Wildflower – Foliage Report – Chestnut Top (B to about a quarter of a mile from the end of the trail) – 30 October 2023
Wildflower Report – Chestnut Top Trail – 30 October 2023
- Blue Aster – Many – Most at peak bloom (several different varieties).
- Erect Goldenrod – Few – Almost gone.
- False Fox Glove – (1) – Past peak bloom.
- Mountain Gentian – (2) – At or just beyond peak bloom.
- White Snake Root – Few – Well past peak bloom.
- White Top Aster – Some – Well past peak bloom.
Note: Most of the wildflowers are on the first half mile of the trail from the Townsend Wye.
Brilliant foliage of a sourwood tree
Foliage Report – Chestnut Top Trail – 30 October 2023
- Beech – Some gold and some yellow.
- Blackberry – Few – Mostly red but a lot of brown on the leaves.
- Fraser Magnolia – Many – Mostly bronze or brown in color.
- Mountain Maple – Many – Pale yellow leaves.
- Northern Red Oak – Some – Red foliage.
- Popular – Many – Yellow foliage.
- Red Maple – Many – Mostly bright red leaves.
- Sasafrass – Many – Some of the foliage is yellow & some is orange.
- Scarlett Oak – Many – Mostly dark red foliage some with a lot of green still on the leaves.
- Sourwood – Many – Following colors: Bright red, orange, pink and variations in between.
Up on Chestnut Top Trail
Note: Much of the colorful foliage has fallen; however, there are still a good number of beautiful leaves still on the trees. There are areas with great displays of great foliage. A few sections of the trail have a heavy cover of Sourwood leaves that have fallen making it like walking on a red carpet.
Tom Harrington is a regular hiker who reports on wildflowers in the Smokies.
Multiple trees form a canopy of color