Sure, there are lots and lots of wildflowers in April at Whiteoak Sink and on the hillside at the Townsend Y to make this hike seriously entertaining. But there is a lot more to the Schoolhouse Gap/Chestnut Top combination hike than abundant spring flowers. The views into Townsend from the Chestnut Top ridge are notable, and the forest that surrounds you throughout is enchanting. Since this would be a very lengthy hike as an out and back, my brother and I did it as a shuttle hike, parking a car at each end. We hiked the Schoolhouse Gap and Chestnut Top trails on Wednesday, April 18, 2019 beginning at 8:00AM and finishing about 2:15PM. Our plan was to park a car at the Townsend Y, take the other car to the Schoolhouse Gap trailhead, then hike the two trails back to the Y.

You better be an early bird to catch the parking space at Schoolhouse Gap trailhead throughout the month of April, otherwise you’ll be hoofing it an additional half mile just to start your hike. The parking at this very popular spot fills quickly. We started out leaving one car at the Chestnut Top trailhead at about 7:45, then 15 minutes later, when we arrived at Schoolhouse Gap there were already a half dozen cars ahead of us. The early start makes for dark pictures first thing, as it takes quite awhile for the sun to rise above the ridges that surround this trail.

You notice immediately that Schoolhouse Gap Trail is a former road. Built by Dr. Isaac Anderson in the mid-19th century, the goal was to combine a trail from Tennessee to Bote Mountain with one from North Carolina to Spence Field. Dr. Anderson did his part. Unfortunately, those confounded Carolinians dropped the ball, and Dr. Anderson’s goal of creating a means of commerce and missionary work was never realized. Now, however, more than 150 years later hikers reap the benefit of the work.

The trail begins a gradual climb alongside Spence Branch. Look on the hillside opposite the creek for a variety of spring ephemeral wildflowers. Even in late summer, early fall, expect to see lobelias and cardinal flowers. Just past a mile you reach Dorsey Gap and the junction with Turkeypen Ridge Trail, a means of reaching Cades Cove on foot.

Another 100 feet beyond that is the Whiteoak Sink manway. There is no signage here, as it is not an official trail. You will recognize it by the wooden barrier to keep horses from entering the basin. I’ve previously written about Whiteoak Sink, so I won’t repeat, but you can see my report and photo galleries here. As long as you are on Schoolhouse Gap Trail, Whiteoak Sink is a must see during the month of April.

Once you’ve returned from the marvelous trip to Whiteoak Sink, rejoin Schoolhouse Gap trail to resume the journey deep into the woods south of Townsend. You’ll pass through stands of pine and oak with their enticing scents in the greening season. It’s another 1.2 miles gently uphill to Schoolhouse Gap overlooking Townsend, but this hike doesn’t quite go all the way to the gap. 0.2 before is the junction with Chestnut Top Trail. Take a right here.

Maples and hickories can also be found in this forest. Combined with sourwood trees, they create the brilliant crimson hues that blanket this ridge in the fall. Chestnut Top Trail continues climbing for a little less than another mile until reaching the crest of the Chestnut Top ridge.

From the Chestnut Top ridge the mountains are greening nicely

The trail makes a dip here, to Bryant Gap, then resumes a gradual climb until reaching the highest point 1.5 miles from the Schoolhouse Gap junction. The northern park boundary is on your left through this area. Once you reach this summit it is, as they say, all downhill from here. Some of it is actually quite steep, reaching a 5% grade, a reason we chose to make this hike from west to east.

The forest really is nice along this stretch. It switches from stands of pine, to hardwoods. While I haven’t been here in fall, there is bound to be an abundance of nuts on the trail bed. Nuts usually means bears too, so keep an eye out for signs of their presence. Look too for old chestnut stumps, the namesake of this trail. I always imagine what the forests of the Smokies must have been like 200 years ago when the mighty chestnuts ruled. Inspiring.

Long switchbacks ease the descent. All the while we were glad we didn’t come up this way. With about a mile to go you begin to hear the road sounds of the Townsend Y. A word of caution: in summer the beautiful wildflowers that are pronounced for this last mile are replaced by everyone’s favorite… poison ivy. Just be aware.

The final half mile descent parallels the Townsend road, and the floral bouquet is omnipresent. Look for fire pinks and trillium, stonecrop and violets, lots and lots of purple phacelia, and toothwort, bloodroot, and hepatica. Tons and tons of them. In fact, it’s one of the prized displays in the park.

Finally, when you reach the bottom, cross Townsend road to the parking area to retrieve your vehicle. We then drove back to the beginning to get the other car as well.

Summarizing this hike, if Smokies spring wildflower gazing is a wish, then these trails are definitely for you. Both Whiteoak Sink and the Chestnut Top Trail’s hillside near the Y are some of the best in the park. But don’t discount the beauty of the forest along Chestnut Top ridge, and the views of Townsend from high above. This one is definitely recommended. If you’re a really strong hiker, then consider taking this hike from east to west, but for oldsters like me, the west to east direction is the ticket.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

With the perpetual crowd at The Sinks location in the Smokies, it was surprising to me that hardly anyone hikes this trail that starts at the popular waterfall along Little River Road. Another surprise was the abundance of spring ephemeral wildflowers found along the trail. I counted more than a dozen varieties, and plenty of each. Once you reach Meigs Creek, it’s time to change to your water shoes as you will be crossing the creek frequently. My brother and I hiked Meigs Creek Trail to the first crossing on Tuesday, April 17, 2019 beginning at 2:30PM and finishing about 4:45PM. Our plan was to take the trail to Upper Meigs Falls, then return.

