American Byways

A diamond in the rough. That’s how Dave Shuffett of KET’s Kentucky Life describes Laurel Gorge in northeastern Kentucky.

Snuggled in a narrow valley along Laurel Creek, Laurel Gorge is one of Kentucky’s best kept secrets. The region is better known for its wide lakes and fishing opportunities than anything else, and the landscape is dotted with family farms and the Kentucky Quilt Trail. But nearly a decade ago, with the cooperation and assistance of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, this small reserve was created to showcase the natural beauty of the region only minutes from the county seat of Sandy Hook.

And does the gorge pack a wallop to those who explore within its towering 300-foot sandstone highwalls and cliffs. It acts almost as its own biosphere, containing a seemingly different climate than the hilltops, leading to a diverse range of wildflower species – many of them rare or unusual for Kentucky. Laurel Gorge extends from the visitors center to where Laurel Creek meets the Little Sandy River, and over three miles of trails grace the park. An observation deck overlooks a seasonal waterfall, and a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk and wide path extends for 1/4-mile into a rock shelter.

At the head of the gorge is the Laurel Gorge Cultural Heritage Center, which features exhibits on local history, folklore and folk music.

Black mustard with a dandelion in the center.

Wood Violet

Large-Flowered Trillium, which is white that turns pink with age.

Large-Flowered Trillium

Large-Flowered Trillium

Large-Flowered Trillium

A rare beaked trout lilly.

Wild Geranium

After walking through Laurel Gorge, we ended the day with a short hike at Grayson Lake State Park just to the north.

A cluster of Forget-me-not's around the base of a tree.

Be sure to jump to the new Laurel Gorge page for directions and additional photographs!

Nothing like the scent of lingering campfire and cloudy skies to greet you at dawn at the Hensley campsite at Cumberland Gap. With no sunrise to speak of due to a turbulent cold front that was passing on through, I walked over to Hensley Settlement to refill my canteen.

Cloudy skies or not, the soft light provides excellent fill for this Hensley Settlement barn. An American Chestnut split-rail fence provides a rustic bottom, while dogwoods bloom overhead.

A quiet morning without a soul around at Hensley Settlement.

I walked back to the campsite and headed east along the Ridge Trail with the new found backpackers that I had met before. The destination that day was White Rocks, which was 5.3 miles from Hensley Settlement, via a mostly level and wide trail with mud pits that were occasionally rutted out by horseback travelers. The biggest highlight was Table Rock.

Table Rock

The trail continues eastward, rolling through easy terrain before descending a moderate hill to the Sand Cave and waterfall spur. The side trail, which is single track and reserved for hikers only, is all downhill via switchbacks and some long stairs that require some fanagling so one does not slip down. But the views are worth it – for the waterfall and for the namesake rockshelter, which is 250 feet wide and 1.5 acres large. Carved due to the forces of nature – wind, water and ice, the sandstone ceiling erodes, depositing sand along the floor that is not only deep, but colorful. Peer into the floor and ceiling and spot over 20 different color variants!

Waterfall at Sand Cave. The water is clear, but it is always good to purify the liquid.

It is not exactly an easy hike to the top of Sand Cave. A steep gradient, along with a thick sand base, makes trudging to the top tiring.

Their sizes gives an easy indicator as to how large and steep Sand Cave really is.

Sand Cave

By the time we reached the Ewing Trail junction near the White Rocks campground, we dropped our packs and opted for an easy climb gear-less. The views from the top were as spectacular as they had been over two years ago. The climb to the top was fairly easy – but it requires scrambling up some rocks, although this is an easy process due to roots, branches and trees that can be held onto for support.

No sunset that evening at White Rocks due to a strong storm that had moved literally one mile north of Cumberland Gap.

We took in the sight of pure scenic bliss. White Rock, named for the white quartzite pebbles that are embedded in the sandstone, presents the cliffs as a bright beacon on sunny days. And for those that were traveling the Wilderness Road, it was a sign for those heading west that Cumberland Gap was only a day’s walk away.

Back at the Ewing Trail junction, I said goodbye to the friends that I had made backpacking from Hensley Settlement, and made my way down to the White Rocks campground – which is accessed from a winding single track path about 200 feet or so down the hill. It is not the most accessible, although it is far enough from the Ridge Trail that you rarely hear anyone else in the vicinity.

The night was young, but I was quite tired and after cooking a quick dinner, I retired to the tent. Thankfully, I had minded some advise given earlier to pack everything that had a scent into one bag and hoist it up – toothpaste, food and anything that had a scent, due to the growing bear population. Whereas Cumberland Gap had few black bears a few decades ago, it is full of them. Their signs are everywhere – claw marks on trees are frequent observations along the trails, along with bear dung and infrequent sightings. It didn’t help matters that I had spotted one earlier on this trip near Hensley Settlement along the Ridge Trail!

