One Day Wilderness: Ramsey Cascades

This 8 mile day hike is a classic in the Greenbrier area of the Smokies. Simply take HWY 321 East to the Greenbrier Entrance and turn left over a bridge following signs to the TH.  This tough, but amazing hike starts out by crossing the mighty Ramsey Prong on a high footbridge and soon starts up this amazing valley on a old roadbed. Huge boulders line your path as the walls of the valley begin to get steeper and more rugged with every mile. Soon, you leave the roadbed and cross the river once more on a relocated footbridge that points to the immense volume of water that courses down from higher reaches in spring. From here, the trail begins to climb at a more vigorous rate as the size of the trees grow. Giant Poplars reach high to the sky reminding you of the once grand forest of yesteryear that coated these ancient mountains. Soon the tread becomes a series of rock steps that remind me more of trails in the Sierra rather than Smokies. You soon come around a corner of a hillside and here the great roar of the waterfall ahead along with a flash of whitewater. The trail climaxes on a huge sandstone slab that makes an ideal lunch spot, but be wary of the proximity of the water and the slippery slab that it follows and stay put. A ominous sign warns about adventuring in this area and the deaths that have occurred, reminding the tired traveler to enjoy the falls from this safe perch. When you have had your fill, begin your trek back down enjoying the old growth and the salamanders that populate this lovely waterway.

Hey buddy!