My Special Season: Spring wildflowers in the Smokies

Without a shadow of a doubt, the Smoky Mountains have the finest assortment of flowers that I have ever seen! In this post, I will highlight some of the spring flowers that I have seen in the Park and where I saw them. My favorite so far has been the Fringed Phacelia, with it’s fallen snow like look that coats the meadowy area in the Mountains. The best displays I have seen have been in Porters Flat on the trail of the same name. Take the trail past the road bed and onto the tread proper, when you cross the bridge, the meadows open up to this delightful sight. Also, on the Little River TR. past Camp #24 about a half mile where the meadows open up on both sides of the trail to unveil a marvelous spectacle of white fluffy beauty. A great location to see Dutchman’s Breeches, an assortment of Trilliums and Spring Beauties and others is on the eastern side of Husky Gap TR. Simply climb up from Newfound Gap RD. As the views of the Sugarlands Valley improve, so do the flowers. Another location that blew my mind last year was on top of Snake Den Ridge TR. before it meets up with the A.T. Here, the Painted Trilliums are a sight to see! I noticed that the more fuchsia the shade was in the interior of the flower, the more red the Sepal are. I’m hoping with these spots that I have highlighted, that it invite you to make a pilgrimage to these trails (and others) to find and share these beautiful spots with your family and friends.