7.7 miles from Georgetown. Easy 1 ½, Steep. 1 ½. O.W.
FS 11E14 Slate Mt. Quad sec. 22 to Tunnel Hill Quad sec 22. MAP
This old trail connects the Darling Ridge Rd. (12N80) to Bald Mt. Trail starts as FS road 12N89 for 1 mile then turns to narrow trail through a wooden gate where OHV is restricted. The trail drops steeply down to Rock Creek where you must cross and located its extension upstream a short ways. It climbs up about 1 mile to junction with Sugarloaf Trail near Sugarloaf Mountain.
This trail is shown on our earliest maps of 1860. On those maps it’s labeled as a stock traiand shown going from Georgetown to the Bald Mountain area. Now it connects the mid-Darling Ridge area to Rock Creek and Sugarloaf Mountain. Private property blocks the trail route between much of Darling Ridge and town. The walking trail overlaps an OHV route for the first mile but once beyond a wooden gate it is off limits to bikes. This section at this writing, is very overgrown. OHV trail criss-cross this area and offer hiking alternatives on fairly flat terrain.
Directions: Take Wentworth Springs Rd. 4.5 miles to go R on Balderson Rd. Go 1 mile to go R on Darling Ridge Rd. (sign reads “Bear Creek 6”). Now go 2.3 and watch for F.S. road 12N89 on L with a closed gate. Park there.
The Trail is now road 12N89 for 1 mile. A pleasant walk through thinned forest on a partial gravel road, just stay on the main way and ignore the side roads. The road gets narrower at about a mile and slowly turns to trail. After about 1 ½ miles from the gate the trail starts dropping more steeply until it leaves the OHV route and slips through a wooded barricade with a restricted access sign. From here the trail gets steep as it drops down to Rock Creek on overgrown trail. At Rock Creek you’ll see the smaller Bald Mt. Creek coming into the much larger Rock Creek. The trail continues up to the Left side of Bald Mt. Creek and goes about 1 ½ miles to intercept the Sugarloaf Trail.
Other Bald Mountain Trails: Little Silver Trails Martin Mace Mill Loop
Get Off Your Gass 