Cherokee National Forest: Paint Creek Corridor

Wanting to get out and enjoy a beautiful day Noelle, Sierra, Parker and I headed over to Food City for some picnic supplies and then headed over to the Paint Creek portion of Cherokee National Forest. It was a pleasant drive into the forest and we quickly found the Overlook Picnic Area where we ate our lunch

and listened to the sounds of cascading water in Paint Creek.

After lunch it was time for a walk. We decided that instead of driving the road along Paint Creek or looking for a trail to hike, we would just walk the road.

This turned out to be a good decision and we were not the only ones walking the road. We saw lots of families and dogs and even the local Boy Scout Troop. The plants are starting to green up a bit and we even saw some flowers in bloom

including one of my personal favorites Trillium.

We also saw two waterfalls, both right off the road. The first was the impressive Kelley Falls.

The second was Dudley Falls, known for its deep swimming hole below the falls and rocks that swimmers often jump off of into the water.

At Dudley Falls we turned around and walked the road back to the Overlook Picnic Area and our car. It was a pleasant walk through the beautiful springtime woods.