Hike · Slickrock Creek trailhead

Slickrock Creek

Distance

10.2 mi

Vertical

3,901 ft

Summit

4,885 ft

Difficulty

Very strenuous

The Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness covers 19,246 acres in the Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests at the Tennessee–North Carolina line, set across the watersheds of Slickrock Creek and Little Santeetlah Creek. The wilderness was created in 1975 and named for Joyce Kilmer,…

Read the full route guide in Strata →

Slickrock Creek tumbles over boulders through the hardwood gorge, a typical mid-route view along the trail. — Chris M Morris · CC BY 2.0

Moss-cushioned boulders shape a small cascade in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness. — National Archives and Records Administration · Public domain

Old-growth tulip poplar in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, 400-year-old trunks rising more than twenty feet around. — Notneb82 · CC BY-SA 3.0

A panoramic view through the old-growth cove forest of the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness. — Ken Thomas · Public domain

Plan Slickrock Creek with Strata

Get today's avalanche, slope, aspect, and weather verdict for this route — plus offline maps and live crew tracking. Free on iPhone & iPad.

Get it on the App Store