Rock Creek
- 5.5 mi
- one way
- 1,262 ft
- climb
- 2,305 ft
- high point
- Point to point
- route
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 5 h ago
Is Rock Creek open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Cherokee National Forest. It doesn't name Rock Creek, so check the source for the area it covers.
Campsite limitations
Agency closure covering Cherokee National Forest · Order 08-04-00-22-180 · USFS · Cherokee National Forest
Emergency road closures due to storm damage
Agency alert covering Cherokee National Forest · USFS · Cherokee National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Cherokee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Rock Creek is a 5.5-mile point-to-point hike in Tennessee's Little Frog Mountain Wilderness, part of the Ocoee Ranger District of Cherokee National Forest. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route rises from about 1,879 feet to a high point of 2,305 feet, with a total elevation gain of 1,262 feet. The climb is moderate, and the steepest stretch comes at about 1.9 miles in, where the grade reaches 29 percent. The most comfortable months for a visit are typically October and May, when typical averages from a nearby weather station run around 72°F and 78°F, with fewer wet days than the rest of the year. That station sits about 705 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. The hike starts within a mile of the Rhododendron Trail and the Bear Paw Loop, and Thunder Rock Campground is about 1.3 miles away. The Ocoee River, a whitewater fishing spot, lies about 2.3 miles off.
Best time to go · Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov
Best time to visit Rock Creek
Best months: March–June and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
50° / 25°
12 wet · 1 snow
Feb
54° / 28°
11 wet · 1 snow
Mar
62° / 34°
12 wet
Apr
71° / 41°
11 wet
May
78° / 51°
12 wet
Jun
83° / 59°
12 wet
Jul
87° / 63°
13 wet
Aug
86° / 62°
11 wet
Sep
81° / 56°
9 wet
Oct
72° / 43°
9 wet
Nov
61° / 33°
10 wet
Dec
53° / 28°
12 wet · 1 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Murphy 4ese, NC, 28 mi away at 1,600 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
