I hiked the Husky Gap Trail this week which starts from U.S. 441 approximately two and a half miles from the Sugarlands Visitor Center (trail on the right – parking on the left side of the road – be careful crossing the road). The trail is 4.1 miles long and ends at the Little River Trail. It is 2 miles from 441 to Huskey Gap with a rather steep climb most of the way.

The trail crew has done an outstanding job of cleaning out the undergrowth, removing the large winter blowdown across the trail and superb work was done on the water bars.

The selection of wildflowers on this trail at this time is not outstanding.

  • Black Cohosh – Many – Mostly past peak bloom – one group with beautiful blooms (at peak).

Black Cohosh

  • Canadian Violet – Some – Past peak bloom – in second mile up the trail.
  • Flowering Spurge – Few – Past peak bloom.
  • Indian Pipe – (1) – Past peak bloom.
  • Large Bluet – Few – Well past peak bloom.
  • Pale Jewelweed – Few – Ones blooming are at peak bloom – second mile up the trail. (Pale Jewelweed is also called Yellow Touch Me Nots.)

Touch-Me-Nots

  • Purple Flowering Raspberry – Few – second mile up the trail.
  • Reclining Saint Andrew’s Cross – Few – At peak bloom (very small blooms – easy to miss)
  • Rosebay Rhododendron – Some – Mostly past peak bloom.
  • Saint John’s Wort – Few – Approaching peak bloom – Mostly second mile up the trail.
  • Tall Bell Flower – One stalk with some blooms – Past peak bloom.
  • Wood Nettle – Many – Lower elevation past peak bloom – higher elevation some at peak bloom.

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

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