There are a couple of nature trails that take off from The Sinks parking area, so be sure you aren’t starting out the wrong direction. Meigs Creek Trail is on the west side, beyond the stone overlook. It is clearly marked with a Park Service trail sign. It starts up a fancy stone stairway, then levels out as it enters the forest.

And a nice forest it is, oaks and maples mostly, beginning the spring greening on this beautiful mid-April day. Soon, on your left, you will reach a swampy area that once was the channel for Meigs Creek prior to the logging days of the early 20th century.

You make a sharp right turn and begin the ascent of a ridge of Curry He Mountain. The trail is lined with christmas fern and dog hobble, and hundreds of early spring wildflowers. Look for violets and chickweed, dwarf iris and foamflower, lots and lots of purple phacelia, toothwort and bellwort, and plenty of white trillium.

The sounds of Little River below to the right become more muted as you near the top of the initial 400 foot climb. The plentiful mountain laurel that lines the trail will be in full bloom in May, and huckleberry bushes provide a nice late summer snack. Short leaf and white pines mix with the oaks and maples to provide a nice canopy of shade to relieve you from the climb.

Just a warning: Adopt-a-Trail volunteers say they’ve spotted timber rattlers on the sunny spots in warm weather, though that was not our experience in April.

Upon reaching the crest of the ridge, the trail turns east and begins a modest descent, before turning to the south for its arrival at Meigs Creek. This is the first of 18 stream crossings… yes, 18. Have you been practicing your rock hopping? Hopefully so, because you will sure need it.

The crossings are all easy in low water, less so at moderate levels, and may require water shoes and rolled up pants following a rainy period. The latter is what we encountered, and we weren’t prepared with appropriate footwear, mainly because we kinda added this trail on the fly after hiking elsewhere earlier in the day.

So we turned around at this point, but I will be back with my trusty MacKenzie’s in the future to explore the rocky walls and narrow valley that are further upstream. There is also a waterfall up there.

Summarizing Meigs Creek Trail, use this hike to fill a couple hours as far as the first creek crossing like we did, or continue to the end for a seven mile round trip. It’s a surprisingly nice wildflower hike in April. Combine that with spring greening for a very colorful venue. If you wish to continue through the 18 creek crossings, either go during the dry season, or bring appropriate shoes and perhaps a hiking pole.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Like a child anticipating Christmas, this year has had us waiting… waiting… waiting for the leaf peeping season to begin. Combine a very wet summer with a September where the warmth never ended, and it’s like the year that fall never arrived. This day, October 12, 2018, was the first day all autumn where the overnight temperature dropped into the forties. Unheard of.

The trees don’t know how to react. The hummingbirds and butterflies don’t know whether to migrate. The tourists who regularly come to cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway and explore the Smokies expecting fall’s chromatic display have been perplexed and sorely disappointed. Those of us who live in the Southern Appalachians will likely still see the leaves finally turning eventually, but will it only last for a couple days, and then be gone?

To entertain myself, I thought of the elk at Cataloochee. Even if I couldn’t enjoy orange and yellow hues, the massive creatures that prowl the fields and bottomland in this picturesque valley always put on a show, and are fun to be around. No shortage of hiking trails, combined with a morning listening to the bugle call of the bull elk herding their harem, makes Cataloochee Valley an ideal setting on a beautiful mid-October day.

After spending an hour with the elk before they disappeared into the woods, I took a short stroll on the Rough Fork Trail to Woody House, a restored 19th century homestead. The bright sun was low in the southeastern sky as I danced across footlogs and listened to the babbling stream alongside. The photo gallery below is a summary of my day. If you look really hard, you might even find just a wee bit of this year’s very elusive color.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

The Cosby section of the Smokies park is mostly known for its long, arduous treks to high country destinations like Mt. Cammerer and Inadu Knob. But there is another trail there that is more moderate in difficulty. A good day hike on Gabes Mountain Trail is the 4-mile round trip to Hen Wallow Falls, a 90-foot, multi-tiered cascade. This is cool, dense forest, some of it old growth, that is nourished by creeks reaching like fingers down the slopes of the Great Smoky Mountains. I hiked the Gabes Mountain Trail to Hen Wallow Falls on Monday, August 13, 2018 beginning at 8:45AM and finishing about 12:15PM. My plan was to take the trail to the waterfall, then return.

Map of the Cosby region of GSMNP including Gabes Mountain Trail.

First, let me apologize for the static trail map above. I usually post interactive GPS tracks, but when I got finished with this hike, I discovered that my GPS recording had failed. Darn!

I would also like to recommend that you wear high-top or mid-top boots when hiking Gabes Mountain Trail. With all the rocks and exposed roots found on this trail there are a myriad of opportunities for rolling an ankle. The support of hiking boots is important.

Case in point: On my way back down I passed a woman who had rolled her ankle and was quite hobbled. Her family was helping her get back to the trailhead, but I could tell it was painful. I asked if I could help, or could summon help, but they said they would eventually make it. Do you know what she was wearing on her feet? No, not flip flops, but close. She was wearing Chuck Taylor canvas sneakers. No support. Please don’t do this.

If you park at the Cosby Picnic Area, it’s a short 100 feet walk back down Cosby Park Road to the trailhead. The trail itself begins a gradual climb immediately, something it will do almost continuously for the next two miles. You will notice the trail tread is quite rocky here making it easy to stumble.

The trail runs through moist woodlands with nearly every kind of tree that grows in the Smokies. I found it to be quite humid on this mid-August day, after a week or more of consistent rain. The gnats were in abundance, so I rolled on a layer of repellent.

