Many wildflowers are in peak bloom

My August 12 hike was Cooper Road Trail from the Abrams Creek Ranger Station to Goldmine Trail. Cooper Road Trail is just that, a wide mostly smooth road trail. The trail rises gently as it passes the junction with Little Bottoms Trail that leads to Abrams Falls at 1.3 miles. Around 2 miles, the trail begins to climb more steadily and starts to feel more like a hike than a walk in the woods until nearing the 3-mile mark at the junction with the Goldmine Trail.

The best display of flowers is along the road between the Abrams Creek ranger station and the Abrams Creek campground. I count it as part of the Cooper Road trail because the hiker parking lot is just past the ranger station – hikers must hike along this gravel roadway to get to the Cooper Road trail from the hiker parking lot.

• Black-Eyed Susan: many + – At or just beyond peak bloom (mostly along road to campground from ranger station).
• Cardinal Flower: (1) – At peak bloom & 1 budded.
• Daisy Fleabane: some – Past peak bloom – close to being gone for this year.
• Flowering Spurge: many – At or just beyond peak bloom (mostly first half mile – along road to campground).
• Heal All: many + – Some just starting to bloom, some past blooming stage and others at peak bloom.
• Horse Nettle: few – Past peak bloom – Along road to campground from Abrams Creek ranger station.
• Joe Pye Weed: few – At peak bloom – along road to campground.
• Mountain Angelica: (1) – Past peak bloom (most blooms are gone).
• Phlox: (1) – Right at peak bloom – along road to campground.
• Pokeweed: few – Past peak bloom – along road to campground from Abrams Creek ranger station.
• Purple Flowering Raspberry: few – Past peak bloom – almost gone – along road to campground.
• Reclining Saint Andrews Cross: some – Most appeared at peak bloom – Gone on most trails checked recently.
• Red Clover: few – Past peak bloom – along roadway to campground from Abrams Creek ranger station.
• Saint John’s Wort: some – Do not appear to be at peak bloom yet.
• Spider Wort: few – Past peak bloom – Along roadway to campground from Abrams Creek ranger station.
• Spotted Jewelweed: many + – Most are well past peak bloom – largest display I have seen this year.
• Tick Trefoil: many – At or just beyond peak bloom.
• Wild Potato Vine: many – Some at peak bloom – some past peak bloom – campground roadway.

As it now stands, this will be the last 2024 wildflower report for around three to four weeks.

Photos are from my photo files.

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