Trails / North Carolina / Nantahala National Forest

Standing Indian Mountain Loop (Lower Ridge, Appalachian Trail, Kimsey Creek)

Southern Nantahala Wilderness, Nantahala National Forest (Standing Indian Basin, west of Franklin)

Standing Indian Mountain rises at the head of the Nantahala River, and a ring of trails around Standing Indian Basin makes it one of the easier places in North Carolina to loop the Appalachian Trail. This route climbs the Lower Ridge Trail to the summit, follows the A.T. past Standing Indian Shelter to Deep Gap, and returns down Kimsey Creek.

MyHikes, which publishes HikingUpward’s route notes, lists it as a loop of about 11 miles with roughly 2,700 feet of climbing.

The hike

MyHikes says to park on Forest Road 67 on either side of Long Branch, near the Backcountry Information Center at FR 67 and FR 67B, or in the campground’s day-use lot. The route crosses Long Branch, crosses the Nantahala River on the campground road, and picks up the Lower Ridge Trail at a four-way junction with the Kimsey Creek Trail.

The Lower Ridge Trail passes group campsites, crosses two forest roads, and enters the Southern Nantahala Wilderness at about 1.7 miles. John Gap, a wide, flat gap, comes at 2.3 miles and Frank Gap at 3.5. At 4.3 miles the trail meets the A.T., with good campsites on both sides, and a side trail leads to the 5,499-foot summit. MyHikes says the summit clearing was a lookout tower site abandoned in 1951 and removed in the mid-1960s, and recommends continuing to rock outcrops at 4.5 miles with views south and west.

Back on the A.T. heading west, the trail drops about 500 feet on switchbacks to the side trail for Standing Indian Shelter at 6.3 miles. MyHikes calls the shelter area “your best area for an overnight campsite,” with the privy south of the shelter and water down a path below the junction. The A.T. reaches Deep Gap, at the end of Forest Road 71, at 7.2 miles.

From Deep Gap, the Kimsey Creek Trail descends past several tributaries, a small campsite above the creek with cascades at 8.9 miles, a bridge over Kimsey Creek, a small field good for camping at 9.3, and Devils Prong. Near the bottom, MyHikes warns that one left turn in a field is not obvious. The loop closes at the campground and FR 67.

For a bigger trip, Martin Leavitt’s Hiking Project route makes a 21.9-mile loop from the same campground, climbing Long Branch to the A.T., crossing Albert Mountain, which has a fire tower with 360-degree views, and returning over Standing Indian on the Lower Ridge Trail. South of Deep Gap, the A.T. continues to the Georgia line at Bly Gap, the end of our Unicoi Gap to Bly Gap page.

Tips

• Follow MyHikes’ direction, up the ridge and down the creek.
• Arrive early for summit sites. Leavitt found half of them taken by midday.
• Fill up at the shelter spring. No other ridge water was named.
• Watch for the unmarked turn near the bottom of Kimsey Creek.
• Check fire danger. The ATC reported severe to extreme drought on the southern A.T. in 2026.

Camping

No permit is needed for individual backpackers. The Forest Service limits groups in its wilderness areas to 10 and requires a permit for organized groups or commercial outfitters. A Forest Service order covering the A.T. through the Nantahala and other southern national forests limits stays at trail shelters to 3 days in a 30-day period. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy describes a Southern Region food storage order requiring a bear-resistant canister, provided storage, or a proper hang, bans storing food in tents or shelters, and recommends canisters. The ATC also warns not to camp under dead or damaged trees.

Inside Intel: On Hiking Project, Martin Leavitt says the summit campsites, with views south toward the Blue Ridge, “tend to fill up quickly”; he arrived around noon to find half already taken. HikingUpward’s write-up points to the sites near Standing Indian Shelter as the best overnight spot on this loop.

Trail facts

• Distance: About 11 miles (10.8 to 11.3, depending on the count)
• Route type: Loop
• Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
• Campsites: Near the A.T. junction below the summit (4.3 miles); Standing Indian Shelter (6.3); Deep Gap; small sites on Kimsey Creek
• Water: Spring below Standing Indian Shelter; Kimsey Creek and tributaries; treat all water
• Permits: None for individuals; groups limited to 10 in the wilderness
• Food storage: Canister, provided storage, or proper hang
• Dogs: Allowed under voice control in the wilderness (Forest Service)
• Trailhead: Forest Road 67 near the Backcountry Information Center, Standing Indian Campground
• Last verified: October 11, 2026

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

• Forest Service: Standing Indian Campground
• Forest Service: Wilderness, National Forests in North Carolina
• Forest Service: National Forests in North Carolina alerts
• MyHikes: Standing Indian Hike
• Hiking Project: Standing Indian (Nantahala Headwaters) Loop
• Appalachian Trail Conservancy: North Carolina
• Appalachian Trail Conservancy: Georgia to Virginia Food Storage Order
• Appalachian Trail Conservancy: Helene Storm Damage
• WBTV: Isaias forecast for the Carolinas (Oct. 9, 2026)

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.