After three tenths of a mile a connector trail to Cosby Campground comes in from the left. There are footlogs over creeks and streams for the next half mile, including one fairly major crossing of picturesque Rock Creek. The trees get increasingly bigger and taller, and the woods darker and darker as you penetrate the heart of the forest.

I saw a wide variety of mushrooms, and the first flowering tops of early goldenrod along the side of the trail. The only blooming flowers I noticed were a few sundrops that found one small spot of direct sunlight beneath the forest canopy. Of more interest to me were the buffalo nuts, sometimes called oil nuts, that were growing on small ground level branches.

Buffalo nuts. Don’t be tempted to taste them. They will make you sick.

At the halfway point there is a trail sign pointing to the left, to Hen Wallow Falls and to backcountry campsite 34. This isn’t really a trail junction, just notification that there is a sharp left turn.

At times the trail takes on the look of a road, even as if it was laid in gravel. Well, this is because it used to be a road, one that the former residents of this area would use to take them to Hen Wallow Falls. You will notice artifacts of those early settlers deep in the woods. Boundary walls and stone chimneys are scattered throughout, but difficult to see during the green season when the woods are so dense.

The Civilian Conservation Corps built this trail in 1934, and now nearly a century later, it enables us to explore the depths of this forest. It used to be filled with chestnut and hemlock, giants that stood over a hundred feet tall. You can still see the chestnut stumps and logs along the trail, testament to their durability.

Rosebay rhododendron is also quite prevalent here, offering delightful white and pink blooms in early July. From a mile and a half up you begin to notice large boulders strewn throughout the woods, and then a short distance before the turn to the waterfall, there is a massive rock face in two levels on the left. Look closely at the variety of moss and lichen that adorns the wall.

At 2.1 miles, there is another trail sign, this one pointing to a side trail to Hen Wallow Falls. It is a short, but steep, one tenth of a mile. About half way down keep your eye out on the left for a large boulder with seams of quartz running through it. As you round the final bend you hear the telltale sound of rushing water that announces a waterfall is near.

The base of Hen Wallow Falls is dangerous. There is even a warning sign to keep your eye on young children. There is no splash pool here. Instead, the cascade from the 90′ drop plunges onto the broken rock at the bottom. The rocks are very wet, and very slippery. Hence the danger.

Water falls over a very narrow top and widens as it drops over multiple tiers to the rocks below. Moss and lichens grow on the rock, giving everything a green tint. I happened to be fortunate to be there after more than a week of heavy rain, so the water flow was significantly heavier than typical mid-summer.

I stayed for about a half hour, eating my lunch and enjoying the splashing of the cascade. I had it all to myself the entire time. Early bird and all that. That would soon change as nearly three dozen other hikers were an hour behind me.

The climb back up to Gabes Mountain Trail from the falls is the hardest part of this hike. It is fairly steep, but it only lasts a tenth of a mile. The rest of my return trip was uneventful, other than the injured lady in the Chuck Taylors. The rising temperature and the typical summer humidity made for a very sweaty downhill hike.

Summarizing Gabes Mountain Trail to Hen Wallow Falls, this is a moderately difficult climb of two miles through very dense hardwood forest. The reward at the end is worth it. The waterfall is a big one. You can continue out Gabes Mountain Trail several more miles beyond Hen Wallow Falls. There is a campsite out there, and I’m told there are pretty spectacular old growth trees. If you bring young kids with you, please watch them around the waterfall.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

Andrews Bald is the highest bald in the Smokies, standing just under 6,000 feet. Every year in the month of June, the flame azalea and rhododendron show arrives for all those willing to hike a couple miles to see. You start at Clingmans Dome and take the Forney Ridge Trail to reach Andrews Bald. Here is a complete trail report that describes the hike.

In addition to the heath flowerings at Andrews and an abundance of blackberries and raspberries later in the season, Andrews Bald is also known for one of the mysterious disappearances within Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

16-year-old Trenny Gibson went on a field trip Oct. 8, 1976, to the Smokies Park with a group of about 35 classmates from Bearden High School. A bus dropped them off that Friday afternoon at Clingmans Dome, one of the most visited spots in the Smokies. The students were to hike down from Clingmans on the Forney Ridge Trail about 1.8 miles to Andrews Bald and then come back. Not that long really. But there were some steep dropoffs on the side. Reports indicate Trenny was with a couple friends who stopped to rest along the trail. She went on. And then she disappeared completely. She has never been found.

Below is a terrain track of the hike from Clingmans Dome to Andrews Bald and back.

Relive ‘Andrews Bald, Great Smoky Mountains’

The azalea display at Andrews Bald may not be quite as colorful as all the hybrids at Gregory Bald overlooking Cades Cove, but it is a lot easier to get to. Still, there are a variety of shades of brilliant orange that will dazzle your eyes and nostrils. Enjoy the photos!

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

What to do if you’ve got half a day to kill on the Tennessee side of the Smokies? Well, if it’s April, the obvious conclusion is a wildflower hunt along Little River Road between Sugarlands and the Townsend-Y.

On Saturday, April 21st, I had an invitation to the annual Great Smoky Mountains National Park Volunteers Appreciation Banquet, but it wasn’t to begin until 6:00 PM. So I planned to arrive in the morning and spend the day exploring various of the dozens of quiet nature trails looking for Spring wildflowers, and checking the progress of the greening season.

You don’t have to hike for miles to find interesting things in the Smokies. The nature trails are perfect examples. Each is anywhere from half a mile to perhaps a mile in length, and they may follow a creek, explore the forest, or offer the opportunity to find unusual wildflowers that may not be out along the roadside.

