Hike into spring in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The amazing fire pink (Silene virginica) wildflower can often be found in sunny, rocky outcrops alongside trails and roads.
Winter Hiking in the Smoky Mountains | What You Need To Know and Where To Go!
The best thing about the Smokies is that every season of the year offers its own joys! Get out today, hike one of the park’s beautiful trails and get a taste of winter’s glory in East Tennessee or Western North Carolina. From frozen waterfalls to forests laced with light snow, everyone from beginners to experienced hikers will find winter hiking in the Smoky Mountains delightful! What’s more, local outfitters can get you the base gear you need to enjoy a day in the heart of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. A few of them share with us what you need to know and where to go for winter hiking fun in the Smoky Mountains!
Michael Shepperd of GSM Outfitters in Wears Valley enjoys hiking in winter for a number of reasons. “Oftentimes I like to hike the most popular trails in winter, mid-week, to have a quiet, peaceful hike that would otherwise be very crowded and congested. I hiked on a Wednesday in the beginning of December to Abrams Falls (in Cades Cove). Besides myself and my wife, we saw no one. I took long-shot photos of the falls without one person being in the frame. Hikes like Abrams or Ramsey Cascades are great to go to in the winter if you enjoy owning the falls. For photography, oftentimes these experiences are priceless!”
Shepperd, whose store offers hikers just about everything they need to stay comfortable on a chilly day, including base layers of clothing, great winter coats, hats, gloves, boots, Microspikes (to keep feet from slipping on icy trails), trekking poles and more, has plenty of other reasons for hitting the trails of the Great Smoky Mountains after the weather turns cold.
“Hikes like Bote Mountain, Rich Mountain, or any ridgeline hike are great in the winter. With dramatically reduced foliage, the views on these hikes are even more spectacular only during late fall, winter and early spring. Winter is also a great time to do waterfall hikes. Water tables are up, normally thirsty plants are not taxing ground water, and with most of the leaves gone there are vantages that are not available in the summer. Hikes like Mt. LeConte and Charlie’s Bunion will oftentimes render views of frosted peaks, dense clouds and land contours that are normally hidden under blankets of green,” Shepperd says. For more info, give GSM Outfitters a call at 865-366-2608.
John Northrup of the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Gatlinburg, says that if the area has recently been hit with decent snowfall or ice affecting roads, visitors still have options. “Odds are if the roads are icy or snow-covered, access to the heart of the park via US 441 will be prohibited until they are deemed safe for vehicular traffic. If that’s the case, one will be limited to the roads and trails that can be reached around the park’s perimeter. Depending on how low the snowline is, parking at the entrances to Cherokee Orchard or Greenbrier can afford visitors opportunities to walk the gravel roads or trails with comfort and ease. It doesn’t take long to achieve that sense of solitude in the woods and still be so close to Gatlinburg,” he says. For the more experienced hiker, there are even more exciting options under these conditions. “Take the drive east from Gatlinburg to I-40 and enter the park at Big Creek (exit 451). Park by the ranger station and walk the gravel road toward the campground or ascend any of the trails emanating from the ranger station that ascend Mounts Cammerer or Sterling. The views of snow-covered mountains on a clear day from either summit’s observation tower are breathtaking,” Northrup advises. For more info, call NOC in Gatlinburg at 865-277-8209.
Steve Ellis, owner and chief guide at Hike the Smokys, a company offering guided hikes in the GSMNP, doesn’t let a little cold weather keep him from hitting the trails. In an email interview with HeySmokies, Ellis says “for me, the ‘best’ winter trails are the trails that foliage has restricted my ability to see historic structures, artifacts and views during the warm weather months. These trails are often in the lower altitudes, where you have easier access, and where communities once existed, such as Greenbrier, Old Settler’s Trail, Porter’s Creek, and the Old Sugarlands Trail, where the CCC Camp and the Old Stone House remain. I also like Baskins Creek (you’ll need to hike in from Cherokee Orchard Loop Road as the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is closed from November 28 – March 24) and the Elkmont area, which is also a great place to find hidden and not-so-hidden ruins.”
Ellis, like Shepperd and Northrup, also enjoys grabbing some altitude on a cold day in the Smokies. “The higher altitudes are fun to explore, and see even greater views than in the warmer seasons, due to the incredibly clear visibility on clear days. I really enjoy a day hike on the Appalachian Trail heading east from Newfound Gap Park area to ‘The Jumpoff,’ located on the Boulevard Trail, and Charlie’s Bunion, further east on the Appalachian Trail,” he says.
Fall Colors in the Great Smoky Mountains! 2016 Autumn Color Forecast and Guide
It’s beginning to look a lot like Autumn! We’re ready for the big show of fall colors in the Great Smoky Mountains and we’ve got your 2016 Autumn Color Forecast and Guide so you can get the most out of Leaf-Peeping Season in the Smokies!
