Honey Creek Loop: Big South Fork NRRA

This is a two night backpacking trip on the Honey Creek Loop and a part of the John Muir Trail in Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. The Honey Creek Loop is packed with lots of features such as water falls, rock bluffs, rock houses and rock crevices.
Thanks for watching and hope you enjoyed the video.
Backpacking With Bryan DeLay webpage: bryandelay.com/
• Honey Creek Loop: Big...

[@illegalsmilez]

My dad took me here when I was pretty young. It's been my absolute favorite place to go hiking ever since. It's absolutely beautiful there

[@BryanDeLay]

Yes, it is a great loop!

[@billseay6399]

Hey Thanks Great video and and views

[@BryanDeLay]

You're welcome Bill! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@johnnyrussell8729]

Eventually I'll get around to seeing all your videos. You do an amazing job with them and I appreciate the info you provide.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Johnny!

[@alyeskaddict]

Awesome video! My family and I are moving from the mountains of Oregon to Oneida, and knowing this exists has given us peace!

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Scott! From Oregon to Oneida, now that might be some culture shock. Big South Fork has some fantastic scenery, and this loop is just a small section. It can be a little hot in the summer, but the Smoky Mountains aren't very far away and much cooler. Hope you enjoy east Tennessee.

[@cbeberle5902]

Great trip, totally enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@BackpackingWithJason]

I’ve been to a few places around there. Sure is a beautiful place to go backpacking. I’m going down there in about a month. I’ve kayaked that beautiful river too. Whole lotta fun in the Big South Fork. I enjoyed your video 👍👍

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Jason! BSFNRRA is a great place to backpack late fall, winter and early spring. Lots of ticks in the summer though.

[@CatherineGregoryAdventures]

What a beautiful hike Bryan. That waterfall shot at 2:43 is spectacular.

[@BryanDeLay]

-Thank you Catherine! Yes, that waterfall was really cool.

[@bigzach322]

Really amazing scenery, especially the second day. Loved the campsite location.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks for watching and commenting Zach. The second night was definitely your kind of campsite, as much as you like the big views.

[@SectionHikingTheAT]

Another exciting and pretty challenging hike. Glad you had nice weather. I enjoyed the tarp set ups and quick shots of proper strap use on your poles and tightening pack straps. The picnic table sure was a nice surprise! Really beautiful scenes- thanks Bryan!

[@BryanDeLay]

Thank you SectionHiking The AT! Glad you enjoyed the video. Yea, the picnic table was a surprise.

[@NicoleHikesalot]

hi Bryan, awesome loop, I really plan on doing this one...maybe next weekend. We recently did John Litton Farm Loop and loved that too. Thank you so much for taking us along. Happy Holidays to you

[@BryanDeLay]

Glad you liked the John Litton Farm Loop. Merry Christmas to you too!

[@NicoleHikesalot]

@@BryanDeLay Merry Christmas ❤️

[@kirkmillerBO84]

Great hike and the waterfall was awesome.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Kirk!

[@JamesRobertSmith]

That place is great! I went there a couple of years back and hiked many miles of trails. But we missed the Honey Creek Loop. When we go back (and we will, for sure) that's the first thing on my list.

[@BryanDeLay]

You definitely should check it out. One of the better hikes in Big South Fork.

[@allenbrackett4566]

I love this hike. Thanks for sharing.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thank you Allen! It's a beautiful loop.

[@wyopobo5339]

Hey Bryan. love the video. very beautiful scenery. thanks for sharing. take care..

[@BryanDeLay]

Thank you Martin! Hope you are getting out and doing some backpacking.

[@wyopobo5339]

i have been backpacking. quite a bit. thanks Bryan.

[@DixonHikes]

Beautiful area, Bryan. Thanks for sharing.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks for watching and commenting Chris.

[@laffilmfest3759]

Pretty quick on the trail....comes from experience :)

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks LAF filmfest! Over 50 years of experience, but not as quick as I used to be.

[@laffilmfest3759]

Bryan Delay......we older guys know it's the quality rather then quantity when it comes to those miles.....ain't no hurry to get to the finish line in this life :).......hike on!

[@damnimgood20]

This was an amazing video

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Chris!

[@joshuamcconkeyfishing]

That is really amazing. Im gonna have to come do that next spring. Nice video

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks for watching and commenting Joshua. You'll enjoy this loop. Glad you liked the video!

[@courtneyb4169]

Excellent video. I’m trying to work up to a hike this strenuous. Great inspiration.

[@BryanDeLay]

Thank you Courtney! Hope you achieve your goals.

[@christopherfarrell3407]

My hiking buddies did this loop this past winter. I missed it. Maybe I'll get it in this year.

[@BryanDeLay]

Hopefully you can get in this hike this year. I'd recommend late fall, winter or early spring. Ticks can be bad in summer at Big South Fork. Also it can be hot compared to the higher elevations in the mountains around the Smoky's. Thanks for watching.

[@jinsjewelry]

Beautiful!! Thank you for sharing. Subscribed for more:)

[@BryanDeLay]

Thank you Jina Ahn for watching and subscribing.

[@davepowers1694]

So I have to ask- is there a trail that goes from Honey Creek Loop up towards the O&W Bridge? I was looking for it on the map I have and do not see one. I'd like to see the overlook of O&W bridge. Cool video! I love the Big South Fork!!

[@BryanDeLay]

Yes Dave, the Sheltowee Trace Trail has been extended to Honey Creek Loop then down to Burnt Mill Bridge, which is now the southern terminus. The trail is not on the Trails Illustrated Map of BSFNRRA, but it's on Caltopo Maps and Gaia Maps.