I found a couple flowers that were new to me including a lone Star of Bethlehem and white baneberry. It seems each time I go wildflower hunting I am rewarded with something new.

The nature trails aren’t the only places of interest along Little River Road for the 18 miles from Sugarlands to Townsend. The roadway follows Little River nearly the entire distance providing plenty of chances to grab a seat along the bank, and listen to the soothing rush of the flowing water.

The river bank also nourishes many a wildflower, and supports some beautiful flowering trees. There are plenty of pullouts along the way to more closely examine whatever sights may catch your eye.

I finished the day in the park before heading to the banquet at the Sugarlands Valley Interprative Trail, a half mile wheelchair accessible walkway through a dense hardwood forest. The devastating fire of November 2016 raged through here, so there is the obvious damage, but what is also noticeable is the natural recovery that is occurring. I even found an elusive wildflower I’ve been looking for for years — the showy orchis — a nice way to culminate the day.

Enjoy the photo gallery below of my April adventure to Little River Road. Please feel free to leave any comments you may have at the bottom of the page. Thanks for visiting!

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

This is one of my new favorite Spring wildflower hikes in the Smokies. The flowers are brilliant along both the Bradley Fork and Cabin Flats Trails. The Smokemont region of the Smokies is one of the most convenient, located just a short few miles northwest of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center off Hwy 441. It is four miles up Bradley Fork to Cabin Flats Trail, then another 1.1 miles to campground 49 at Cabin Flats. All the while the sounds of the stream will be your constant companion. I hiked this section of the national park on Friday, April 6, 2018 beginning at 10:30AM and ending about 4:00PM. My plan was to hike Bradley Fork Trail to Cabin Flats Trail and on to Cabin Flats, then turn around and return.

This hike begins on Bradley Fork Trail at Smokemont Campground. It is an old roadbed that follows alongside the Bradley Fork of Oconoluftee River. You’ll be on this delightful trail for the next four miles. It is shared by horses, but I found it to be in mostly good shape… just occasional mud. As you reach the top of the first rise, you’ll notice the trail from the stables coming in from the right.

In April, be sure to keep your eye on the bank on the right side of the trail for wildflowers. Expect to find a wide assortment including rue anemone, trillium and violets.

As you follow this picturesque creek you’ll notice the occasional bench placed by the Park Service so you can sit and contemplate the natural beauty. Particularly in spring when the wildflowers are in bloom, this is a very enjoyable stroll through the forest. Just past a mile, you’ll cross over a foot bridge, then reach a junction with the Chasteen Creek Trail. There are plenty of other sights to see up there, but to stay on target for the Cabin Flats hike, you want to take the left trail to remain on Bradley Fork.

The road winds through a low area in the forest where you can tell the creek occasionally overflows its banks. The Smokies are known for the wealth of water, and like most trails here, it is apparent there is no shortage in the Smokemont region. There is also no shortage of advantageous viewpoints for creek photography. I found myself stopping frequently trying to capture the look of what I was hearing.

At the 1.7 mile mark you will reach the junction with Smokemont Loop. For this hike though, continue on Bradley Fork.

Not far past this junction, the woods really dominate the trail, in a stately manner. Tulip poplar, sycamore and yellow birch are most common, and rise more than a hundred feet to swallow the pathway. This area is also a wildflower bonanza, featuring wood anemone, may apple, thousands of trillium grandiflorum, violets,phlox, and even some fringed phacelia. Also look for geraniums, hepatica, buttercups, and solomon seal later in April.

Both Bradley Fork and Cabin Flats Trails are lined with thousands of these woodland phlox in a variety of shades.

You will come to a pair of footbridges where Bradley Fork splits to form an island. There was a hen turkey crossing the second bridge when I got within a hundred feet. Upon noticing me, she scurried off into the woods. The stream is now on your right, while the bank on the left is full of the unusual Fraser’s sedge. It looks more like a landscaping plant for your home than a mountain wildflower.

After another stretch of majestic forest, you will once again cross Bradley Fork where Taywa Creek spills into it from the right, creating a nice cascade. Look for a patch of trout lilies along the bank here.

At mile 4 you come to a major hiker traffic loop, with trails in nearly every direction. There is a nicely strategic bench here so you can pull out your trail map and survey the situation. I also used the opportunity to enjoy a snack. Cabin Flats Trail begins here straight ahead, while Bradley Fork makes a sharp right turn and heads uphill to eventually meet Hughes Ridge.

For perhaps two tenths mile Cabin Flats Trail is a continuation of the roadbed alongside Bradley Fork, but then it crosses the waterway on an old-timey trestle bridge that even has a graveled surface. Once on the other side, Cabin Flats Trail changes to a single track hiker’s path, and makes a hairpin turn uphill.

The next half mile is the steepest portion of this hike, but is still not particularly strenuous. What is fascinating about this stretch is the incredible variety of wildflowers to be found beside the trail. I counted four different kinds of violets, phacelia, hepatica, rue, phlox, trillium, trout lilies, spring beauties and bluets. In fact, this stretch of Cabin Flats Trail rivals the hill climb on Chestnut Tops Trail for the garden-like assemblage of flowers. A must see. So if you’re thinking of turning around back at the traffic loop, come ahead at least this far.

This area also escaped lumber company clear cutting, so look for old growth tulip poplar, basswood, buckeye and hemlock. Unfortunately the hemlock have succumbed to the woolly adelgid blight, but the grey ghosts still stand. At the half mile mark you reach the junction with Dry Sluice Gap Trail heading uphill to the left. Continue straight here, another 0.6 mile to Cabin Flats.

