I hiked the Cooper Road Trail from Abrams Creek Campground to Goldmine Trail and found some beauties along the way.

The Leather Vase Vine is unique; the gravel road between the ranger station and Abrams Creek Campground is the only place in the park where I have seen it.

Additionally, the Mountain Laurel on the opposite side of Abrams Creek is currently very scenic.

– Beard Tongue: Many past peak bloom (along the gravel road to the campground).

– Bindweed: Few; at peak bloom (along the gravel road to the campground).

– Blackberry: Some; well past peak bloom.

– Canadian Violet: Few; mostly past peak bloom.

– Common Cinquefoil: Few; at or just beyond peak bloom.

– False Solomon’s Seal: Few; various stages of blooming.

– Fire Pink: (1); slightly past peak bloom.

– Foam Flower: Few; well past peak bloom/nearly gone.

– Galax: Few; various stages of blooming.

– Goats Beard: Few.

– Hawkweed: Few; slightly past peak bloom.

– Hearts-a-bustin: Few; past peak bloom (blooms, not seeds).

– Horsenettle: (1); at or just beyond peak bloom (along the gravel road to the campground).

– Japanese Honeysuckle: Few; along the gravel road to the campground.

– Large Bluet: Many; mostly at peak bloom.

– Leather Vase Vine: Few; mostly at peak bloom (along the gravel driveway to the campground).

– Low Hop Trefoil: Many; well past peak bloom (along the gravel road to the campground).

– Mountain Laurel: Many; at peak bloom along Abrams Creek. Note: Blooms above the water are beautiful, while most blooms along the trail are well past peak.

– Ox-Eyed Daisy: Few; just past the hiker parking area near the ranger station.

– Partridge Berry: Many; mostly at peak bloom.

– Red Clover: Few; mostly past peak bloom, though a few nice blooms remain.

– Solomon’s Seal Grande: Few; past peak bloom.

– White Clover: Few; past peak bloom.

– White Milkweed: Few; at peak bloom.

– Wild Phlox: One patch; past peak bloom.

– Yellow Wood Sorrel: Few; at peak bloom.

Tom Harrington is a regular hiker who reports on his hikes and mountain stories from the Smokies. See more of his column here.

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