Hiking the Art Loeb Trail in One Night :: Pisgah National Forest

September 7, 2022September 7, 2022Leave a comment

I distinctly remember putting this trail on my ‘to-hike’ list years ago. But, it was a little too far away and I was a little too scared to hike it by myself (literally me at every new hike I do…), so it kept getting pushed to the end of the list. But, the great thing about having friends who both love to hike and were living close to Pisgah is that you can semi-spontaneously decide to hike Art Loeb in the middle of the week. All I needed was a little push.

The Art Loeb Trail is a 30.1 mile trail (plus a little more if you do some short side trails) in the beautiful Pisgah National Forest of North Carolina with its termini at Davidson River Campground and the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp (yes, through a literal summer camp to get to the trailhead). By my numbers, the elevation gain was roughly 7,100 feet.

But, wow, what a beautiful, challenging and rewarding trail. We initially planned on a SOBO hike of 3 days and 2 nights but pushed to get done in 2 days trying to avoid potentially bad weather. Hiking 16+ miles each day with lots of elevation change and a pack (with bear canister, which are required in Shining Rock Wilderness btw; I believe you can rent one from the Asheville REI.) was a doozy but one I’d do again in a heartbeat.

There are many places to camp along the way. You can disperse camp in National Forests, meaning you can virtually camp anywhere you’d like, preferably 200 feet from the trail or water. Many people suggest NOT camping in Shining Rock Wilderness because of bear activity (and also why you need a bear canister), so that may be something to take into account as you are planning your sites. But, there are plenty of already ‘developed’ sites along the way, so you can really decide to stop whenever you get to a place you like. There’s also 2 very sketchy, but cool looking shelters on the trail, but I would not advise actually sleeping in them for fear of collapse.

Also, water can be scarce at certain times of the year on this trail, so fill up when you can. In the summer, you may need to carry most of your water for the whole trip. I hiked this trail in March and we didn’t have a problem, but we also filled up every time we saw any water. You may not be so fortunate in the warmer months. I used this post to help plan out my trip.

Here was our itinerary for a 2-day, 1-night hike of Art Loeb:

Day 0: Met Bethany late at Davidson River Campground and we slept in the back of my Subaru. (I have an air mattress that fits the back of my car and it’s a game changer for arriving at trailhead late at night so you don’t have to hike i and set up in the dark.)

Day 1 (16.6 miles): Woke up and drove one car to the Daniel Boone Boy Scout Camp trailhead and started hiking around 8:00am. Camped at a nice little spot just south of Farlow Gap. Features: Shining Rock, Tennent Mountain, Black Balsam Knob

Day 2 (16.96 miles): Started hiking around 8:00am and finished the trail around 5:00pm at Davidson River Campground. Features: Pilot Mountain, Sassafras Knob, Chestnut Mountain

We chose to go SOBO so that we would end near Brevard, NC, so we could eat a bunch of town food after we finished the hike. (The Boy Scout Camp trailhead is much more secluded.) They say it’s a bit more challenging going NOBO, but no matter what, you are going to climb, descend, climb, descend, etc. Also some say to do NOBO because you ‘save the views for the end’, but there are views throughout and the ‘best’ ones are just about halfway through. You do you though and HYOH (hike your own hike)

I was stunned by the diversity of the trail: the sweeping views, very narrow rhododendron tunnels, forest-like cover and shining rocks. A+ would recommend to any backpacker that loves beauty and a challenge. (And maybe falling. I fell a lot 🙈)

Distance from Nashville: 5 hours

Trailhead: Davidson River Campground near Brevard, NC and Cold Mountain/Camp Daniel Boone near Canton, NC

Trail: Art Loeb Trail

Length of trail: 30.1 miles (we clocked just over 33 miles)

Link to trail map: Art Loeb Trail (I also thought my Gaia GPS map was great)

Camping: Dispersed, many options that are already ‘developed’ as sites (cleared out and flat), also 2 shelters that no one should actually sleep in (Deep Gap and Butter Gap). Most say to avoid camping in Shining Rock Wilderness because of bear activity. Bear canisters required in Shining Rock Wilderness.

Overview: Super beautiful and challenging hike with sweeping open Appalachian views, shining rocks, thick forest cover, narrow rhododendron and laurel ‘tunnels’. I would recommend this to anyone who likes backpacking, but maybe just not make it your very first every trip. You may hate yourself.