The uphill climb on Cabin Flats Trail offers of wealth of wildflowers and old growth forest.

The trail flattens out for a quarter mile before beginning a gradual descent back down to creek level at Cabin Flats. You’re hanging on an edge here above the flats. To your right notice a floodplain caused by a massive logjam on Bradley Fork. The trailside is covered with multi-colored phlox, violets, hepatica, and if you’re lucky, some blooming jack-in-the-pulpits.

At the bottom of the descent, the trail makes a hard right turn and enters Cabin Flats and the area designated as backcountry campsite #49. There are several distinct campsites within the Flats area, so if you’re looking for somewhere to bring the in-laws too, 49 is one to consider. There are a total of five tent sites.

The woodland floor was a forest of may apples when I was there, and beginning to green nicely. I pulled up a log to sit a spell and enjoy lunch. Other than the sound of Bradley Fork and a few songbirds, it was quiet and serene. I had it all to myself. This would be a nice place to camp overnight, or even for a few days.

I stayed for about 20 minutes, taking a few pictures, and just relaxing. Once I felt appropriately rested, I began the reverse trek, returning the same way I came. Nothing really of note to report about the return, other than even more wildflowers were out as the afternoon progressed. I felt so fortunate to have the opportunity to enjoy them.

In summary, this hike is relatively easy, climbing only 875 feet over five miles. Really, from a fitness perspective, the only thing to worry about is its length. If you’ve done 10 miles before, then you’ve got this one. I would put this hike right up there with some of the best in the Smokies for early Spring wildflowers. So with the creek, the forest, and the flowers, what’s not to like. Go do this.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

One of the more enjoyable trails I have hiked recently in the Smokies, Old Sugarlands follows West Prong of Little Pigeon River for a mile and a half, then turns to the east and ascends the western flank of the LeConte Ridge another 2.4 miles to a pastoral setting known as Cherokee Orchard. This trail receives surprisingly little use despite being surrounded by a hub of activity at Sugarlands Visitor Center and Park Headquarters. Once you reach the top, you can extend the hike 1.8 miles round trip with a visit to historic Bud Ogle Cabin, or connect to multiple options for climbing iconic Mt. LeConte. I hiked the Old Sugarlands Trail on Friday, November 17, 2017 beginning at 9:15AM and ending about 1:50PM. My plan was to take Old Sugarlands Trail to its terminus at Cherokee Orchard, visit Bud Ogle Cabin, then return the way I came.

I haven’t spent any time hiking the Gatlinburg region of the Smokies park. Usually when I go to the Tennessee side, I blow right on by heading to Elkmont, or Tremont, or Cades Cove. Based on a wonderful experience hiking the Old Sugarlands Trail, I’m likely to spend more time exploring trails near Gatlinburg. It was one of my favorite hikes of 2017.

As usual, when I’m heading to the Tennessee side, I drove through the North Carolina region on Hwy 441 to Newfound Gap, and then beyond to the Sugarlands Visitor Center. There were elk in the fields at Oconaluftee, including a couple of bulls. A flock of turkeys were doing their gobbler thing beside the road at Tow String. This was just a hint of the wildlife experiences I would enjoy later in the day.

Once I crossed into Tennessee and started down from Newfound Gap I was treated to forest at the base of Mt. LeConte still dazzling with autumn’s finest coloring. Most of the tourists seeking a Smokies leaf peeping vacation were long gone, so the roadway was nearly deserted. I found the same to be true on Old Sugarlands Trail, encountering only two other hikers the whole day, a couple of long-timers who happened to help me at a somewhat confusing trail junction.

To find the trailhead for Old Sugarlands, pass by the turnoff for the Visitor Center and stay on 441 toward Gatlinburg. Go another quarter mile to Park Headquarters, cross the bridge over West Fork of the Little Pigeon River, then park on the right. You will see a trail sign.

As you begin hiking, almost immediately on your left you will pass a 70-foot cliff of grey sandstone that was a quarry used by the Tennessee transportation department when building the first paved roads over the mountains. The sound of rushing water will be on your right as you parallel West Fork for the next mile and a half. There are occasional opportunities to explore along the river bank, with various sizes and shapes of cobbles in abundance.

The trail makes a short climb above the river through a narrow rhodo and doghobble tunnel, then drops back down again. At 0.6 mile you will reach a junction. Follow Old Sugarlands down and to the right, then across a small branch. The trail going up and to the left is Twomile Lead, one you will see again later, and much higher.

The next mile of the hike is remarkably level and straight as it continues to follow West Fork. The forest is quite dense here, with many of the trees sugar maple saplings, the origin of the Sugarlands name. The trail travels in a southeasterly direction, which meant I was heading directly into the November morning sun. The warmth felt invigorating on an otherwise chilly morning. Because of the level floodplain in this area, as you can imagine, there used to be home sites here. Keep your eye out for signs of century-old civilization.

Looking upstream from the bank of West Prong of Little Pigeon River along Old Sugarlands Trail.

The farmers who lived here in the 19th century had orchards with nearly a dozen different varieties of apples. Because of the plentiful native sugar maples, they sold maple syrup as well. You will notice occasional rock walls that the farmers used to keep roaming wildlife like deer out of their vegetable gardens. As the century turned, the farmers gave way to a new burgeoning tourist industry. The first hotel, and the first gas station were built here. Even the Smokies experienced the Roaring 20’s.

