I hiked the Porter Creek Trail this week. The trail starts at the end of the Greenbrier Road which is the first right turn after leaving the Gatlinburg city limits on U.S. 321 headed toward Cosby. The first mile of the road is narrow and paved. The rest of the road is gravel. The trail is 3.7 miles long and is moderately difficult (lot of roots and rocks). Almost two miles up the trail Fern Falls can be seen. About 1.6 miles up the trail it is necessary to cross a two-piece long-foot log bridge with a railing on one side. It is rather high above the large stream, and people uncomfortable with heights probably would not want to cross this bridge. Park trail crews have done a superb job removing the huge tree that had fallen across the trail about 2/10 mile after the log bridge, but unfortunately, the White Fringed Phacelia so common in that first 2/10 mile after the footbridge are gone.

The beautiful wildflowers I did see on the trail are listed:

  • Bishop Caps: Many + – approx. 85% past peak bloom (about gone)
  • Blue Cohosh: Few and slightly past peak bloom
  • Brook Lettuce: Many are at peak bloom and are mostly below the three bridges. Among best that I have seen.
  • Canadian Violet: Many, very beautiful just after crossing the log bridge
  • Common Cinquefoil: Many, at peak bloom, mostly first mile up the trail
  • Crested Dwarf Iris: Many, approx. 60% at peak bloom and the rest past peak bloom on first mile up the trail.
  • Dog Hobble: Some approaching peak bloom, first half-mile of trail
  • Doll Eyes: 1 at peak bloom.
  • False Solomon’s Seal: Many ++ – at various stages of the blooming cycle, past the falls very beautiful both below and above the trail.
  • Foam Flower: Many ++ – mostly at peak bloom off and on the whole way
  • Golden Ragwort: Few
  • Hooked Buttercup: Many approaching peak bloom and scattered between the start of the trail and Fern Falls
  • Little Brown Jugs: Few, mostly past peak bloom
  • Large Flowered Trillium: Some, approx. 95% past peak bloom and badly faded (turning pink)
  • Long Spurred Violet: Few, almost gone.
  • May Apple: Some blooming, at peak bloom but did not look under the leaves to check on number blooming.
  • Meadow Parsnip: Some, approaching peak bloom found mostly first mile up the trail.
  • Painted Trillium: 5 at peak bloom, approx. 1.3 miles up trail on right, but great blooms.
  • Robins Plantain: Many past peak bloom on mostly first half-mile up the trail
  • Solomon’s Seal: Many at or just beyond peak bloom, mostly first mile up the trail
  • Squaw Root: Few, just starting to come up, about 2 inches tall
  • Star Chickweed: Few at peak bloom
  • Stone Crop: Many at peak bloom and scattered the whole way up trail with best on last 2/10-mile before falls.
  • Sweet Cicely: Many almost at peak bloom, between the two-section foot log bridge and Fern Falls
  • Sweet Shrub: Few at peak bloom on first 3 miles up the trail
  • Sweet White Violet: Many ++ – mostly at peak bloom
  • Toothwort: Few, most past peak, but few nice blooms, last 2/10 mile before Fern Falls
  • Trillium Erect: Many, 95% are past peak bloom and many badly faded.
  • Umbrella Magnolia: Many appear to be at peak bloom, mostly after first mile up the trail
  • Wild Geranium: Some at peak bloom with best blooms last 2/10-mile before Fern Falls
  • Wild Ginger: Few past peak bloom on last half mile before Fern Falls
  • Wild Phlox: Some at or approaching peak bloom and scattered along trail
  • Yellow Mandarin: Few at or just beyond peak bloom on first 1/10-mile after Fern Falls
  • Yellow Trillium: Many at or just beyond peak bloom on mostly first mile up the trail

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