Most folks want to know when is the “peak” of the fall color in the Smokies? Well, the answer is that it depends on just where you are at a particular time. Luckily, there’s not singular “peak ” in the Great Smoky Mountains. You can experience “peak color” throughout the month of October and on into November because of the range of elevations in the Park. From 875 ft. (at the mouth of Abrams Creek) to 6,643 ft. (at Clingmans Dome) you have several opportunities to view the fall colors at their best.
On this first full day of Autumn 2016, it’s still mostly green in the Highlands with a few pops of color here and there. And great news! Park Rangers report that this could turn out to be a banner year for a big show of color with indications that areas above 5,000 ft. will be looking pretty good in a few weeks.
“Some of our most vibrant seasons have happened after there has been a drought and we get several days of good fall rains and we’ve had some explosions of color after that,” says Dana Soehn a National Park spokeswoman reporting yesterday to WVLT-TV’s Kyle Grainger, “For the first day of fall, we are about where we should be, especially at the lower elevations, but that change is around the corner.”
Former Park Ranger and author Rose Houk writes in her book Exploring the Smokies, “It isn’t frost so much as sunny, clear, warm days combined with a drop in temperature at night, that will produce the finest colors. And in a year when that combination occurs, there is no better place in the world to be than in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.” We couldn’t agree more! And current weather predictions expect a cool down and possible rain within the next week or so!
With 130 different species of trees living in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you can plainly see why Autumn in the Smokies is so spectacular! As a general rule, the peak of colors can be at some certain elevation in the Smokies between October 15-30. Here’s your guide to a few of the highlights:
SPRUCE-FIR FOREST (above 4,000 ft.) and NORTHERN HARDWOOD FOREST (4,500 to 6,000 ft.)
@ Newfound Gap, Clingmans Dome and Blue Ridge Parkway
- American Mountain-Ash – This northern species is found only above 5,000 ft. and you can’t miss the bright orange-red berries of this small tree. It can be found in the parking lot of Newfound Gap and in the Clingmans Dome area. It’s said that when the striking fruits appear that the fall colors will soon follow in the highlands.
- Witch-Hobble or Hobblebush – One of the first shrubs to change colors to both yellow and red, even on the same bush. Has large, roundish, heart-shaped leaves and flat clusters of red berries.
- Pin Cherry – This northern species turns a pinkish red and has bright red berries. Also called the Fire Cherry because it needs an area disturbed by fire, windstorm or some other event to become established.
- American Beech – A common tree up to elevations of 5,800 ft. with yellow to orange brown leaves. It’s easy to recognize because of its smooth gray-colored bark. Many small beech’s dry, beige leaves persist throughout the winter.
- Yellow Birch – One of the most dominant trees you’ll see from 3,500 to 5,000 ft., with yellow leaves of course! The bark of this tree is a shiny, yellow-silvery color and peels off in shaggy, papery curls.
- Mountain Maple – This northern species fall color is from orange to red and is common from 3,000 ft. to the highest elevations in the Park. North of the Smokies, the Mountain Maple doesn’t grow as tall and is considered a shrub.
COVE HARDWOOD FOREST (below 4,500 feet) @ Cataloochee Valley, Foothills Parkway East, Greenbrier, and Oconaluftee.
- Sugar Maple – Not only does this wonderful tree yield the sap to make everyone’s favorite maple syrup, its leaves in Autumn turn to vibrant oranges and yellows that wow the eyes. The Sugarlands Valley, between the Sugarlands Visitor Center and and Chimneys Picnic Area was named for the abundance of Sugar Maple trees in the area.
- Red Maple – The Red Maple is probably the most common trees in the Park since it grows at the lowest elevations all the way up to 6,000 ft. Its fall color ranges from yellow to red. Red Maples have red twigs, buds and fruits. You’ll notice this tree’s bright red flowers that bloom from February to April each year.
- Sweet Gum – This tree’s star-shaped leaves and round, spiny fruit make it easily recognizable. It prefers moist areas along streams below 2,000 ft. The Sweet Gum’s fall color can range from yellow to red to purple all on the same tree.
- Yellow Poplar or Tuliptree – One of the most common trees in the Park below 4,000 ft. These trees grow big and straight up so they’re easy to spot. Spectacular stands of giants can be found along Little River Road and Laurel Creek Road. When the sun hits the tree’s leaves just right, they seem to glow a brilliant, golden yellow.
- Black Cherry – The dark fruit of this tree is a favorite of bears. It’s quite common below 5,000 ft. and its bark resembles burnt potato chips. It fall foliage is yellow to red.
Cantilever Barns? HeySmokies! What’s Up With That?
What’s up with those oddly-shaped barns in the Smokies? Well, the cantilever barn is a late-19th century style of architecture found primarily in Sevier and Blount counties in east Tennessee. The unusual design features an overhang, or cantilever, over one or more storage areas known as a crib to the mountain farmer.