At the 1-mile mark you will come to a small foot bridge over Bullhead Branch. If you look real close on the left side of the bridge, you’ll find a 1934 survey benchmark. The trail continues straight and level for another few hundred yards. In spring, this is a haven for wildflowers including trailing arbitus, spring beauties, bloodroot, and self heal. Look also for a grove of sweetgum trees.

The trail makes a left turn at another tributary of Bullhead Branch, then continues for a tenth mile before turning to the right. If you look in the woods here you’ll see the remains of a former Civilian Conservation Corps camp, including a stone clock tower. Just another tenth mile farther, and you make a left turn again. I found this area of the trail to be particularly wet, as it seems one of the myriad of branches in the area has decided to leave its normal stream and use the trail as it searches for the river.

The next landmark comes at the 1.5 mile mark. There is a junction here that was somewhat confusing to me. A trail sign seemed to imply that you wanted to turn right to stay on Old Sugarlands. Fortunately a pair of fit octogenarian hikers just happened upon the scene as I was pulling out my map. They were quite experienced in a number of ways, especially on what trail went where.

Actually, they said, Old Sugarlands stays straight ahead. If you take the trail on the right, it leads to an old cemetery about three-quarters of a mile away. There were also schools out that way at the turn of the 20th century, but I decided to save that for a future trip since it was so far off the plan I had.

From this point Old Sugarlands Trail begins its gradual ascent up to the LeConte Ridge. It never does get steep, but it never really levels out again either. Just a good, moderate climb that is great exercise. At the 1.7 mile mark look for more CCC ruins and relics from two camps that were here in the 1930’s and 40’s.

Something else you will notice is evidence of the devastating wildfire that ravaged this section of the Smokies in late November 2016. A small fire at Chimney Tops was spread by near hurricane force winds on that fateful night, leaving a path of destruction on its way to Gatlinburg. Combined with many downed power lines and transformers in the city sparking additional fires, before all was said and done, 14 people had perished.

Remarkably, the forest is recovering quite nicely in this area, just one year later. Unlike Chimney Tops and the Bull Head Trail on Mt. LeConte that may be scarred and inaccessible for decades, the forest is healing along Old Sugarlands. We can only hope that over time, so too will the people of Gatlinburg.

The extraordinarily beautiful Old Sugarlands Trail is recovering quite nicely from the 2016 wildfire.

As I rounded a small turn, standing proudly 50 feet ahead was a rather large buck. It wasn’t really close enough to count antler points, but he was a pretty big boy. Darn, I said to myself. I only brought my fixed focal length camera lens and it is quite short, only 17mm. I did the best I could, and then he moved on. Usually I carry a zoom lens, but didn’t this time.

The trail continues on an old roadbed as it ascends for another two miles. I found this stretch of trail to be not only easy to hike, but quite beautiful to look at. There was still just a hint of autumn color in the woods. Those colors must have been literally regal just a couple weeks before. Mental note to self.

There are a couple of switchbacks as you climb the road. Otherwise, it’s just a gentle amble up the ridge through a stunning forest. As you pass through 2,400′ elevation the surrounding mountains become visible through the woods, particularly when the leaves are down. Sugarland Mountain is especially evident.

At the 3.2-mile mark you will come to a junction with the aforementioned Twomile Lead horse trail, and then just another tenth farther come to another horse trail known as Twomile Branch. I have added these to my plans for future hiking opportunities in this area. As you reach the high point of Old Sugarlands Trail, you come to another junction, this one with Bull Head Trail, one of five trails that will take you to the summit of immensely popular Mt. LeConte. Unfortunately, Bull Head is closed following the fire, and is likely to remain so for quite some time.

From here, the trail dips as it is another 0.4 mile to the end at Cherokee Orchard. Just before you get to the finish you will cross a footlog over LeConte Creek. As you reach the end you will notice trail signs for Trillium Gap and Rainbow Falls, other means of climbing to the summit of Mt. LeConte.

From this point on Cherokee Orchard Road you are a mere 0.9 mile from the Bud Ogle Cabin. I still had plenty of energy, and I knew the way back was downhill, so I thought I’d go check out the historic site. Just one thing to consider though. It is all downhill to the cabin, meaning you have to climb back up the road to return to Old Sugarlands Trail.

Pretty nice place to have a home, huh? I’m sure Bud Ogle thought so.

After exploring the cabin and barn for a bit, I pulled up a piece of Bud’s front yard under a poplar tree to enjoy lunch. The nourishment helped me climb back up to Old Sugarlands for the return trip. Then, who should I see at the junction but the two oldtimers from earlier enjoying their own lunch?

Just as the climb up the mountain was no sweat, the descent was a piece of cake. What was truly memorable however, were the wildlife encounters. I’ve had days in the wilderness out West when I’ve seen multiple critters on the same hike. That is more rare here in the East. This just must have been my day.

It started after I had gone back past the three trail junctions when I heard a ruckus in the woods just off the trail. Then, suddenly, here came a mama black bear and four cubs scurrying across the trail about 75 feet ahead. I think my appearance must have startled them, and being naturally shy, they high-tailed it out of there in a hurry. Again, darn it, sure wish I had my zoom lens, but I did my best.

No more than 10 minutes later, I rounded a bend and there was a doe grazing on the side of the trail. I approached very slowly ten feet at a time. She would occasionally raise her head to assure I didn’t make any sudden moves, but mostly she was more interested in the food than she was in me. Walk slowly ten feet… take another picture. Lather, rinse, repeat.

She allowed me to get to within about 20 feet when she finally decided to move into the woods. Still, she was in no rush. She simply walked away. No hurry. No worry. She felt completely safe, apparently. Wow, what a day for wildlife! And I haven’t even mentioned the dozens of squirrels that were constantly darting across the trail track, or the woodpeckers rat-a-tat-tatting.