Hiking at Old Stone Fort State Archeological Park :: Manchester, TN

August 29, 2022August 29, 20222 Comments

I always forget about Old Stone Fort when thinking of semi-nearby hikes to Nashville. I’m not quite sure why because it’s such a unique hike in that it has like a hundred (ok maybe not 100) little ‘cascading waterfalls’ along the Duck River (Trivia time: at 284 miles, the Duck River is the longest river located entirely within the state of Tennessee AND it’s the most biologically diverse river in North America. So, yeah, I think you should check it out…)

The route I usually do is a mostly easy hike with only a few steep parts (off the main loop on the Backbone and Moat trails) and you get rewarded with all these river falls and some indigenous peoples history. The fort was built somewhere between 1500 and 2000 years ago and was formed by mounds and the bluff walls. There’s also a museum on site so you can learn all about the land you are recreating on.

It’s only an hour from Nashville and worth checking out if you only have a half day or so free to hike. Or make a weekend of it: snag a campsite here, also visit nearby Short Springs State Natural Area and maybe even stop by the George Dickel Distillery, only a short drive away.

But, please, oh please, practice the Leave No Trace principles when you’re out. There’s lots of folks out there newer to hiking and we ALL need to pitch in to keep our public lands beautiful. Let’s set a good example and politely encourage people to treat public lands the right way.

📍 On the ancestral lands of Tsalaguwetiyi, Shawandasse Tula, S’atsoyaha, and Chikashsha

*Photos of Old Stone Fort taken November 2020*

Distance from Nashville: Just over 1 hour

Trailhead: Visitor’s Center at Old Stone Fort

Trail: Enclosure, Forks of the River, Backbone & Moat Trails

Length of trail: 4.4 miles for this loop-ish hike

Link to trail map: Old Stone Fort Map

Camping: Old Stone Fort Campground (recently updated in 2020) — reservation required, 50 sites total

Overview: Easy hike with lots of water features plus some indigenous history; great for the whole fam

Hiking Colditz Cove Trail + Northrop Falls :: Colditz Cove State Natural Area

August 28, 2022August 29, 2022Leave a comment

Colditz Cove State Natural Area (SNA) is in the northern portion of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. This ‘bell of the ball’, as they say, of this hike is Northrop Falls but there’s also some classic rock houses and features characteristic of this area. The Colditz Cove Trail is a relatively short (2-ish miles) hike that goes around the top of the falls and behind them in a boomerang-shaped loop.

This SNA is right down the road from Pickett State Park and Big South Fork. (And I’m using the rural definition of ‘right down the road’ which means it’s within 20 miles 😂) Because this whole area of TN is off the beaten path, it stays relatively under the radar. Even on a nice Saturday afternoon, there were only a few other cars in the lot. If you’re making the trek up here, I’d suggest making a weekend of it and visiting all 3 areas because they’re all pretty special. You can also throw in Pogue Creek Canyon for good measure.

P.S. There’s typically no trash cans at the trailheads in state natural areas, so please prepare to pack your trash ALL THE WAY OUT (like all the way home or a gas station or whatever). There’s, unfortunately, just not enough resources for all these areas to have trash cans.

*Photos of Colditz Cove SNA taken August 2022*

Distance from Nashville: 2 hr 15 min

Trailhead: Northrop Falls Rd off of Rugby Pike (TN-52) near Allardt, TN

Trail: Colditz Cove Trail

Length of trail: just over 2 miles total

Link to trail map: Colditz Cove Trail Map

Camping: None

Overview: Easy hike to a pretty combo free-falling/cascading waterfall that you can walk behind.

The Trails of Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area

August 28, 2022August 29, 2022Leave a comment

Right before you hit Pickett State Park on TN-154, there’s a small pull-off trailhead nestled between fields of fall goldenrod and asters is one of the access points to Pogue Creek Canyon SNA. You’ll also find an astronomy field where you can view to night skies of this International Dark Sky Association certified area.

You’ll start this hike descending into the canyon, briefly ascending, then making the final plunge into the canyon before climbing out again as you near the final overlook. You can also access the Mesa Top Overlook from a shorter, flatter hike from the Moccasin Trailhead (which also marks Moccasin Rock trail that connects to Pickett), although, you will miss out on some pretty stellar things about this state natural area.

