DuPont State Recreational Forest: Fawn Lake and Lake Julia (Blog Hike #888)

Trails: Fawn Lake Road, Conservation Road, Lake Julia Road, Camp Summit Road, and Mine Mountain Trail 
Hike Location: DuPont State Recreational Forest
Geographic Location: southeast of Brevard, NC (35.16056, -82.60328)
Length: 4.2 miles
Difficulty: 6/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: March 2022
Overview: A double loop passing two lakes and an abandoned air strip.
Forest Information: https://www.dupontstaterecreationalforest.com/
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=902905
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: This hike starts at DuPont State Recreational Forest's Fawn Lake Access.  To get there from Brevard, drive US 276 south 10.9 miles to Cascade Lake Road, the intersection of which is located 1.6 miles north of the South Carolina state line.  A brown DuPont State Forest highway sign marks this intersection.  Turn left (east) on Cascade Lake Road, and then almost immediately turn right on Reasonover Road.  Drive narrow and winding Reasonover Rd. east 2.8 miles to the signed Fawn Lake Access on the left.  Turn left and drive up the short but steep paved road to the gravel parking lot.

The hike: For my general comments on DuPont State Recreational Forest, see my 2013 hike to the waterfalls on Little River, which is this forest's most popular area.  Massive 12,500 acre DuPont State Recreational Forest has scenery and recreation to suit every interest.  While the area's waterfalls and views are featured on my two previous hikes at DuPont, this hike explores a quieter part of the forest that is more popular with mountain bikers than hikers.  Yet the scenery still features two beautiful lakes and an abandoned airstrip, which is not bad for an unheralded hike in a quiet part of the forest.

Trailhead at Fawn Lake Access

            From the Fawn Lake Access parking lot, turn left to begin walking uphill on Fawn Lake Road, a two-track gravel road.  Many of DuPont Forest's two track gravel trails are called "roads" even though none of them are open to vehicular traffic.  Also, no roads or trails here are blazed, but every intersection is signed.  After a brief climb, the single-track Mine Mountain Trail exits left.  Stay right to descend gradually on Fawn Lake Road.

Fawn Lake Road and Loop part ways

            Just past 0.3 miles, Fawn Lake Road and Fawn Lake Loop part ways only to come back together on the other side of Fawn Lake.  For the best Fawn Lake views, stay right to remain on Fawn Lake Road.  Notice some interesting stonework here, a reminder that this road was a DuPont company driveway before it was a recreational forest trail.  A little more descending brings you to a gazebo on the shore of Fawn Lake.  The surrounding forested hills combine with the lake's clear water to give tiny Fawn Lake big scenic appeal.

Fawn Lake

            After crossing the dam that creates Fawn Lake, the Fawn Lake Loop and Mine Mountain Trail enter from the left before you pass under a high-voltage power line.  At 0.9 miles, Fawn Lake Road ends at an intersection with Conservation Road, another two-track gravel "road."  Angle left to head north on Conservation Road.  Less than 1000 feet later, you reach the abandoned asphalt airstrip.  The wide flat crumbling asphalt seems out of place in the woods today, and an old building called "The Summit" has been repurposed into a park maintenance building.  Some picnic tables and a summit marker sit beside the building.

Crossing the old airstrip

            After crossing the airstrip, you reach the intersection that forms the northern loop of this hike.  To climb on a more gradual grade, this hike continues straight on Conservation Road and uses Camp Summit Road going right as its return route, thus hiking the northern loop clockwise.  Next you begin a persistent moderate downgrade that loses 200 feet of elevation over the next 0.3 miles.

Lake Julia

            At the next intersection, turn right to begin Lake Julia Road, and soon reach a lodge that overlooks Lake Julia.  The lodge was closed on my visit, but I still enjoyed the broad Lake Julia views from its back deck.  Past the lodge, angle right to begin a gradual to moderate climb on Camp Summit Road.  During the leafless months some partially obstructed views of the Reasonover Creek ravine appear through the trees on the left.

Maintenance building beside the airstrip

            At 2.3 miles, you return to Conservation Road and close the northern loop.  Turn left to retrace your steps first across the airstrip and then under the high-voltage power lines.  You could retrace your steps all the way to your car, but to add some variety to the return route and to get off of the two-track gravel roads, angle right just after passing under the power lines to begin the Mine Mountain Trail.

Start of Mine Mountain Trail

            True to its name, the Mine Mountain Trail uses several switchbacks to climb gradually up the east face of Mine Mountain.  Ignore the Laurel Ridge and Cart Trails that exit right.  3.5 miles into the hike, you reach the highest elevation on this hike just after passing below the summit of Mine Mountain.  At 3070 feet of elevation, this point is almost 500 vertical feet above the lowest point on this hike, which was along Lake Julia.  Some well-constructed sidehill trail brings you to this point.

Sidehill on Mine Mountain Trail

            As the saying goes, "it's all downhill from here."  The trail descends steeply via 2 switchbacks, passing what might be an old mine structure in the process.  At 4.1 miles, you return to Fawn Lake Road.  A short gradual descent remains to return you to your car and finish the hike.