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september
october 201 3
Grotto Falls, though beautiful, is not the culmination of all Trillium Gap Trail has to offer.
It’Äôs just one stop along the path that ultimately leads to the summit of Mount LeConte.
Hike to a waterfall
Trillium Gap trail to Grotto Falls
(2.5 miles round trip; moderate)
Of all the waterfalls in the Smokies,
this one is the most interactive because
the trail actually takes you behind the
25-foot waterworks. If you hike just
to the falls and back, the elevation
gain is only 560 feet, making this an
ideal family hike. If you foray past the
falls for an additional 5.3 miles to the
end of the trail, you’Äôll find yourself at
the summit of Mt. LeConte’Äîbut be
warned, the trail gets much steeper on
this latter portion.
Another highlight of this hike is
the old-growth hemlock forest you’Äôll
walk through, allowing you to enjoy
the now-huge trees that were spared
when logging was active before the
national park was established. By the
way, if you bring kids along, the edges
of the pool around the base of the falls
is prime salamander territory. (But be
sure not to climb on the rocks’Äîit’Äôs
very slippery and dangerous.)
Another big bonus with this trail is
that it’Äôs the route the train of llamas
takes as it hoofs supplies up to LeConte
Lodge every Monday,Wednesday,
and Friday until the week before
Thanksgiving, when the lodge closes.
Explore a nature trail
Cosby Self-Guiding Nature Trail
(1 mile round trip; easy)
This nature trail, which begins in
the Cosby Campground, is one of the
park’Äôs most enchanting. The terrain
looks like something straight out of
The Hobbit
, with gurgling streams,
moss-covered rocks and trees, and
an enchanting winding trail with
multiple log bridges. There’Äôs even a
bit of mystery: the odd-looking stilted
roots you’Äôll see here belong to young
yellow birch trees that started out
as seedlings growing on mossy old
logs. The saplings reached their roots
down around the sides of the fallen
trees, which eventually rotted away,
creating an unusual tented effect. Also
be on the lookout for signs that people
once made their homes here before
the national park was established’Äî
finding a pile of stones from a
tumbled-down chimney and some old
rock walls are dead giveaways.
Take your dog along
Sugarlands-Gatlinburg Trail
(2 miles one way or 4 miles
round trip; easy)
This wide, flat trail that mostly
follows a stream flowing between
the Sugarlands Visitor Center and
downtown Gatlinburg is one of two
trails in the national park where you
can walk your dog. (The other, the
Oconaluftee River Trail, is near the
Oconaluftee Visitor Center in North
Carolina.) Of course, follow park rules
and keep your pet on a leash that’Äôs six
feet or shorter, and be sure to bring
bags to pick up any pet waste. By
the way, you can also ride a bike on
this trail (unlike on most other park
trails), and it is even possible to take a
stroller or wheelchair along this route
(although be aware that you’Äôll have a
few rough spots to negotiate).
Many people with access to two
cars choose to walk this trail one-way,
leaving a car at one end and driving
to the other end to start the walk.
If you begin on the Gatlinburg end
(the trailhead is on River Road by
the city waterworks building), you’Äôll
start out on a gravel path following
theWest Prong of the Little Pigeon
River before you head into the woods.
Along the way, look for old stone
walls, chimneys, and steps that once
belonged to summer homes as well as
a pretty cascade that’Äôs even prettier
after a hard rain.
Near the end, as you pass the park
service’Äôs maintenance sheds, look at
the hill behind the buildings for a truly
stunning display of fall foliage. Then
you’Äôll follow the park service road past
the park headquarters (look for the
very small tree-shaded cemetery on
the rise near the corner) and end up at
the Sugarlands Visitor Center.