But thankfully, this advise was well heeded, because at 1 A.M., White Rocks campground was paid a visit by a single black bear. I could hear some claws scraping the ground about 50 feet away from my tent where I had cooked earlier, but not much else.

“Son of a bitch,” I muttered inside my tent. “What the hell am I going to do?”

Sweat began pouring, as I was completely unaware of the events going on outside of my tent. Thoughts began forming in my head almost like clockwork, some more worrisome than others. What if the bear wandered closer to my tent? Or what if it would grow angry over the lack of accessible food? This was my first encounter with a bear so close, and I was alone. I hastily began throwing on socks, a shirt and shorts, and laced up my boots. I unzipped the tent ever so slowly, and had made preparations to dart to the outhouse – a relatively stable structure with a door which was thankfully a few feet away.

But just as soon as the bear was clawing the ground for food, it wondered off. I sat in my tent for the next hour, wide awake, listening for any sounds that the darkened forest emitted. Morning could not come soon enough.

As soon as first light hit the tent, I was out. I checked the grounds and confirmed my suspicion – claw marks were visible on the ground under the food bag that was hanging high from the ground, undisturbed. My composure was back and it was time to the the trail – and in 20 minutes, I was ready to hit White Rocks again for the morning sunrise. Clouds were looming overhead, but the quartz was as beautiful as ever.

White Rocks in the early morning.

Ewing can be spotted at the base.

White Rocks

White Rocks

I headed west along the Ridge Trail – destination was the Chadwell Gap Trail. But the walk, which began at ease with a decent cloud cover, declined to something more nerve wrecking as it progressed. Fresh bear markings and dung littered the trail, and my overactive imagination, fueled by the events of the night, only hastened my paranoia.

“Black bears are scared of humans,” I thought. I had not thought of bringing a bear bell, so I whistled familiar tunes and made some noise. It wasn’t long before I had reached the Chadwick Gap trail junction, where I began my descent towards the base. It was at the first rockhouse that I encountered that I was in for a surprise, though. As I began climbing down stairs, whistling all the while, two figures appeared from behind a rock.

“Shit,” I exclaimed, only to realize it was two other hikers that were going to Hensley Settlement for a day hike.

Now I knew my paranoia was reaching absurdity, so I relaxed a bit, swigged down the last of my water, and continued my hike. I did manage to photograph some gorgeous purple wildflowers, which I was not able to identify.

Unknown wildflower species.

Unknown wildflower species.

Unknown wildflower species.

After laboring down the nearly 3-mile long trail, I climbed into the car and headed west. I decided to photograph more of Cumberland Gap, but desired some rhododendron, which I had heard was in early bloom at the Pinnacle.

Rhododendron in early bloom at the Pinnacle.

Rhododendron in early bloom at the Pinnacle.

The common periwinkle is in bloom.

Alas, all good times must come to an end, right? Not really, so I opted for a quiet drive on the back roads until I got back into Cincinnati that night. On the way, I managed to squeeze out a pre-storm photograph of the Rolling View Farm west of Berea, Kentucky!

The historic Rolling View Farm near Berea, Kentucky.

I hope you enjoyed my hiking reports from Cumberland Gap! Here is a recap of the Cumberland Gap series:

• Surprises in southwest Virginia
• Going up to Hensley Settlement
• Sand Cave and White Rocks

Following up from the last update regarding Husky Branch Falls at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is a five-in-one waterfall special!

The first visit is to Mingo Falls, which is technically outside of the boundaries of the national park, but as it resides very close to the boundary, and presents one of the highest drops in the area, it is well worth hiking to. Lying within the Qualla Indian Reservation in Cherokee, Mingo Falls includes a cascading 150-foot high drop. At this point in the journey, the rain was coming down in a nice steady downpour, which made the 1/4-mile hike – which includes around 150 steps to the overlook – soggy.

Mingo Falls

After the visit to Mingo Falls, I wondered down to Asheville, North Carolina for the night at the wonderful Sweet Peas Hostel. The hostel, which is not only cheap, comfortable and clean, was located within walking distance of the Lexington Avenue Brewery and other attractions. Upon waking the next morning, I checked the weather forecast and figured that cloudy skies, a good chance of rain and low temperatures would result in some fantastic waterfall photography. So I headed west.

Located east of Cherokee, Soco Falls is a double waterfall located within the Cherokee Nation. The trail is 1/2-miles downhill to an observation platform, which provides good coverage southwest of the waterfall. A more crude trail continues further down, but it is not maintained nor sanctioned – and parts of it include a haphazard hand-hold, but it offers a closer and more personal view. On my visit, the waterfalls were shrouded in dense fog,

Soco Falls

But the fog did not last long. By the time I approached Bryson City to explore the Deep Creek valley, the sun was shining and the temperatures were rising into the upper 60s. Oh well, let’s get out and enjoy the good fortune of ideal hiking weather!

