Follow the connector Trail to Nantahala/Bertram Trail down to Piercy Creek. Look for the Laurel Creek Trail sign on your right before you reach Piercy Creek. Turn on Laurel Creek Trail and rock hop Piercy Creek. Turn on Laurel Creek Trail and rock hop Piercy creek within 100 yards. The trail follows the left bank of the Laurel Creek through rhododendron with Intermittent orange blazes as your trail indicator. The trail crosses a grown over logging road running perpendicular to Laurel Creek Trail. Continue up the creek valley, coming to a wet section in rhododendron. Look for the rotting remnants of a low bridge spanning the seep.

The hollow steepens as your pass an attractive grove of trees. On your left notice the grassy understory. This was cleared over in settler days. Keep climbing more steeply, and come to a news grassed over logging road. Cross the road and follow a more faint trail straight up the hollow. Top out on an old woods road. Veer right for just a few yards and look for the orange tape on the trees to your left. The Laurel Creek Trail ascends the spine of the ridge to top out on a knob covered in mountain laurel. Descend and in a short distance come to a saddle and veer left just a few feet to intersect the Appletree Trail 1½ miles from Piercy Creek.

Turn left on the Appletree Trail. It moderately descends 1.1 miles along the Appletree Creek down to the group camp, passing several feeder streams on the way. The trail ends at a gravel road near an open field. Walk down the road to your right 100 yards and come to the gated entrance and meet your shuttle ride here. Or your can be dropped off here them walk back to Nelson's Nantahala Hideaway 5.5 miles distant, doing the hike in reverse.