Hidden Arch
Trail #208, the Hidden Arch Trail is a rather short loop trail located near Koomer Ridge Campground in the South-Central part of the Gorge. Compared to the other arches in the area, Hidden Arch, at around 4 feet high and 5 feet wide, is absolutely tiny. The arch is tucked away on the back side of a ridge and the surrounding rock makes it very difficult to see from the trail even if you are only a few dozen yards away. Fortunately, wooden stairs were installed some years ago and the trail now takes you down to the arch.
As I mentioned, the trail itself is a loop trail with total length of perhaps 3 miles. Like some of the other trails in the area, the Hidden Arch trail really has two different personalities.
The path from the trailhead to the arch itself is relatively flat and should pose no problems to anybody who is able to walk the mile to the arch. Just prior to reaching the arch, however, the trail begins to wind around the ridge and just beyond the arch, the trail scenery changes dramatically: the deciduous trees along the trail give way to dense evergreen rhododendrons and the soil color gains a distinctive reddish tint. This part of the trail, in fact, resembles parts of the Swift Creek trail though the terrain isn't nearly as difficult. Still, persons who have trouble climbing modest inclines will want to return to the trailhead via the way they came rather than continue the loop.
Near the end of the loop, you will notice a small ravine on the left side of the trail featuring several large recesses and a stream (actually, just a trickle when these photos were taken) which forms a small waterfall at the beginning of the ravine. This again is reminiscent of sights along parts of the Swift Creek trail.
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Hidden Arch |
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