No more wildlife encounters the remaining couple miles, but it was still a wonderful stroll through the forest. Just thinking about all the sights I had seen, the friends I had made (both human and otherwise), and the exceptional weather for November had made this one of the best hikes I’ve had in some time. In my view, Old Sugarlands Trail is extremely underrated. I had an absolutely delightful time. You should definitely check this one out.

I made one more stop on my way out, pulling into the Park Headquarters to take a look at Cataract Falls. It’s a tenth mile trail to this 30 foot waterfall, that unfortunately on this day was pretty dry. Probably best to visit this one in spring.

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

There is no denying 2017 has been a disappointing year for fall foliage in the Smokies — so far. That’s why I titled this essay In Search of… you really have to look hard to find much beyond a few patches of yellow. The oranges and reds have been nonexistent.

I started the day before dawn from Cades Cove driving toward Gatlinburg on Little River Road, where I turned onto Newfound Gap Road for a climb up into the Tennessee Smokies. First stop was Maloney Point where the sun was casting light above the ridges, but had not yet risen.

Next stop: Chimney Tops Trail. I didn’t go far, just enough to see what the trees looked like hanging over West Prong and Road Prong. Unfortunately, still not much.

Alum Cave Trail was next on the agenda, and I managed to snare one of the last parking places. Even on a week day the trail was quite busy with others who had the same idea as me. The sun was still not above the ridges, but there was enough natural light to navigate without a flashlight. Things looked a little better here, with a few beech trees exhibiting their bright yellow sheen. I kept hoping for more, so I went as far as Arch Rock with several stops along the way to shoot Alum Cave Creek.

Last stop was Newfound Gap. On the south end of the parking lot is a grassy two-track road that plunges gently into the forest below. I’ve been wanting to explore this path for some time. There was a nice canopy of yellow and gold trees overhanging as I walked onward. The nicest surprise was the wealth of wildflowers that were still blooming here, even as late as October 20th.

After about a half mile, the path narrowed to single track and was somewhat overgrown, so I took that as a sign that it was time to turn around and call it a day. After all, I still had a two hour drive to get back home.

The pictures below will give you an idea of the limited fall color there was this third week of October, quite unusual for the Smokies. It has been very warm this year, without much rain. I’m sure that had something to do with it. Perhaps this will still be a wonderful year for leaf peepers in November. We shall see. Please feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below the gallery. Thanks for visiting!

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.

This was the first trail I hiked in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was back in 2008 or so, well before I started this website. So I thought it must be time, nearly 10 years later, to do it again and tell you about it. Rich Mountain Loop is a combination of three trails: Rich Mountain Loop Trail, Indian Grave Gap Trail, and Crooked Arm Ridge Trail. Most people hike the loop clockwise, but the direction really doesn’t matter. It is no more difficult, or easy, whichever you choose. After circling the northeastern edge of Cades Cove for more than a mile, the trail takes a decidedly ascending path through heavy hardwood forest up and over Rich Mountain, finishing 8.5 miles later. I hiked the Rich Mountain Loop on Thursday, October 19, 2017 beginning at 11:00AM and ending about 4:15PM. My plan was to take Rich Mountain Loop Trail to Indian Grave Gap Trail, then on to Crooked Arm Ridge Trail for the descent back to Cades Cove.

On my way from North Carolina to Tennessee and on to Cades Cove, I made the traditional stops for a few morning pictures, Newfound Gap prime among them. The drive on Hwy 441 and then Little River Road rivals any other scenic byway throughout the country for sheer awesome beauty and charm. Mountain overlooks, rich forest, and seemingly never ending water sources are the heart of the Smokies, and the appeal that will always bring me back.

The first time I did this loop was really before I started hiking on a regular basis. I was still working at the time, didn’t get out much, and wasn’t in the best of condition. At that time, this hike was very hard. I may have set the world record for huffing and puffing. Thank goodness I did better this time. It’s still no piece of cake though.

Once I arrived at Cades Cove, it seemed half the state of Florida was there as well. I’m glad my plan wasn’t to hike one of the trails somewhere out along the loop road, like Abrams Falls, because the traffic was so thick that the park estimated three hours to complete the 11-mile loop. As I crossed through the traffic and started the Rich Mountain Loop I said to myself, “better thee than me.”

The first mile to mile-and-a-half of this hike winds around the fields of Cades Cove while paralleling the loop road. At times you can pop into one of the fields to check on how the road traffic is moving. It was a bottleneck on this day.

At the half mile mark you meet the junction with Crooked Arm Ridge Trail. Since I was going clockwise, I stayed on the Loop Trail, but this is where I would come out some five hours later.

The earliest settlers of Cades Cove lived along this edge of the forest, including John Oliver and his wife Luraney. They were the first, settling in 1818. At the 1.4 mile mark you reach their cabin, one that is quite well preserved by the park historical society. The Oliver’s survived in large part with gracious help from the Cherokee who lived nearby. The next 30 years saw the white population of Cades Cove explode to nearly 700 as the Cherokee were pushed from their ancestral homes.

Past the Oliver cabin the Loop Trail slowly begins its ascent of Rich Mountain as it follows Marthas Branch, named for the Oliver’s second daughter. When you cross the branch for the first time, the trail really begins to climb in earnest. You better take a deep breath, because for the next two miles you will be climbing.

The tread beneath you is broken rock, not the easiest of surfaces, remnants of a time eons ago when the African and North American tectonic plates collided forming the Great Smoky Fault. This is how the Great Smoky Mountains were thrust upward oh so long ago.

