Get the kids off the couch this summer and take them on a great mountain hike!

It may be blistering in the concrete jungle, but it's not as humid and hot on the trails covered in a canopy of trees in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Here are some of our favorite Aska trails. If you need a map, then visit The Blue Ridge Board and Trail on Main Street and ask for Linda. If you go in and mention Escape to Blue Ridge, then Linda will let you try out some hiking poles and tell you the best places to hike.

Fall Branch Falls (Aska Trail) Trail Description: A one mile trial, which is part of the Benton MacKaye Trail and features a lovely waterfall and bubbling stream. Directions: From Blue Ridge: Take old Highway 76 through Blue Ridge. Turn right on Aska Road, the first road after the three-way stop sign. Go 8.0 miles and turn right on Stanley Creek Road. Go 3.1 miles to the "parking lot" on the right just past the bridge over Falls Branch, just past the game warden's house (marked). Our suggestion is to turn your car around before you park here; parking is frequently a problem.

Green Mountain Loop (Aska Trail) 3.3 Miles Trail Description: The Green Mountain Trail actually consists of several hike options including a loop from Deep Gap, a shuttle hike to Blue Ridge Lake, and a shuttle hike connecting with the Long Branch Loop Trail. This route, however, describes a loop hike from Deep Gap at Aska Road. Directions: The trailhead is located across from the parking area at Deep Gap on the other side of Aska Road. Start at the trailhead to the right with your back to the parking area. (The trailhead to the left about 50 yards up Aska Road is where you will pop out in about an hour on this loop hike.) The Green Mountain trail gradually ascends on the southeastern side of Green Mountain on a well-marked dirt path through a canopy of hardwoods. There are excellent views of the surrounding mountains in this area (winter only). At approximately the halfway point, the trail begins a steep ascent onto the ridge of Green Mountain. At the ridge crest, there is a wood sign and a junction with a trail leading 2.5 miles to Forest Road 711. Here you will turn left and hike back towards Deep Gap for roughly a mile. (Going straight at the ridge crest will take you down to Blue Ridge Lake which requires a car shuttle.) To complete the loop, begin a gradual decent down past the summit of Green Mountain and back to Aska Road about 50 yards from where you started.

Stanley Gap Trail (Aska Trail) 5.5 Miles Trail Directions: Go south on Aska Road 8 miles. Turn right on a dirt/gravel road (Toccoa River Outpost on left). Parking area for trail is 4.1 miles on right. Alternate route -From FS office, travel south on East First Street 1 mile to Hwy. 515, turn left on 515 and go south 5.9 miles to Co. Rd. 152. Turn right on Co. Rd. 152 and then another right going beneath overpass. Follow Rock Creek Road upstream. Pavement ends at 1.8 miles. Continue on dirt/gravel road, parking area is on left 5.1 miles after end of pavement.

Flat Creek Loop (Aska Trail) 5.8 Miles Trail Description: Follow the trail (white & dark green blazes) on the road west from the bulletin board. Within a 100 yards the trail forks. Stay on the road to left. At about 0.4 miles look for dark green blazed side trail into woods on left. This trail goes through woods for about 0.25 miles. Come onto and follow old logging road. Route rejoins a dug trail and gradually descends toward Flat Creek. After 0.5 miles trail joins an old road near the creek. Follow the road downhill to creek, cross and take a right at about 50 yards. Follow road (Do not digress onto dead-end side roads!) about 1.0 miles to Head of Valley. Head of Valley has open, mature hardwoods in abundance. Cross creek again heading uphill, gradually ascend old road to graveled road. Follow dark green blazed graveled road 2.0 miles back to parking lot. Directions: Deep Gap - From Forest Service office, travel east 1.5 miles on East First Street (old US 76) to Aska Road (Harmony Church on left). Turn right, go south 4.4 miles to Deep Gap parking area below gap on west side of road

Free Knob Loop (Aska Trail) 2.5 Miles Trail Description: Via Benton MacKaye Trail and Dial Road. This trail combines a woodland trail walk ascending, crossing and descending a small knob with a return road walk alongside the Toccoa River. The ascending portion is just strenuous enough to provide a feeling of healthy outdoor exercise and the river walk provides a nice contrast to the forested setting. The eastern end is through a beautiful mature pine grove on a needle carpeted trail. Directions: From Blue Ridge travel east on E. First St. (top of hill from door of Toccoa Ranger Station) to Aska Road (1.5 miles). South on Aska Road to Shallowford Bridge. Turn left across river and immediate right on dirt-gravel road leading to Dial, GA. At 0.4 miles come to point where trail enters road from forest. Continue east on road to parking area at 1.2 miles.

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