The trailhead is located 1.3 miles up the Cooper Road Trail from the Abrams Creek Ranger Station on the right hand side of the trail. The trail ascends through old farmland, flourished by a forest of hemlocks and white pines. If you look closely, you’ll notice a small spring that seems to come out of a hemlock.
You will hike along a pine ridge that drops into the Abrams Creek Drainage, following Abrams Creek. The terrain rolls through this part of the journey, making it more than an easy trail. Campsite #17 sits at mile 1.6, near Abrams Creek and an old homesite. You can source water from the creek here, but make sure to sterilize before drinking.
As you approach the Hatcher Mountain trail, you’ll notice you gain 200 feet of elevation in a .4 mile stretch. Near the end of the trail, damage from an EF4 tornado in 2011 can still be seen.
From here, you have several options. Abrams Falls is 1.9 miles away if you turn right and follow the Hatcher Mountain Trail and the Abrams Creek Trail. You could also take the Hannah Mountain Trail and turn right on the Rabbit Creek Trail to follow it back to the Abrams Creek Ranger Station and your car. You can also return via the the path that you traveled.