Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Ramsey Cascades Trail

I didn't sleep well last night. Actually, I slept like a log until 2 am. After that I was restless. I was out of bed by 5 am and on the road to the Smokies by 5:15. After a stop in Newport for breakfast, I had made it to the Ramsey Cascades Trailhead before it was even light enough to start hiking. I sat in the car for about 20 minutes and organized my gear before it seemed light enough out to hit the trail.

The lower portions of the Ramsey Cascades Trail were fairly easy hiking on an old road

that closely followed the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River

and then the Ramsey Prong.

After 1.5 miles the road ended at a cul-de-sac and the real trail began. Almost immediately the trail got quite snowy. I put on my microspikes and crossed over the stream on a very icy footbridge.

Soon I found myself among a few very large old tulip trees. One section of trail passed right through 2 that seemed to stand sentinel.

Nearby was a single specimen, even larger than the others.

I crossed the stream again on a very snowy log bridge

and after a nice climb I was at my destination for today's hike: Ramsey Cascades.

There was quite a bit of ice along the cascades

and the scenery had a magical quality about it. I admired both an upper

and lower view of the falls

and then started to make my descent back to the trailhead. Before I knew it I was crossing the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River back to my car.