This hike will give you rock formations characteristic of the TN North Cumberland Plateau. You’ll pass by several rock houses and a few arches on your way to the Mesa Top Overlook, which is a great place to enjoy lunch and a view of the ‘canyon’. Make sure to take the short side trail to Circle Bar Arch and don’t miss the ‘biggest tiny arch’, Killdeer Arch. There’s also an unmarked side trail to a dripping waterfall (heavier flow when there’s rain), but be prepared to take off your backpack and squeeze through some rocks (not claustrophobic rocks, just rocks jutting out that you kinda off have to snake around). Even though the water was barely flowing, it was a cool area to explore. My favorite part about the hike was how evenly spaced all of the interest points were. There was enough to see to keep the hike engaging the whole time.

One more note: There is an actual ladder about a mile in. I had to carry Luna down and up the ladder (over one shoulder holding with one arm, so I could still grip the rungs; it was quite the sight I’m sure! 🙃) She is very great with steps, even really steep ones, but she could not do this ladder. So, if you can’t safely carry your dog down and up an 8 rung ladder, you may want to leave the pup at home for this one.

If you find yourself in the North Cumberland Plateau area or want to do multiple hikes in this area, I’d suggest doing Pogue Creek Canyon first. It truly is a cool hike with unique features, but I don’t think that it quite impresses as much as Pickett or Big South Fork. So, build up to the rock beauties and do Pogue Creek first, so you are extra impressed by the other hikes in the area.

Distance from Nashville: 2 hr 25 min

Trailhead: Near the Astronomy Field on Pickett Park Hwy (TN-154)

Trail: All of ‘em (Overlook, Upper Canyon Mesa Top)

Length of trail: I did approx. 9 miles total

Link to trail map: Pogue Creek Canyon

Camping: None (However, you can camp at Pickett State Park right down the road.)

Overview: Moderate hike with classic northern Cumberland Plateau rock formations like arches and crazy rock patterns along with an overlook with a view

Backpacking Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness :: Cumberland Trail

August 28, 2022August 29, 2022Leave a comment

Located solidly off of any interstate, Laurel-Snow is a beautiful little pocket of the gorges of Walden Ridge in the eastern Cumberland Plateau. It gets it name from 2 waterfalls in the area and is also the first National Recreation Trail designated in Tennessee. Laurel-Snow also contains a section of the Cumberland Trail, although it doesn’t yet directly connect to any other part of the the CT.

The entire area has about 11 miles of trails situation in a ‘Y’ shape. About 1.5 miles in, the trail forks. The right fork takes you to Laurel Falls and Bryan Overlook and the left fork takes to you Snow Falls and Buzzard Point. You’ll find Henderson Creek campsite near the fork and a campsite near each of the waterfalls (water sources near all sites). Doing the entire trial system in an overnight is a bit of a push, but very doable.

The trails are marked relatively well, but it’s very easy to get turned around or wander off on a fake trail, especially as you wander deeper into the area. I would highly recommend having the free Gaia GPS app, which helped us stay on track.

During the first part of the trail, you’ll find remnants of Richland Mine as you meander along Richland Creek. Even with water levels low, this waterway is stunning with its enormous boulders and trickling cascades. We veered left towards Snow Falls and soon came upon the longest metal footbridge I’ve ever crossed at 150 ft. Three connected bridges zig-zagged over the boulder-filled Richland Creek gorge. The trail gets slightly overgrown in this area, basically meaning that the poison ivy is all up on your feet and legs. Take the dirt/jeep road to get to Buzzard Point; it’s definitely worth it the 180 degree views of the gorge and Chickamauga Lake in the distance.

We camped at Morgan Creek, a peaceful site near Snow Falls. You can access the base and the top of the small fall. Because the water level of Morgan Creek was low, we got to hang out in the creek bed and take it all in.

The next morning, we retraced our steps back to the trail fork and headed then headed towards Laurel Falls. You’ll climb out of a gorge, traverse some pretty amazing rock structures and climb through a little rock tunnel, which was especially fun with a loaded pack on your back! Laurel Falls was just a trickle, but the shelf-like rock that formed it was stunning regardless of the water level. We relaxed on the car-sized boulders before heading back to the trailhead.

