Sand Spring to Tom Lowe Loop Trail

From the parking lot walk past the gate and up the gravel service road. After a short distance you'll see the blue blazed Sand Spring trail branching off to the left. Follow the trail for about 1.5 miles of very gentle climbing with two short steeper sections, several stream crossings, and some rather rocky parts to find a path to the left that leads 50 feet to the trails namesake. Here you'll find a massive dead pine tree leaning over a shallow pond with water bubbling out from sandy white patches. This can be easy to miss and is around half a mile before hitting the Tom Lowe trail. Continuing on Sand Spring trail you'll come to a rock-walled dug-out spring and the orange blazed Tom Lowe trail angling off to the left. You'll want to follow the Tom Lowe trail, but if you did stay on Sand Spring you would intersect the Appalachian trail in around 1/4 mile. You'll cross another stream (using the provided tree bridge if you want, usually not necessary) after a steep downhill. Later you'll re-cross the same stream and then hit an old dirt road. Watch for the trail heading back off the road to the left after a couple hundred feet. The trail traverses the side of the mountain before making the final left and heading north towards the parking lot. You'll make one last stream crossing before coming out on the road just below the parking lot.