Gunter Fork Trail

Gunter Fork Trail is a 4.1-mile, one-way point-to-point route from the Camel Gap Trail junction at Walnut Bottom to the Balsam Mountain Trail junction. It climbs roughly 2,330 feet. Allow about 4½ hours for this segment alone; reaching Walnut Bottom from the Big Creek road-end adds about 6.1 miles one way, and a through-route from the upper junction adds more. This is a serious backcountry connection, not a standalone day walk.

From Walnut Bottom, the trail descends to Big Creek, then crosses Gunter Fork several times. Around mile 1.4, a short side path leads to a pool beneath a roughly 10-foot cascade. A few tenths farther, the larger cascade drops over dark bedrock; trail accounts describe it as about 150 feet high and identify the rock as Thunderhead sandstone.

After the last creek crossing, steep switchbacks climb Balsam Mountain. The hard ascent eventually opens to ridgeline views, with rhododendron along higher stretches. Pink and white blooms have been reported in July, but the waterfall and creek are the more dependable reasons to make this long approach.

Part of the lower trail follows a former Crestmont Railroad Company logging grade. The Civilian Conservation Corps graded the steeper reaches in the 1930s, so the corridor reflects both the logging era and the park’s early trail work.

There’s no road access at Walnut Bottom. Park at the Big Creek Trailhead by the picnic area, reached via Waterville Road, then follow Big Creek Trail about 6.1 miles to the Gunter Fork junction. From there, you still need to continue on Balsam Mountain Trail or arrange a backcountry return route. Seasonal flush toilets and drinking water are available at the nearby campground; none were found along Gunter Fork. Pets are not allowed on park trails. If you make this an overnight route, backcountry campsites require a permit and advance reservation.