Wildflowers line the trail in spring, but I didn’t have that luxurious distraction. Nor were there any mushrooms or other fungus to capture my attention… not even any gold or crimson maples to encourage my progression. It was trudgery, putting one foot after the other, up… up… and up. I’m a downhill kinda guy, y’know? At least in winter you can get an occasional glimpse of Cades Cove through the forest.

There are six branch crossings in all, each of them nearly dry while I was there. There hasn’t been much rain in the Fall of 2017. It shows. These crossings may be of a bit more interest during the spring runoff.

At the 3.4 mile mark you [finally] reach the junction with Indian Grave Gap Trail. Oddly, there is pretty darn good cell phone reception at this meeting of trails, one of the very few points within all of the national park where that is so.

Better thee than me

The trail junction was a busy place too. There were a couple of other hikers there taking a break when I arrived. I stopped for lunch as they moved on, then another trio arrived about 10 minutes behind me. From that point I would only see four more hikers the rest of the day… oddly enough at another trail junction.

Indian Grave Gap Trail comes up from Rich Mountain Road, roughly a mile to the west. It is the next trail to continue the Rich Mountain Loop. You want to turn right at this junction. In fact, the best way to remember directions for this hike is to make the right turn at every junction until you get to the end.

You aren’t quite done with the climbing yet unfortunately, but the good news is the grade is more gradual from here. Indian Grave Gap Trail climbs about another 300 feet to the summit of Cerulean Knob.

Historians have been unable to determine the reason for the name of this trail, as there have been no Indian graves found. The Cherokee certainly were around here though. To the Cherokee the Smokies were, and still are, a sacred place.

As you climb through an enchanting forest of oak, maple, hickory and sourwood, look too for the brilliant orange of the flame azaleas in June. Indian Gave Gap Trail is a great place to enjoy these late spring/early summer beauties.

Eight tenths of a mile beyond the previous junction you will reach Rich Mountain Trail. I know this can be confusing. There is Rich Mountain Loop Trail, Rich Mountain Road, and Rich Mountain Trail. Just keep in mind what I said above, go right at each trail junction. In this case, stay on Indian Grave Gap Trail.

A quarter mile further is a spur trail on the left that goes to the summit of Cerulean Knob. There isn’t much to see, other than the foundation of a former fire tower. In winter, you can perhaps make out some of the valley below through the bare trees.

The final mile and a half of Indian Grave Gap Trail is the most interesting. As the trail roller coasters up and down, keep your eyes peeled on the left for occasional openings through the trees of Dry Valley and the community of Townsend, TN to the north. The rolling valley with vibrant, verdant farmland is quite vivid. How’s that? Four “v” words in the same sentence! It’s pretty too.

You are following the far northern boundary of the Smokies park along Indian Grave Gap Trail. Everything to your left is outside the park. As you near a small clearing, you are approaching the next major trail junction. Here, Indian Grave Gap Trail comes together with Scott Mountain Trail on the left, and Crooked Arm Ridge Trail on the right.

Interestingly, if you were to take Scott Mountain Trail you would end up at Schoolhouse Gap and a long-about means of accessing Whiteoak Sink. Also, backcountry campsite #6 is just 500 feet down the trail. However, for this hike remember the instructions, right at all trail junctions.

Dry Valley and Townsend from Indian Grave Gap Trail

Crooked Arm Ridge Trail begins an almost immediate descent, and remains that way throughout. Just a tenth of a mile down, look to your right for a nice view of Sparks Lane in Cades Cove. As you proceed, there are other views of Cades Cove as well. With its southern exposure, the afternoon was warming nicely. I even shed a layer as I descended Crooked Arm.

The forest is still quite alive with hickory, oak and maple, and in early spring look for flowering dogwood along this trail. Toward the bottom there is even quite a bit of hemlock. The woolly adelgid blight hasn’t found these yet. Let’s hope it remains that way.

Crooked Arm Ridge Trail is a popular equestrian path so much of the trail sits in a narrow trench. Still, it isn’t difficult to navigate. But you should watch your step so your boots don’t stink later.

As I neared the bottom and rounded a bend, standing right in the middle of the trail about 75 feet ahead was a young buck deer. I counted eight points on his developing rack, but he wasn’t very big at all. Perhaps I’ve been seeing too many elk lately. There is obviously no comparison in size. As he moved on into the forest, so too did I.

As the trail levels, it approaches Crooked Arm Branch. A 25 foot waterfall is just 0.2 mile from the end of this trail, but there was nothing happening there on the mostly dry creek. Look for this falls to be of interest during spring runoff, or following a heavy rain.

At the end, Crooked Arm runs back into Rich Mountain Loop Trail, and for the only time on this hike you now make a left turn to return to the beginning at the entrance to Cades Cove. On the half mile walk back to my car, I checked out the traffic situation on the Loop Road. Thankfully, now there was only the occasional vehicle passing by. Good! I would be able to go on an evening adventure.

I was staying at Cades Cove Campground for the night, so I checked in there, grabbed a snack, and headed for Sparks Lane to catch the late afternoon/early evening ambience of the Cove. There really isn’t much more beautiful than the golden glow across the cove as the evening light bathes the open meadows. I have a favorite spot at the LeQuire tree where I like to wait for the sunset. It’s a wonderful way to finish a day at Cades Cove.

Enjoy the photos!

This post was created by Jeff Clark. Please feel free to use the sharing icons below, or add your thoughts to the comments. Pack it in, pack it out. Preserve the past. Respect other hikers. Let nature prevail. Leave no trace.