I am reporting on two hikes I took in our beautiful Smokies: Lumber Ridge Trail and Abrams Falls Trail from Cades Cove to a quarter mile beyond the falls.

The Lumber Ridge Trail

The trail starts at the northern end of the dormitory at the Treemont Institute (2 miles from Laurel Creek Road) and offers very little colorful foliage. There are several blowdowns on this trail. A few Sourwood and Blueberries are starting to change.

Other flowers on the trail:

Blue Aster – Few – Just starting to bloom – about mile and a half up the trail.

Bunch Flower

Bunchflower – (2) – AT or just beyond peak bloom – about mile and a half up trail. (I have seen the Bunchflower only one other time, and it was on the Turkey Pen trail.)

Curtiss Milkwort – Some – At peak bloom – about mile & half up the trail.

Erect Goldenrod – Many – Mostly past peak bloom – also few other varieties of Goldenrod along trail.

Erect Goldenrod

False Fox Glove – Many – Some at full bloom – many budded – mostly 1st mile of the trail.

Great Lobelia – Some – Most not at peak bloom yet – mostly along 1st mile of the trail.

Ironweed – Some – At or just beyond peak bloom – along first few feet up the trail across from the dormitory.

Mist Flower – Some – Slightly past peak bloom – along first few feet up the trail across from dormitory.

Mist Flower

Southern Harebell – Many + – Some at full bloom with others past peak bloom – 1st mile and a half up trail.

Spotted Jewelweed – Many – Half at full bloom with half past peak bloom – first few feet up the trail across from the dormitory.

Starry Campion – (1) – Past peak bloom – about two miles up the trail.

White Snakeroot – Many – Mostly budded with a few blooms – suspect many blooms by next weekend.

White Top Aster – Few – Approaching peak bloom

The Abrams Falls Trail 

Abrams Falls trail starts from the Cades Cove Loop Road about five miles from the beginning of the Loop Road. It is 2.5 miles to the falls from the trailhead, and the trail would be considered moderate in difficulty. It went up Wet Bottoms trail after about 10 seconds. Fantastic work has been done of foot log bridges by placing three railings between the foot log and the handrail so less chances of child falling off of the bridge. There was bear on the trail just before the parking lot at the trailhead.

In addition to the flowers below, I saw red and yellow foliage, a few blueberry plants and a few red maples, a decent number of sourwoods and a few beech trees.

Bleeding Heart – (1) – At peak bloom – just beyond the top of the horseshoe on left.

Bleeding Heart

Blue Asters – Few – Just starting to bloom.

Cardinal Flower – Many – Mostly at peak bloom 1st mile – mostly next to the creek – counted 13 in one group. Brilliant red in sunlight.

Cardinal Flower

Coreopsis – Some – Some at peak bloom – others past peak bloom.

Erect Goldenrod – Some

False Fox Glove – Many – Mostly at peak bloom – good number of buds – striking bright canary yellow.

Flowering Spurge – Some – At peak bloom.

Great Lobelia – Some – Mostly within a few days of being at peak bloom.

Hearts-a-busting – Some – Not flowers – colorful seed pods – beyond the horseshoe on the left below the trail.

Joe Pye Weed – Few – Appear to be past peak bloom – 1st quarter of mile up the trail.

Pilewort – Some – budded.

Southern Harebell – Many ++ – Mostly at peak bloom – small but very dainty and attractive – nice shade of blue.

Virgin’s Bower – Few – At peak bloom – about a tenth of a mile beyond the falls – the only location that I have seen it in the park. So beautiful!

Wild Sensitive Plant – Many – Few at peak bloom – many budded – very small flowers.

Wild Sensitive Plant

Tom Harrington is a regular hiker who reports on wildflowers in the Smokies.

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