Harrington hikes several trails to find wildflowers

I hiked several trails this week and found multiple wildflowers on each.

First, I hiked the Metcalf Bottoms Trail. This trail starts on the other side of Little River from Metcalf Bottoms picnic ground (next to the wooden bridge) and ends at the Little Greenbrier School (6/10-mile long).

Black Berry – Some – Just starting to bloom – some pretty blooms.
Daisy Fleabane – Some – Approaching peak bloom.
Dog Hobble – Many – Past peak bloom.
Long Spurred Violet – Few – Past peak bloom (at beginning of trail).
Meadow Parsnip – Few – Approaching peak bloom – about half mile up trail.
Mountain Laurel – Many – Just starting to bloom – few are closed to peak bloom.
Red Clover – Few – In the early blooming stage – 2/10-mile up trail.
Robins Plantain – Some – Well past peak bloom (almost gone).
White Clover – Few – Close to or at peak bloom – 2/10-mile up trail.
Wild Geraniums – Many – Mostly slightly past peak bloom.

I next hiked Walker Sisters Cabin Trail. This trail looks like a driveway and starts up from the Little Greenbrier School and ends at the Walker Sisters Cabin – 1.1 miles long – not difficult.

Blackberry – Many – Just starting to bloom.
Carolina Wood Vetch – Few – At peak bloom or slightly past peak bloom.
Crested Dwarf Iris – Many – Approx. 65% past peak bloom.
Daisy Fleabane – Many – Most are at or almost at peak bloom.
Dog Hobble – Few – Past peak bloom.
Lyre Leaf Sage – Some – Most are not at peak bloom yet.
Miami Mist – Some – At peak bloom – last tenth of mile before Walker Sisters cabin.
Mountain Laurel – Many – Most are a week to 10 days before peak bloom – Just starting to bloom.
Robins Plantain – Many – Most well beyond peak bloom – about gone.
Solomon’s Seal – Few – Some at peak bloom – some beyond peak bloom.
Star Grass – Many – At peak bloom – bright yellow.
Sweet Shrub – Some – At or just beyond peak bloom – 1/10-mile up trail on the right.
Sweet White Violet – Few – At peak bloom.
Wild Geranium – Many – Past peak bloom but very colorful & beautiful.
Yellow Trillium – Few – A couple are at peak bloom – others are well past peak bloom.

Next, I share the Little Brier Trail that runs from the Walkers Sister Cabin trail to the Little Greenbrier School. It is less than a half mile long.

Blackberry – Some – Just starting to bloom.
Fire Pink – Few – At peak bloom – Strikingly bright red.
Lyre Leaf Sage – Few – Not at peak bloom yet.
Lousewort – Few – Few at peak bloom – most about gone.
Mountain Laurel – Many – Most just starting to bloom – Some blooms close to peak.
Robins Plantain – Some – Well past peak bloom – close to being gone.
Star Grass – Some – At peak bloom.
Wild Geranium – Some – At or just beyond peak bloom.
Yellow Trillium – Few – At peak bloom.

I also hiked the Little Greenbrier Trail to junction with Little Brier Trail. This trail begins at the Wear Gap Road and dead ends into the Laurel Falls Trail. It is 4.3 miles long and has significant elevation gain. The Little Brier Trail junctions with this trail 1.9 miles up the trail.

Blackberry – Some – Just starting to bloom – others at peak bloom.
Blueberry – Some
Flame Azalea – Some – At peak bloom – On right about 2/10-mile up trail below the trail – colorful.
Hawkweed – Few – Most at peak bloom.
Meadow Parsnip – Few – At peak bloom.
Mountain Laurel – Many ++ – Most in the early blooming stage – Some are close to peak bloom.
Star Grass – Many – At peak bloom – Canary yellow.

The last hike for this report was on Wear Gap Road, park boundary to Metcalf Bottoms Picnic grounds. The road starts at the park boundary where the Lyons Creek Road comes to the park boundary. Wear Gap Road ends at Metcalf Bottoms picnic area.

Blackberry – Many – Close to being at peak bloom.
Blue Eye Grass – (3) – At peak bloom – challenge to spot them.
Crested Dwarf Iris – Few – Past peak bloom.
Daisy Fleabane – Many – Many at peak bloom – others close to peak bloom.
Dog Hobble – Few – Past peak bloom.
False Solomon’s Seal – Few – At or just beyond peak bloom.
Fire Pink – Many – At peak bloom.
Four Leaf Milkweed – Couple – Just starting to bloom.
Golden Ragwort – Few – Past peak bloom – 1 does have nice blooms.
Hispid Buttercup – Few – At peak bloom.
Hooked Buttercup – Few – Just starting to bloom.
Japanese Honeysuckle – Few
Lousewort – Few – past peak bloom.
Lyre Leaf Sage – Few – Approaching peak bloom.
Meadow Parsnip – Few – At peak bloom.
Miami Mist – Many ++ – At peak bloom – A sight to see – looks like it snowed purple in some areas.
Multiflora Rose – Few – Close to if not at peak bloom.
Red Clover – Few – At or close to being at peak bloom.
Robin’s Plantain – Many – Well past peak bloom.
Rue Anemone – Few – At peak bloom (blooms are very small).
Star Chickweed – Few – At or just beyond peak bloom.
Sweet White Violet – Few – At peak bloom.
White Clover – Few – At peak bloom.
Wild Geranium – Many ++ – At peak bloom.
Yellow Trillium – Few – At peak bloom.
Yellow Wood Sorrel – Few – Just starting to bloom.

Fire Pinks, Miami Mist and wild geraniums provide an extraordinary display of beautiful blooms along Wear Gap Road. It is hard to see from a motor vehicle if not going extremely slow. For those that wish to walk beside the road.

Please park completely off the road
Be very careful walking beside the road (no sidewalk – some areas have little-to-no shoulders) and at times there is heavy traffic on this road.
Some of the best displays are down embankments besides the road and on some embankments above the road.

Lyre Leaf Sage

Daisy Fleabane