By April 2021, we were fully vaccinated and ready for a break from the months of quasi-quarantine. We considered traveling to Oregon or Maine, but given the timeframe and the rental car shortage, we decided on a brief trip to Asheville, a few hours away. Things were starting to open up again, and we were excited to visit the Smokies and enjoy the Asheville food scene.

Day 1

It was Memorial Day weekend, so we left on Saturday rather than trying to brave the Friday afternoon traffic. After driving through moderate rainfall in Tennessee, we crossed the mountain ridge into North Carolina, and everything cleared up. We decided to make our first stop at Soco Falls, which is on the side of the road near Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Since it’s an easy walk from the road, it was busy.

We drove the Blue Ridge Parkway to Cherokee. At the higher elevations, the trees were still just getting their leaves, and it felt like early spring.

As we came down in elevation, the trees took on a more “seasonal” darker green. We missed rhododendron season, but the mountain laurel were in bloom all along the parkway.

From Cherokee, we walked the trail to Great Smoky Mountains National Park Visitor Center.

Afterward, we strolled through Oconaluftee Islands Park in Cherokee.

Day 2

We stayed the first night in Maggie Valley, a quiet town in North Carolina, a striking contrast to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge on the Tennessee side of the park. I recommend it, as it’s not the tacky tourist trap across the border. When we left Maggie Valley, it was cloudy, but as we drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway, we climbed above the clouds.

It was remarkably clear and unseasonably cool during our trip–perfect weather for hiking and photography. Our first stop in the Smokies was Clingman’s Dome. We arrived early to beat the inevitable Memorial Day weekend crowds.

Clingman’s Dome is the highest point in the Smokies and in Tennessee. There’s a paved pathway to an observation tower, so it’s easily accessible for hikers and non-hikers.

Since we’re hikers, we set off from Clingman’s Dome on the Forney Ridge Trail to Andrew’s Bald. Though it was still early when we returned to the trailhead, the parking lot was already quite full.

Afterward, we drove along the Newfound Gap Road, the main road through the park, stopping at the various overlooks. We drove briefly into Tennessee. The ridge separating the two states kept the clouds (mostly) on the Tennessee side, which was drizzly and dreary.

We got extremely lucky and found a parking spot at Newfound Gap where we were able to take photos before a cloud rolled in and eliminated the views.

Heading back toward Asheville on Newfound Gap Road, we drove down in elevation and out of the clouds. We walked along the Kephart Prong Trail where ruins of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp still stand.

There’s also a “foot log,” a log bridge across a creek. “Foot log” is a new term for me, though I’ve been across these structures many times.

We took the Blue Ridge Parkway part of the way to Asheville, where we arrived just in time for dinner!

Day 3

At 6,684 feet, Mount Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi. We’d been there several years earlier and hiked from the ranger station to the summit. This time, we drove to the summit…

…and hiked the Deep Gap Trail, which summits Mount Craig, Big Tom, Balsam Cone, Cattail Peak, and Potato Hill. It’s a lot of elevation gain (and loss) along steep mountainsides. The view from Mount Craig (below) is probably the best.

That’s Cattail Peak in the distance.

We stopped for lunch and turned around at Potato Hill, which had a view of the valley.

We were exhausted by the time we returned to the Mount Mitchell parking lot, having hiked several miles, so we called it a day.

Day 4

After two days of hiking, we took an easy day, starting at Asheville Botanical Gardens.

Then we went to the North Carolina Arboretum. We didn’t know what to expect. The last arboretum we’d visited was in Spokane, and it was just that–a preserve of trees of various species. The North Carolina Arboretum was more like Brookgreen Gardens–acres of manicured trees, bushes, and flowers, interspersed with artwork, and surrounded by an even larger expanse of woods.

Perhaps our favorite part of the garden was the bonsai exhibit.

Day 5

The following day, we drove home via the Blue Ridge Parkway to Linville Falls where the parkway was closed for bridge construction. As we gained elevation, it became incredibly foggy but eventually lightened up as we headed down again.

A few rhododendrons were in bloom along the parkway.

Our only hike of the day was to Crabtree Falls (not to be confused with the Crabtree Falls in Montebello, Virginia). It was a Wednesday morning, so it was quiet on the trail, and we had the falls to ourselves for a while.

We finished our drive on the parkway with another overlook and some mountain laurel.

Then, after winding through North Carolina and Tennessee, we crossed the border to Virginia near Damascus and continued home.

(c) 2021 J. Atwater. All rights reserved.