South Old Mac Trail

The South Old Mac Trail is the shortest route to the summit, and is very well marked. The trail map I obtained from the Park Office was very good. The trailhead begins at the parking lot just past the Visitor's Center. The trail is actually the "Old Mac Trail" for almost half a mile before the "South Old Mac Trail" heads off from it. (Before that, you have an opportunity to turn off on to the "North Old Mac Trail." The South Mac is sunnier, since it follows the southern slope of Old Mac Mountain on the way to Frozen Head. The trailhead is at 1362 feet and the trail rises steadily for nearly two miles, where it becomes steeper and rockier. There is a very sharp switchback at about 2600 feet and then a huge rock that looks like it could have come from Easter Island or something just before another switchback, where there is a spot with a great view to the west. The trail ends at the Tubb Springs camping area, with a half mile more to hike on to the Summit. The summit has a nice flat camping area – about 50 yards squared with grass and the old Firetower and a communications tower. Perhaps there is a cell site on the communications tower, because my cell phone (US Cellular) worked the whole way up from the trailhead. The views weren’t that great – even without leaves on the trees, since it was cloudy. I imagine that the views are really obscured once the leaves come out. If you need water (and have a filter!), there are plenty of places to get water. The Judge Branch supplies nice ‘running water’ sounds for most of the trail, and I imagine that it is flowing year round. The tiny creeks that trickle down the rocks across the trail at several spots could also be tapped. They were trickling water, even though there had been no rain for a few days, so I wonder if they are spring-fed. There is also the Tubb Spring just below the Summit, though I’m not sure how reliable that is.