Saturday, March 18, 2017

Oconaluftee River Trail in Autumn - Great Smoky Mountains National Park


We hiked the Oconaluftee River Trail again in late October 2016. While we met several other visitors along the trail, we had plenty of time to ourselves to stroll along the wide path and watch the river. With only about a 1% grade, the 1½ mile trail is relatively flat. This provides a nice three mile out-and-back hike. We've hiked this trail before in autumn 2012 here and early spring 2016 here.

Oconaluftee Visitor Center

Beside the Mountain Farm Museum

The trail follows the high ground along the riverbank

Bridge over an unnamed stream

Gravel bank on the far side of the river

Below an unnamed island

The Oconaluftee River flows under the Blue Ridge Parkway

Leaves on the wide trail in open forest

Another view of the river

Passing through a rhododendron thicket

Looking upstream

Looking back at the end of the trail in Cherokee

Entry to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is free.

The park website is https://www.nps.gov/grsm.

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