Hemphill Bald Loop Trail

Hemphill Bald Loop is a 13.6-mile circuit from Polls Gap through Hemphill Bald, Caldwell Fork and Rough Fork. It is a stitched route across three named trails, not a single signed trail. Allow about eight hours and expect close to 3,000 feet of climbing; this is a full-day backcountry hike. A 9.4-mile out-and-back to the bald is a separate route, so check which version you mean when comparing directions.

The approach starts on a former logging railroad grade, then climbs across Buck Knob and Little Bald Knob before the open summit. Hemphill Bald sits beside Cataloochee Ranch, with a broad view across the Blue Ridge from Waterrock Knob toward Mount Pisgah and down to the Cataloochee ski slopes. Leave some of the grassy opening in a summit photo; the foreground makes the ridges easier to place.

Old chestnut and locust fence remnants mark the park boundary. They are linked to 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps work to keep cattle out of the new park. The open understory is also known for spring and summer wildflowers.

From the bald, the loop continues on Hemphill Bald Trail, then turns onto Caldwell Fork near backcountry campsite 41. A short side path leads to Big Poplars, a grove of towering trees. The route joins Rough Fork and returns to Polls Gap on old logging grades. Those grades make the last stretch more gradual, but they come after a long day on natural-surface trail.

Park at Polls Gap on Heintooga Ridge Road; the Hemphill Bald Trail begins from the right side of the lot. Heintooga Ridge Road is seasonal. The 2026 park schedule lists it open May 15 through October 31 and prohibits buses, vehicles longer than 25 feet and vehicles towing trailers. Check the road schedule before driving in. Pets are prohibited on park trails except the Gatlinburg and Oconaluftee River trails. Backcountry camping requires a permit and advance reservation.