I hiked Chestnut Top Trail this week, traveling about two and half miles up the trail to see these beauties along the way. With the higher temperatures coming, some of these flowers will likely fade quickly.

The Chestnut Top Trail starts at the Townsend Wye across the street from the large parking lot. It is 4.3 miles long and deadends into the School House Gap Trail. It climbs much of the first couple of miles and would be best described as moderately strenuous. The footing is somewhat challenging the first half mile up the trail. Hiking poles/sticks and hiking boots are recommended.

  • Bird Foot Violet: (1) – at peak bloom about 7/10-mile up trail.
  • Bishop Caps: Many – most beyond peak bloom on first half mile up trail.
  • Carolina Wood Vetch: Few – at peak bloom at approximately 2.3 miles up the trail on the right
  • Catesby Trillium:(2) – few others budded, starting about 8/10-mile up trail.
  • Common Blue Violet: Few – appear to be close to peak bloom, on first half mile up trail.
  • Common Cinquefoil: Many – most at peak bloom along much of the trail and out in full sun.
  • Crested Dwarf Iris: Some – some at peak bloom, some fading and few buds mostly first 6/10-mile up trail.
  • Dog Hobble: Few – just starting to bloom about first half-mile up trail.
  • Dogwood: Some – at peak bloom or just beyond peak bloom, off and on up trail.
  • Early Saxifrage: (1) – about 2/10-mile up trail.
  • False Solomon’s Seal: Many + – mostly budded, 1 almost at peak bloom, first half-mile up trail.
  • Fire Pink: Some – mostly at peak bloom about 3/10-mile up trail; brilliant in full sun, as red as red can be.
  • Foam Flower: Some – most at peak bloom, some beyond peak bloom about first half-mile up trail.
  • Halberd Leaf Violet: Many – at peak bloom starting at about 8/10-mile up the trail.
  • Hepatica: (1) – about 4/10-mile up trail under edge of boulder on the left.
  • Hooked Buttercup: (1) – just starting to bloom about 4/10-mile up trail.
  • Long Spurred Violet: Many – most well past peak bloom about first half-mile up trail.
  • Lousewort: Few – 2 locations about first half mile, close to peak bloom; a mile and a half up trail mostly beyond peak bloom.
  • Meadow Parsnip: Some – some just starting to bloom; others approaching peak bloom about first half-mile up trail.
  • Plantain Leaf Pussytoe: Some about gone – what few blooms that are left are well past peak bloom.
  • Purple Phacelia: Many ++ – at peak bloom or just beyond peak bloom about first half-mile up trail. Note: May not last long.
  • Rue Anemone: Many – at peak bloom, mostly first mile up trail. Note: Blooms seem smaller on this trail.
  • Solomon’s Seal: Many + – mostly at peak bloom, about first half mile up trail.
  • Solomon’s Seal Grande: Many – appear to be approaching peak bloom.
  • Star Chickweed: Many ++ – at peak bloom on first half mile up trail – Note: Some sizeable patches of them.
  • Stone Crop: Many – close to peak bloom on first half-mile up trail.
  • Squaw Root: (2) – approximately 2 miles up trail; I have not seen it at other locations where it is found most years at this time.
  • Sweet White Violet: Few – at or close to peak bloom on first half-mile up trail.
  • Toothwort: Some – some at peak bloom; some beyond peak bloom on first half-mile up the trail.
  • Trillium Erect: Many – at peak bloom or just beyond peak bloom on first half-mile up trail.
  • Umbrella Magnolia: Few – about 6/10 of mile up trail. Because of distance, I could not determine for sure if it was Umbrella Magnolia.
  • Wild Oats: Some – just starting to bloom, about 8/10-mile up trail.
  • Yellow Mandarin: Few – just starting to bloom with some at peak bloom on first half-mile up trail.
  • Yellow Trillium: Many ++ – at peak bloom, about first half mile up trail; some really large blooms, vivid yellow.

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