Thanksgiving week hike was on the Porter Creek trail in the Greenbrier Section of the National Park (just outside the City Limits of Gatlinburg, off US 321 East toward Cosby). To get to the Porter Creek trailhead, turn right off of US 321 about a mile east of the Gatlinburg City limits onto Greenbrier Road.
The first mile of the road is paved, and the remaining three miles of the road are gravel. On both the paved and the gravel parts of the road, there are large potholes. There are around 20 parking spaces at the trailhead. Unless a person has a handicap sticker or license plate on their vehicle, they will need a parking permit.
Porter Creek trail is 3.7 miles long, and as best as I can tell (from the graph) the elevation gain is around 1475 feet. The first mile of the trail is along an old Jeep road, wide enough for four to five people to walk side by side. The trail will pass the Ownby cemetery and several rock walls. By the end of the 1800s, it was reported that 26 families were living in the Greenbrier area, which included a school, four grist mills, three cemeteries, two stores, two blacksmith shops, and two churches. The two-story Greenbrier Hotel was built in 1925 near the present picnic grounds.
Cemetery on Porter Creek
Approximately 1.5 miles up the trail, a long foot log bridge crosses a large creek. If a person has balance issues or is bothered by heights, it is best to avoid crossing this bridge. Also, I would not recommend allowing small children to cross this bridge.
Rebuilt Porter Creek Bridge
Porter Creek Trail is one of the best Spring wildflower trails in the park on the Tennessee side. About a tenth of a mile after the long foot log bridge, there is an area along the trail which, in the early Spring, usually will be covered with White Fringed Phacelia. The timing of the blooms varies; however, if one is fortunate enough to arrive at peak bloom, they are in for a huge treat. It looks as if snow has covered the ground with the abundant blooms.
Fern Falls
At 1.9 miles up the trail, Fern Falls will be on the left. The falls are tall, and after heavy rainfall, can be very beautiful. At 3.7 miles up the trail, it ends at backcountry campsite #31. One needs a permit to camp at the site.
Stone Wall at Porter Creek
Porter Creek is likely moderately difficult after the first mile and a half of the trail. Sections of the trail are covered with roots, which could cause a person to trip and fall. For wildflower lovers, this is an excellent trail to observe flowers in the Spring and Summer. It is neat to observe an area of the Smoky Mountains that was heavily populated before the establishment of the national park.
Enjoy nature and your national park.
Tom Harrington is a regular hiker who reports on trails in the Smokies.
Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook and Instagram. Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our Free Newsletter.
