Jack's Spring Road

Jack's Spring is a 9-mile, in-and-out spur off of Coffee Pot Road, located near Deep Creek Lake in the Flat Tops Mountain Range. The first mile of Jack's Spring is the most heavily trafficked part of the trail and offers several dispersed camping options ranging in size from a single tent to large group sites. Only the first two campsites, overlooking Deep Creek Lake, are suitable for trailers. It is advised not to tow a trailer down this road unless you are certain one of those campsites is open for use, as there is nowhere else to turn around safely if you cannot use the first two campsites.

The second mile of the trail is the roughest, with many deep ruts carved into the soil from prior use during wet periods. The ruts will only be a problem if conditions are wet when they can suck your tires in and potentially high center your vehicle. After 2.5 miles, the trail flats out and travels along the edge of several large, open meadows, eventually peaking and offering amazing views of the Elk Mountain Range far in the distance. The open, alpine vistas will surely leave you wanting to bust out in song to "The Sound of Music".

The last half mile of the trail can be extremely soggy, even late into the summer, as you pass through a soft, marshy area next to a shallow seasonal lake. Be cautious in this marshy area as you may never see another vehicle for help, and the closest rescue will be hours away. Cell Service is spotty but possible near the end of the trail.

This trail is suitable for any high clearance vehicle, and 4-wheel drive is highly recommended for travel due to the possibility of rain creating impassable conditions.