutes to Tray Gap. Rough but not “Wonder Mode”.
If you park at Indian Grave Gap, hike to Tray Gap is extra 1.8 miles one-way.

Getting to near the destination (applies to all 3 entry points):

N on GA-400 and go 47 miles.
At end of 400 (@ GA-60) go straight onto GA-115. Go 4.8
GA-115 turns R. (About 60 minute drive to this turn.) Go 11.4.
L on Tesnatee Gap Valley Rd. There’s a left turn lane. Go 2.8.
Go straight onto McAfee Rd. (Tesnatee turns left.) Go 0.2
L on US-129 N at T. (About 1:15 total drive time to this turn.) Go 0.8.
R on GA-75A. Go 8.0. (Pass Richard B Russell Scenic Hwy at 1:25 from trip start.)
Continue to intersection of GA-75A and GA-75. Turn L. Unicoi Gap is 7.8.

Food

Last McDonalds: GA-400 at GA-53 (38 miles north of I-285)
- If you miss it, 5 minute detour to McD at 1550 S MAIN ST, Cleveland.
Penultimate McDonalds: 2815 Keith Bridge Rd, Cumming

Duration: 2:30
Google Maps URL from Atlanta (33.917, -84.3378): https://tinyurl.com/tray-corbin
Follow directions for “Atlanta to GA-75”
L on GA-75 and go 12.4
After crossing Hiwasee River, R on first road. (It is paved for 10’.)
Immediate R on (dirt) Corbin Creek Rd and go 10.2

Duration: 0:50
Google Maps URL from Atlanta (33.917, -84.3378): https://tinyurl.com/tray-corbin
Follow directions for “Atlanta to GA-75”
R on GA-75 (north) from parking and go 4.6
After crossing Hiwasee River, R on first road. (It is paved for 10’.)
Immediate R on (dirt) Corbin Creek Rd and go 10.2

Duration: 2:15 to Tray Mtn. Tray Mtn Rd is slow.
Google Maps URL from Atlanta (33.917, -84.3378): https://tinyurl.com/tray-via-tray
Seasonal/Limited Access:
- Sometimes it is drivable in a sedan; sometimes it really needs 4WD + HGC.
- Gates at both ends of IGG Rd. Season is unknown. No gates on TM Rd.
Directions:
- Follow directions for “Atlanta to GA-75”
- Final approach (60 minutes - tell Google Maps to take you to 34.79921, -83.69089. This is much slower than Google estimates.):
  - L on GA-75
  - Watch for mile marker 8. ~ 0.2 to TM Rd.
  - Watch for brown house on left, close to road, with no windows. TM Rd imminent.
  - R on Tray Mountain Rd. Small, thin sign “Bison View Lodge”.
  - At junction w/IGG Rd, keep right on Tray Mountain RD (USFS-79).
  - 10 more minutes to Tray Gap. Roads to L and R with AT in center. Road to R is now perma-closed.

Duration: 0:10.
Directions
- Drive south about 0.6 miles
- Acute Left turn and go 1.8
- See notes elswhere in this guide regarding road condition to Tray Gap.

Duration: 2:00. Although Tray Mtn Rd is SLOW, the roads near Yellow Bald are very good.
Note: This is a very good quality dirt road. You will pass right by the route to Standing Indian.
Head out the way you came in on USFS-67 (the only way - you’re at the end of the road!) and go 2.1
R on USFS-67, following sign to Standing Indian and go 9.5. (Last mile or two is paved.)
L on Allison Creek Rd / Old Murphy Rd and go 1.9
L on US-64 West and go 16.4
- Note: You will briefly pick-up a 3G AT&T signal, about 2 miles before you leave 64. This would be a good time to get Google Maps to route you to your destination.
L on NC-175 S and go 0.8. Turn R to cross bridge, staying on NC-175 and go 3.4 more.
S on GA-75 S and go 3.5
Bear L on GA-2/GA-75 and go 3.3
- Fast food, including McDonalds here.
R on GA-75 S and go 6.8
L onto Indian Grave Gap Rd, marked USFS-283 and “High Shoals Scenic Area” and go 3.5 to IGG
- Road fords a creek. I had no trouble at 6” deep water level in my Corolla.

Head southwest out of the gap and go 1.8
Bear L to stay on Tray Mtn Rd and go 6
- or go R 3.7 on Indian Grave Gap to GA-75. This is a little faster.
L on GA-75 S and go 0.7
R on GA-75 Alt and go 8.1
L on US-129 S and go 0.8
R on McAfee Rd / Tesnatee Gap Rd and go 3
R on GA-115 S and go 11.5
L on GA-115 S and go 4.8
South on GA-400

Distance (one way): 1.7 miles. 1:00 up, 0:45 down.
Navigation - Follow white AT blazes. Trailhead is across the street from the trail to Rocky Mountain.

Distance (one way): 0.7 (0:35 up, 0:25 down)
Navigation - Follow white AT blazes, 0.7 miles, 500’ climb.
- Trailhead is straight ahead as you drive into the gap).
Altitude: 3760’ @ Tray Gap. Summit: 4430’
GPS tracks/waypoints:
- Indian Grave Gap trailhead 34.79292, -83.71414
- Tray Gap trailhead 34.79921, -83.69089
- Tray Mtn Summit 34.80140, -83.68380
- Grid Square: EM84dt

For the view, stop at the summit. For a better operating site, continue 1/10 mile to a campsite, which I measured to be within the activation zone. About 20 ft past the summit, there was a new cleared area about 15’x15’ in 2020. This looks like the best operating position.
Hang antenna from tree: Poor on the summit. Very nice at the campsite.
Space to guy mast: Challenging on the summit (Bungee mast to shrubs). Better at the campsite.
Cell coverage: AT&T SMS worked from the campsite in 2020; APRS text worked (on the summit; not tested at campsite)
Unique features: Nice view. Benchmark embedded in trail on summit.

I drove Indian Grave Gap Rd in a Corolla with no problems in dry weather. The ford on IGG Rd went OK in a dry week. Don’t try it after heavy rain. Maintain momentum crossing the creek, to avoid trouble climbing out.
There is a very weak Internet/data connection in Tray Gap.

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