Abrams Falls GSMNP

I hiked the 2.5 miles to Abrams Falls in late January, 2013.  This was just a few days after a weather system that stalled out over the area dumped around eight inches of rain in three days. The trail head is at the end of a short gravel road about half way around the Cades Cove loop road.  The large parking area can be a rather congested place in summer with vehicles parked in seemingly random places.  In mid-winter, however, even a sunny day won't yield more than about a dozen vehicles.  The trail starts at an elevation of 1712 feet by crossing Abrams Creek on a sturdy bridge and then turns left and follows the creek downstream.

Looking back at the trail head across Abrams Creek

The trail generally follows the creek in a northwesterly direction except for crossing some side creeks and one location where the trail goes across Arbutus Ridge instead of following the creek around the ridge.  Even after all the rain, the trail was in reasonably good condition.  The trail has lots of rocks and roots to stumble on, so watching your footing is imperative.  There are three hills to climb on the trail.  The first hill tops out around 1800 feet and cuts the corner off of following the creek around a bend at the end of the ridge.

The trail is wide, but rocky

After descending over 100 feet from the first hill, the trail crosses Arbutus Branch.  A single log has been converted into a footbridge and a handrail has been added to one side.  

Arbutus Branch

Abrams Creek

The trail then climbs up Arbutus Ridge and crosses a saddle in the ridge at about 1750 feet before descending about 200 feet to cross Stony Branch.  Along the initial portion of this descent is evidence of the  EF 4 tornado that struck the park in April 2011 and closed the trail for several weeks while this section was rebuilt. 

Arbutus Ridge with additional recent storm damage

Open vista along a rebuilt trail section

The 2011 storm opened this view of Abrams Creek

The water diversion scheme near Stony Branch
was overwhelmed by the recent heavy rain

After crossing Stony Branch, the trail rises again to cross Stony Ridge before the final descent to the falls.  After crossing Wilson Branch, the trail turn left and follows Wilson Branch to its confluence with Abrams Creek.  Just above the confluence, another footbridge recrosses Wilson Branch and leads to Abrams Falls.  The trail to the right continues down Abrams Creek another 1.7 miles before intersecting with Little Bottoms Trail.

First footbridge over Wilson Branch

Shortly after I arrived, the one couple at the falls started back up the trail, leaving me with the area to my self.  Such solitude is impossible to find at the falls during the summer.

Abrams Falls

Closer view of the falls

As evening approaches, deer have taken over the parking area

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm.

Laurel Creek Road GSMNP

The Townsend, Tennessee entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park provides a picturesque view of the Little River on the left.  

Little River downstream of the Townsend Wye

About three-quarters of a mile into the park, the river forks and the road does as well.  To the left is the Little River Gorge and Little River Road which leads to The Sinks, Metcalf Bottoms, Elkmont, Laurel Falls and Sugarlands Visitor Center.  To the right is Laurel Creek Road and the West Prong of the Little River.  About a quarter mile up Laurel Creek Road the river forks again with Tremont Road following the Middle Prong to the left or south.  Another quarter mile up Laurel Creek Road is West Prong Falls which is more like a cataract or a rapids than a true water fall.  The stream drops about ten feet in this short section.

West Prong Falls

West Prong Falls

West Prong Falls

Two miles up Laurel Creek Road from the junction with Little River Road is the confluence of Laurel Creek with West Prong.  From here, the road follows Laurel Creek nearly to the gap that allows access to Cades Cove.  

Laurel Creek on the right flows into West Prong

I visited the area on the third weekend in January, 2013, after several inches of rain had fallen in the previous week.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm.

Yahoo Falls and Yahoo Arch - Big South Fork

The second weekend of January 2013 provided temperatures in the low 70s and lots of rain.  However, we decided to take a chance and hike to Yahoo Falls and Yahoo Arch in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.  Access to the trail head is by way of a well-maintained gravel road off of Kentucky highway 700 near Whitley City.  Restroom facilities at the parking area have been repeatedly vandalized, so the park has resorted to a portable toilet.  There are a series of interconnecting trails to the base of the falls and back above the falls as well as a spur trail to the arch.  Most trail intersections are not marked, so you either need to carry a trail map or take a picture of the trail map signage at the beginning of the trail.  However, the first trail intersection is well marked with the left path leading to the base of the falls while the right path stays on top of the cliff and provides three overviews.  We decided to head to the base of the falls first.  This part of the trail has 70 stone steps and then another 68 steel steps.  

One of the few benches on the trail is at trail head

The initial portion of the trail is wide and relatively flat

The descending trail narrows...

...and becomes a series of stone steps...

...until it gets so steep it requires steel stairs with hand rails!

Note the trees that have been cut off of the stairs

The trail narrows to a single file path

The tree moss is thriving so far this winter

Yahoo Falls

At 113 feet, Yahoo Falls is the highest waterfall in Kentucky.  The trail passes behind the falls before ascending back to the top of the cliff via a series of switchbacks.  At the top of the cliff, a left turn will lead to Yahoo Arch in 0.8 miles.  While there is no trail marker coming up from the falls, there is a sign on the spur trail to the arch.  According to the US Forest Service, the arch has a span of 70 and a height of 17 feet.  The trail used to continue another mile back to KY 700, but we've been told that some of the stairs have suffered storm damage due to blown down trees.

The trail widens out in the open country

The trail follows a tributary creek for a short distance before the switchbacks

Yahoo Arch from the trail

Under Yahoo Arch

A secondary arch

Yahoo Arch from the "back" side

Looking back along the trail from the top of the arch

Returning back to the parking area, we stayed on top of the cliff and crossed Yahoo Creek just above the falls.  There is no bridge here, but a couple of tree trunks have been strategically placed to allow a dry crossing.  Our walking sticks came in very handy at this point.  There are three overlooks along this portion of the trail.  One is before the creek crossing and two are on the parking lot side of the creek.  Even in winter, the vegetation was too thick to allow a decent picture from any of the overlooks.  The total hiking distance was just over three miles.  

Back at the parking area, we stopped at the overlook above the Big South Fork.

Looking up the Big South Fork

Looking down the Big South Fork

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/biso/index.htm.

Red Clay State Historical Park

Red Clay State Historical Park is in the southwestern corner of Bradley County.  I visited the site in early January 2013.  After Georgia passed laws prohibiting the Cherokee from meeting for any purpose other than to sign a treaty giving up their land, this locale just across the state line became the final seat of the Cherokee government from 1832 until 1838 and their removal to Oklahoma on the infamous Trail of Tears.  Due to a lack of staff, the visitor center was closed on the day of my visit.  While the original council structures no longer exist, replicas have been constructed based on the limited information available.  The park has a paved loop trail that allows visitors to view the the council house, sleeping huts and a Cherokee farmstead.  In addition, the trail leads past the Blue Hole Spring.  Additional trails lead down the creek formed by the spring and to the picnic area that includes a pavilion with seating for about one hundred people.  Finally, a memorial eternal flame of the Cherokee Nation is on the site.  

Visitor Center

Blue Hole Spring

Replica Council House
Original was likely much larger

Replica Sleeping Huts

Cherokee Homestead

Interior of House

Replica Barn

Eternal Flame of the Cherokee Nation

Eternal Flame Inscription

The park website is http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/RedClay/.
Information about Chief John Ross is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ross_(Cherokee_chief).