Leisure Hike: Copper Ridge Trail (Fonta Flora in Old Fort)
Details
This new section of the Fonta Flora Trail will eventually lead to Lake James (and beyond?) to the east and Black Mountain/Asheville (and beyond?) to the west. For now it's a little over 2 miles long, mostly on the top of Copper Ridge with great long-range views. What I'd like to do is drop a car off at the first (new) parking area at the eastern end of the trail and then drive on to the Old Fort Picnic Area parking lot. From there, it will be about 0.4 miles along the road before hitting the western edge of Copper Ridge. We'll climb up and along the ridge, before dropping back down to our first car. I clocked about 2.7 miles and 400 feet of elevation gain. Weather looks great for a nice hike at a lower elevation.
We'll meet at 9:30am behind the East Asheville CVS (11 River Ridge Dr.) to form carpools. If you prefer to meet at the trailhead in Old Fort about 10am, let me know.
[Leisure hikes are designed to provide more hiking opportunities for beginners, youth, or anyone else looking for a shorter, slower-paced CMC hike. The hikes are open to CMC members as well as families and newcomers]