The only bummer about these trails is that you have to do a lot of backtracking to see everything. You end up basically doing every trial twice. Oh, and poison ivy and ticks. Lots and lots of poison ivy and seed ticks. (I may have found a tick TWO days later attached near my armpit 🤢)

There were lots of people coming to swim in the creek, so that means there was trash, especially along the first 1.5 miles. Please remember to #recreateresponsibly and #leavenotrace. PICK UP TRASH Y’ALL.

Laurel-Snow is a complete winner, just make sure you have a plan, a map and plenty of water (all things you should have for any hike anyways!)

Distance from Nashville: 2 hr 45 min

Trailhead: Pocket Wilderness Road off of Back Valley Rd near Dayton, TN

Trail: Laurel-Snow Trail

Length of trail: 3.3 miles (one way) to end of Laurel Falls Spur Trail, 4.8 miles (one way) to end of Snow Falls Spur Trail. My route was 15.5 miles, split over 2 days

Link to trail map: Laurel-Snow Section of CT

Camping: Henderson Creek (near split of trails), Morgan Creek (near Snow Falls – were I camped), Laurel Creek Campsite (near Laurel Falls)

Overview: Challenging, yet rewarding hike to 2 beautiful falls with a couple overlooks, neat-o rock structures, and a loooooong 150ft foot bridge.

Hiking to Denny Falls :: South Cumberland State Park

August 28, 2022August 29, 2022Leave a comment

Just down the road from the entrance to Foster Falls, you’ll find the Denny Cove trailhead — one of the newer additions to South Cumberland State Park. While this area is known for it’s excellent rock climbing, hikers will also enjoy the short trails to an overlook and beautiful cascading waterfall.

This roughly 3.5 mile out and back hike has a lot of what this are of Tennessee has to offer including the classic boulder-filled trail at times. (Love it or hate it, boulders abound all over this area! Time to get those ankles strong!) I’d classify this hike as solidly moderate in difficulty, accessible to most hiking levels.

At about a half mile in, the trail splits: one part take you to a nice overlook and the other takes you to the waterfall. There’s also a spur that has all of the climber access points (and doesn’t lead to the waterfall).

I truly love this waterfall and the trail immediately leading up to it. You round one corner of the trail and boom, there’s the beautiful, towering, cascading fall. The pool it spills into is pretty small so you can stand close to it and feel the gentle mist; there’s even a large rock conveniently placed so you can sit and take it all in.

If you’re checking out Foster Falls for the day, maybe head on over the Denny Cove and add a few more miles onto your hiking day.

*Photos of Denny Falls taken November 2020*

Distance from Nashville: 1 hr 45 min

Trailhead: Denny Cove, off of US Hwy 41

Trail: Denny Access Trail, Denny West, Waterfall Trails

Length of trail: 3.5 miles (out and back)

Link to trail map: Denny Cove

Camping: None. (Closest is Foster Falls, reservation required)

Overview: A relatively short, but totally worth it, moderate trek to an overlook and beautiful cascading waterfall.

Blood Mountain via Byron Reece + Appalachian Trail :: Chattahoochee National Forest

December 28, 2021August 29, 2022Leave a comment

I haven’t done much hiking in North Georgia but I will still say that this trail is one of the best in the area. The whole out-and-back hike was just about 5 miles and there’s about 1500 feet of elevation gain in 2.5 miles. It’s a nice little thigh burner which is manageable and the payoff is well worth it. Oh, and also got to hike this beaut with Luke and I just love sharing time together in the outdoors.

Our hike up Blood Mountain started via the Byron Reece Trail. After just under a mile, you’ll turn right onto the AT until you reach the summit and/or the shelter.

The first part of the trail follows a small creek, then you begin your climb. It was only slightly icy when we went but it can get slippery on the rocks. (Luna also got tangled up in my legs when another dog was passing and she pulled me right over and I busted up my palm on a jagged rock. This is why you always carry a first aid kit!) You’ll zig zag through the lands of the Blood Mountain Wilderness within the Chattahoochee National Forest as you climb with a slightly rocky trail.

There’s a more than few good overlooks of the Southern Appalachians along the way. And I’ll share a little secret: the actual ‘summit’ of the mountain doesn’t have the best view. Go a little farther until you reach the shelter and climb the huge boulder in front of it for a prime lunch spot with a breathtaking view.

You can also make this a 6-7 mile loop by connecting the Freeman Trail if you are looking for a little bit of a longer hike and prefer loops to out-and-backs.