It’s believed that this architectural style of barns predates the more modern design principle of “form follows function.” Because the Great Smoky Mountains receive over 80 inches rainfall annually, they are one of the rainiest places in the continental United States. This high level of rain and humidity in the Smokies created a constant struggle for farmers to keep their crops from rotting. The cantilever barn provided a great solution for funneling rain off the roof and away from the storage cribs. The open space between the cribs kept the structure ventilated allowing air to circulate further reducing spoiled inventory.
There is also a long-standing rumor in the Smokies that the unique cantilever design was created to stay one step ahead of the government tax man. Apparently, taxes were assessed based on the total square footage of a structure touching the ground. Barely a third of the cantilever barn is on ground level. By building a cantilever barn instead of a traditional barn the farmer would have saved big on his tax return!
There are several examples of the cantilever barn in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In Cades Cove the Tipton Homeplace has a nice double cantilever barn at the Cable Mill Historic Area. Hikers will want to seek out the John Messer double cantilever barn one mile up Porters Creek trail in Greenbrier. The Mountain Farm Museum at Oconaluftee has fine examples of both single and double cantilever barns.
Cribs housed livestock, tools, agricultural products and supplies. The cribs often measured twelve feet by eighteen feet and had a breezeway separating them. The upper logs of each crib were much longer than the others to create the cantilever. The cantilever doubled as the floor for the large upper loft. The loft was typically used for storing hay and drying tobacco.The cantilever barns often had a gabled roof.
In the 1980’s author historians Marian Moffett and Lawrence Wodehouse documented 6 cantilever barns in Virginina, 3 in North Carolina, 183 in Sevier County, Tennessee and 106 in adjacent Blount County, Tennessee.
Trail Openings and Closings in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Visitors should be aware of some recent trail openings and closings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail reopens just as Alum Cave Trail closes on weekdays until November 19, 2015 for needed restoration work.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a unique 5.5 mile, one-way road through a very beautiful slice of the National Park and provides access to several trails leading to the summit of Mt. LeConte and LeConte Lodge. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail leads you into a majestic, natural sanctuary just three miles from downtown Gatlinburg.
Directions to Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
At traffic light #8 on the Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg, turn onto Historic Nature Trail-Airport Road. Keep right past the turnoff to the left to the Park Vista Hotel and enter the National Park on Cherokee Orchard Road. You’ll pass the Noah “Bud” Ogle Self-Guiding Nature Trail. Go another half-mile to reach the entrance to the auto trail through the historic Roaring Fork Community.
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Highlights
- Experience Forest Communities of Cove Hardwood, Pine-Oak and Old-Growth Hemlock.
- Visit Historic Farmsteads: Ephraim Bales Place and Alfred Reagan Place.
- See “Place of a Thousand Drips” Waterfall.
- Rainbow Falls Trail and Trillium Gap Trail to Grotto Falls.
- Note: Large motor homes, buses and trailer are prohibited.
Alum Cave Trail will be open each week on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as the Trails Forever Crew work during the week to restore several locations along the five-mile trail.
The summit of Mt. LeConte, LeConte Lodge, and the LeConte Shelter can still reached by hiking one of five other trails, three of which are accessed via Cherokee Orchard Road which leads to Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
Rainbow Falls Trail – 6.6 miles from the Rainbow Falls Parking Area on the Cherokee Orchard Road to the summit of Mt. LeConte. Rainbow Falls is 2.7 miles from the trailhead.
Trillium Gap Trail – 8.7 miles from Rainbow Falls Parking Area on the Cherokee Orchard Road to the summit of Mt. LeConte. Grotto Falls is 3.5 miles from the trailhead.
The Boulevard Trail via The Appalachian Trail – From Newfound Gap hike north on the Appalachian Trail for 2.7 miles, then hike 5.3 miles on the Boulevard Trail to the summit of Mt. LeConte.
Bull Head Trail – Accessed via Old Sugarlands Trail near the Rainbow Falls Parking Area on the Cherokee Orchard Road. Walk .4 miles on Old Sugarlands Trail to Bullhead Trail. Then walk 6.4 miles to the summit of Mt. LeConte. Many folks hike up to Mt. LeConte on Rainbow Falls Trail and return on Bull Head Trail for a nice loop walk.
Brushy Mountain Trail via Porters Creek Trail – Porters Creek Trail begins in the Greenbrier section of the National Park located off U.S. Highway 321 about six miles east of Gatlinburg. Travel approximately 4.1 miles down Greenbrier Road to a traffic loop with a gate and trail sign. Walk 1 mile on Porters Creek Trail, then 4.5 miles to the intersection with Trillium Gap Trail with the summit of Mt. LeConte in another 3.6 miles.
Parking is limited at all of these trailheads so carpooling is greatly encouraged.
