The trail starts behind a dorm that is up a gravel road from the Tremont Institute. The trail starts climbing immediately, and will continue until about 2.5 miles into the route after gaining about 1,200 feet of elevation gain. While there is a lot of climbing, it’s an easy trail to get to and a quiet trip once you get there. You’ll start to get views of the Middle Prong of the Little River and glimpses of Walker Valley.
After the first half mile, the views fade and you start your quiet journey through woods as the sounds of cars and Tremont fade. You’ll pass through a pine forest, where you can witness the work of the Southern Pine Bark Beetle. As it burrows through the outer bark and feeds on the inner bark of a tree, room for the next generation of trees is made – creating a natural cycle.
You continue to move up Mill Ridge as you move between cool, moist valleys and dry ridges. Once you reach the saddle, a low point on Lumber Ridge, there’s a nice place to take a break. The final mile of the trail is relatively flat as you make your way to Buckhorn Gap. You’ll pass through stands of oaks, huckleberries, and other trees, causing it to be a popular place for animals to find food. You’ll finally arrive at Buckhorn Gap, where the trail meets the Meigs Creek Trail and the Meigs Mountain Trail. You can either return to your car via the path you came, or you can take one of the trails.