Blood Mountain is a wonderful hike in North Georgia. This trail can get crowded in the popular months, so plan to get to the trailhead early. (We did this hike in early February with some snow and ice, so we didn’t see many others.) Also, I picked up LOTSSSSS of trash on this hike. Please keep nature wild and practice all Leave No Trace principles.

Distance from Nashville: 4 hours 15 min

Trailhead: Byron Reece Trailhead on US-19

Trail: Byron Reece and Appalachian Trail

Link to trail map: Blood Mountain Wilderness

Length of Trail: 4.7 miles round trip, out and back

Camping: Blood Mountain Shelter

Overview: Climb a mountain in the southern Appalachians with beautiful scenery all around, rock outcroppings, and a small stream near the beginning. An all around beautiful hike!

Mt. LeConte and LeConte Lodge :: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

October 5, 2021October 5, 2021Leave a comment

As with most mountains, the terrain starts to feel different when you’re nearing the top. With LeConte, it feels cooler and a bit quieter as your feet pad along pine needle beds instead of rocks and roots. LeConte is the terminus of 6 trails, so make sure you know what trail you are trying to find once you get up there. The actual highest point of LeConte is past the lodge along the Boulevard Trail.

We stopped at the lodge, checked in and made ourselves some lunch before heading out to explore the trails of the top; there’s a couple different spots to explore.

On the way to High Point on Boulevard Trail

First, we made our way past LeConte Lodge along the Boulevard Trail to the summit of High Point, which is denoted by a rock pyramid. There isn’t a view from the actual point – it’s hidden in trees – but there’s a few spots along the way that will make your jaw drop. This summit is about .4 miles from the lodge. You’ll also pass the LeConte shelter, where you can stay the night if you don’t have a reservation at the lodge (a backcountry permit and reservation is still required in advance.)

There’s also Cliff Tops, which is a great place to watch the sunset if you are staying the night, either at the lodge or in the shelter. I think it’s one of the best views in the Smokies, but I may say that about every view because it’s all just so beautiful. This trail is about .3 miles from the lodge; you’ll see signs for Cliff Tops. There’s almost nothing in this world that makes me happier than those rolling blanket-like blue views of the Appalachian Mountains.

I was so focused on getting the the Lodge as our destination, I completely forgot about what else was going to meet me at the top. If you make the trek, don’t forget to add on a few more tenths of a mile, even if you aren’t staying the night.

As night fell, and we were sitting in rocking chairs on the porch of our cabin, the lights of Gatlinburg started illuminating. It was such a strange feeling to feel so remote, yet also see the light-filled town below. I don’t think it “ruined” it, but rather, was just unexpected.

LeConte Lodge itself feels like a little village where everyone seems to just ‘get it’. You do have to climb a mountain to get there, so that automatically weeds out folks who may be, well, those annoying people who don’t know how to act in wild and sacred spaces. (You know who I’m talking about: those people at some campsites who blast their music, car lights and bang on their guitar loudly until all hours of the night. Not quite the experience many people want to have outdoors…) I think LeConte may be a yearly trip for us; it was absolute bliss.

Distance from Nashville: 4 hours

Trailhead: Any trailhead for any trail that gets you up Mt. LeConte

Trail: Cliff Tops and High Point of LeConte summit

Link to trail map: Cliff Tops

Length of Trail: 1.3 miles

Camping: LeConte Lodge Shelter or LeConte Lodge

Overview: Exploration on and around Mt. Leconte for amazing, sweeping views.

Rainbow Falls Trail from Mt. LeConte :: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

October 5, 2021October 5, 2021Leave a comment

As a child, our family “accidentally” hiked to Rainbow Falls. We parked at the wrong trailhead thinking we were doing an easy hike to Grotto Falls and ended up doing a strenuous 5 mile hike – and my family was not really a ‘strenuous hike’ family. I am pretty sure it scarred my sisters’ view of hiking for the rest of their lives. But, I hadn’t been back to hike this trail since that day over 15 year ago. So, I figured, why not hike this trail on the way back down from LeConte.

Rainbow Falls is a relatively popular and, like I mentioned, difficult trial. The trail has a total elevation gain of almost 4,000 feet, meaning we lost almost 4,000 feet of elevation over about 7.5 miles.