[@CarlMonin]

We plan on doing this loop next month. Never been there. Have you been to Needles Eye that's fairly close to the loop? Also, where was that picnic table? We'd like to make use of that while there :) Thanks Bryan.

[@BryanDeLay]

Sorry to be so long in getting back with you, but I've been out of town for 8 days and 4 days of that I was backpacking. Yes I've been to the Needles Eye, but it's not close to this loop. The picnic table is on the John Muir trail north of this loop. Also I saw a comment you made about premature wear and tear on the Zpacks Arc Haul, but can't find it now. I don't have any worn places on the pack around the hip belt or any where else.

[@MamasBasecamp]

Very beautiful video, well done. What month of the year was this hike?

[@BryanDeLay]

Thank you Mama's Basecamp. It was the end of April 2018.

[@MamasBasecamp]

@@BryanDeLay thank you. Was planning to come down end of March and wondering whether to expect ice. By the looks of it, it could go either way a month earlier in the year.

[@BacktotheOutdoors]

Great video. Are there many viable tent sites spread out across Honey Creek Loop?

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks Back to the Outdoors! There are several existing campsites.

[@BacktotheOutdoors]

@@BryanDeLay - thanks, hopefully I’ll find a good one!

[@debbiecooper3661]

Help build those trails with YCC in High School ..They are made by Angelo Saxons. Daniel Boone was one too .

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks for all your help in building these trails Debbie. Honey Creek Loop is an amazing hike.

[@themcgraths6660]

Heading to Honey Creek Wednesday and contemplating camping overnight. Where were the campsites you used on the loop? Any good sites 1-2 miles from the trailhead?

[@BryanDeLay]

I started at the southern trailhead and hiked in about 3 miles and camped just before the bridge crossing the creek on my first night. I remember passing some campsites the first day, but don't recall exactly where. On my second night I left the loop and took the John Muir Trail and camped just before the drop to Devil's Den. Because of some technical sections on the loop you will have to help you children in a few places.

[@themcgraths6660]

@@BryanDeLay just myself and the dog going this trip - wife and kids are in Virginia so I figured I'd go camping! Looking to camp past the halfway point since weather Thursday is supposed to decrease after noon. Thanks again for the advice! I really appreciate it! I live over in Knoxville, and it's nice seeing a local voice on here!

[@whshome]

Great video Bryan! That entire section of the John Muir as with the Honey Creek Loop are wonderful. Question, did you go down to the Devil's Den Cave just below your 2nd night camp above the bridge? It's a pretty impressive geologic formation, but may have been just below where you got water. It's on the left about 50 feet from the trail, and less than .2 mile down from the picnic table campsite, a huge deep and dark overhang. Just this past weekend I did a Sierra Club backpack in this area, from Burnt Mill Bridge to where you started/ended, pretty good also. theskeltonview.smugmug.com/2018-TRIPS-SOUTHEASTERN-UNITED-STATES/Big-South-Fork-NRRA-Sierra-Club-backpack-Burnt-Mill-Bridge/ And last year did a Sierra Club backpack starting where you did but going on to Leatherwood Ford, and camping at the same place you did with the picnic table. theskeltonview.smugmug.com/2017-TripsSoutheastern-United-/Big-South-Fork-Backpack-John-Muir-Trail-Ap-12-2017

[@BryanDeLay]

Thanks for watching and commenting Will. I did not go down to Devils Den. One, I wasn't sure how far down it was and two I decided to save that for a out and back trip starting at Leatherwood. The Burnt Mill Bridge Loop is nice also. I've hiked it a couple of times and the JMT up to the Honey Creek Loop trail head. Thanks for the link to the pictures. I'll check them out.

[@SectionHikingTheAT]

Hi Bryan, do you have a video on the different types of chordage- for instance dyneema vs. guy line, micro line, etc? Do you have a preference on what type of line you use for each task?

[@BryanDeLay]

Not really SectionHiking The AT. The only video that gets close is my bear bag hanging technique, which is this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imqvZYKIgJtlpa8. In the description of this video is a written statement about the technique and the type of cords I use. Hope this helps!

[@Jrodeadhead2002]

Plan on doing this in October, are the campsites easy to spot?

[@BryanDeLay]

There are not very many campsites on this loop, but they are easy to see.

[@NicoleHikesalot]

Question, so did you go clockwise? How long (approx how many miles) before you got to that very first campsite by the stream for the first night?

[@BryanDeLay]

Yes Nicole, I went clockwise. The first campsite was only about 1.5 miles from the TH. It is just before the bridge over the creek.

[@NicoleHikesalot]

@@BryanDeLay thank you so much ❤️

[@jtlong8383]

Bryan, sleeping on the open ground as you do, do you have any problems with ticks?

[@BryanDeLay]

JT Long, I've not really had any problems with ticks using a tarp. Although ticks are really bad in BSFNRRA during the summer and I only go there between late fall and early spring.

[@newfound_adventures]

This is in Tennessee?

[@BryanDeLay]

Yes, on the Cumberland Plateau near Oneida, TN

[@terryboardman789]

Can you tell me your route?

[@BryanDeLay]

The route is the Honey Creek Loop trail.

[@terryboardman789]

We did it this past weekend. Really incredible. We started clockwise and then continued out to devils den for the night. Then after a stop at needles eye we camped where honey creek meets the Cumby river. And then finished the loop back to the trailhead. Spectacular trip!

[@terryboardman789]

Anyone planning on camping should really inquire about camp spots. They are incredibly sparse along most sections of the honey creek loop!