Most people hike an out-and-back from the trailhead up to Rainbow Falls (about 2.5 miles one way and 1,500 feet of elevation gain from the trailhead), making the trail from LeConte to the falls very quiet and serene. The entire trail gains almost 4,000 feet of elevation. (Yes, the knees on the downhill were rough!) This trail was heavily affected by the fires a few year back. Not too far from the top of LeConte, you’ll see a huge area of burned trees and shrubbery, looking eerily post-apocalyptic. Around that same area, you’ll also see beautiful vistas and even Gatlinburg down below.

As the trail winds down the mountain, you’ll cross LeConte Creek a few times before you come across Rainbow Falls, which is the highest free-falling waterfall in the park. I hear that it’s much more impressive when you go after a big rain, but it wasn’t much more than a trickle when we visited. The last part of the trail is the busiest (and the dirtiest: pack out what you pack in folks!) because its a popular day hike. And while I love waterfalls, my favorite parts of the trail were closer to the top and the smaller cascades along LeConte Creek.

Many people consider this a must-do trail in the Smokies. And while I believe any time spent outdoors is great, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Rainbow Falls as one of my top hikes in the Smokies. But again, catch this fall after a good rain and it may just make all the difference!

Practice Leave No Trace. Pack out E V E R Y T H I N G. Pick up trash. Follow signs about staying on the trail. This trail was decimated. I had filled up my entire 15L dry sack full of trash and I couldn’t get everything. Also, so much toilet paper, like seriously, how was there that much TP. These Smoky Mountain trails are getting so heavily loved, so let’s love them back. Hold yourself and others accountable while on trail.

Distance from Nashville: 4 hours

Trailhead: Rainbow Falls Trailhead, 2 parking lots – A & B – along Cherokee Orchard Road

Trail: Entire Rainbow Falls Trail from LeConte

Link to trail map: Mt LeConte via Rainbow Falls

Length of Trail: We clocked 7.5 miles total

Camping: LeConte Shelter or Lodge

Overview: Steep and difficult trail up (or down) from Mt. LeConte (3,800+ ft) featuring the Smokies highest waterfall, views and some exposure due to wildfire damage

Mt. LeConte via Alum Cave :: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

October 4, 2021October 5, 2021Leave a comment

There’s five trails (Brushy Mountain is the unofficial, shall we say, ‘6th Man’) up to the summit of Mt LeConte, which is the 3rd highest peak in GSMNP at 6,593 ft. One of the most popular routes is Alum Cave both because of its beauty and its shortness relative to the other trails. You’ll still gain around 2,600-2,800 ft (depending on your GPS) in about 6 miles. But, there’s plenty to see along the way to distract you from the climb.

You’ll first follow the stunning Alum Cave Creek. This part of the trail stays relatively flat before the arduous climb begins. We began around 8:30 in the morning and there was still some morning light magic.

Then, you’ll begin a steeper climb that first leads you to Arch Rock then to Alum Cave Bluff. Both a stunning rock formations that would make a great out-and-back if you didn’t want to summit LeConte. After the bluff, it’s just a climb up the mountain. When you stop at Alum Cave Bluffs, make sure to look over the trail before you climb to the bluff overhang. Many people have spotted bears down in that valley.

Along the way, you’ll, of course, cross log footbridges, pass through rhododendron-lined trails, and see a few rolling views characteristic of the Appalachian Mountains. Once you get closer to the summit, you’ll notice more fir and cedar trees and feel a slight change in terrain. Even though this isn’t a super high altitude compared to out west, I love that near the summit, the trail did feel different.

One thing that surprised me about this trail was that it was quite a bit more rocky than some other trails in the Smokies. (It’s not South Cumberland boulder-y, but just more than I expected.)

Overall, this trail truly lived up to the hype. It has almost everything you could want from a trail (except a waterfall) It is a relatively strenuous hike because of the steepness, but not undoable. Be sure to plan ahead and prepare and know your own limits!

This trail is very popular and the trailhead parking fills up quickly. So, get there early to make sure you get a spot. (We parked our car at another trailhead for the hike down and had my parents shuttle us to the Alum Cave trailhead.) Even at 8:30, the parking was very full.

One last thing I’ll mention, we picked up a moderate amount of trash (and MY GOD we saw SO MUCH toilet paper – please, please, please pack out or bury TP) along the way. It is so easy to not throw trash on the ground, so just don’t do it. The Smokies are suffering hard from increased visitation and hiker uninterested in following any LNT principles. Be a good example out there!