What was special about this hike is that the Deep Creek Valley is not only the base for many extended backpacking adventures – as the Deep Creek Trail is a main north-south feeder into the Great Smoky Mountains, but a base for many great day hikes. Combined into one loop trail, my Deep Creek Falls Loop is a 2.5-mile easy hike that provides access to Juney Whank Falls, Indian Creek Falls and Tom Branch Falls. The loop trail began at the wayfinder for Juney Whank Falls, and the first .1 mile of the walk was nothing more than a climb to the Deep Creek Horse Trail.

But I soon came upon Juney Whank Falls, a 125-foot cascade with a good 80-foot drop. The waterfall was named for Cherokee chief, Junaluska Whank who lived in the area. Junaluska was called by friends as Juney, and is rumored to have been buried near the waterfall.

Juney Whank Falls

It wasn’t much of a difficult hike to the next waterfall. The Deep Creek Horse Trail involves an easy grade to the top of a hill before descending towards Hammer Branch. Soon after crossing a small stream, the trail ends at Deep Creek Trail. Bear right onto the wide trail and turn left onto Indian Creek Trail, which is an earshot of Indian Creek Falls. Indian Creek Falls contains a 45-foot run and a 25-foot drop, and is nestled amongst rhododendron, making for a picturesque fall.

Indian Creek Falls

Heading back to the Deep Creek Trail, I proceeded southward, passing by Tom Branch Falls – which provides a nice 80-foot cascade down into Deep Creek. According to Waterfalls of the Smokies, Tom Branch was most likely named for Tom Wiggins, a Civil War Veteran who lived along the creek during the latter 1800s.

Tom Branch Falls

Trail information for the above waterfalls, along with trailhead location, can be found at the companion article Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Stay tuned for Fontana in the next update!

Husky Branch Falls is a relatively small waterfall, one that dips down from a mountain stream and cascades down a rockface into a pool in the Little River. Located within a dense cluster of rhododendron and southeast of Elkmont, Tennessee, a historic logging town, this 5.4-mile hike encompasses an easy loop that strolls through the abandoned town of Elkmont and along trails that ascertain spring mountain beauty. Elkmont was a pioneer Appalachian community, later becoming a logging town and resort. Today, the community remains only as an active campground, with abandoned residences the only testament to its past.

Elkmont, Tennessee along Jakes Creek Trail

Elkmont is clearly visible upon the approach the trailhead for the loop – at Jakes Creek Trail. Seemingly forgotten buildings are abound – adjacent to the campsite, parking areas and along the roadway. The 5.4-mile loop trail for Husky Branch Falls begins along the former Jakes Creek Road at the southernmost tip of the old logging town of Elkmont in the parking area. The roadway south of the parking area is closed to all but emergency vehicles, and passes by vacation cottages from years past – most having been closed for some odd 30 years. While some are being stabilized for preservation, others are in much worse condition and require substantial repair.

The temptation is there to explore, but all are marked with no trespassing signs. That is not usually a deterrent, but my goal was to reach the waterfall before the rain – in the forecast, but overcast skies lie above with a warm breeze. In the spring, expect to see a diverse collection of flora, some native, others not – especially along Jakes Creek Trail and Cucumber Gap. On this trip in, I counted at least six different wildflower species.

Wildflowers are in bloom in Elkmont.

At .6 miles into the hike at an old parking area, Jakes Creek Trail turns slightly eastward and up a moderate grade. Bear left onto Cucumber Gap Trail, which is a single track trail, and follow this through the hardwood forest as it climbs through the gap and down onto an old logging railroad. The 2.4 mile trail includes an easy grade littered with spring wildflowers that seemingly carpet the forest floor, but after passing the gap, the forest composition is made up of more hemlock stands and rhododendron. Soon after, Cucumber Gap passes through Husky Branch which involves scrambling over some boulders – a tricky feat if the water level is high. Hope you don’t mind getting a bit wet!

At its end, Cucumber Gap intersects the Little River Trail, which includes a nice wooden seating area. Bear left onto what looks like a roadway – the Little River Trail.

The Little River Trail, in contrast to the Cucumber Gap Trail, is flat and wide, and I passed by numerous individuals from Elkmont taking a quiet stroll along the equally wide waterway that paralleled the trail. The path is partially graveled and was an old rail-bed at one point. Passing over Husky Branch, view left and spot Husky Branch Falls, which scrambles down a rockface to a deep pool in the Little River. From there, it is a 20 minute hike – at a good pace, to the Elkmont access road where the trail ends.

Husky Branch Falls

Elkmont is located west of the Sugarlands Visitor Center along Tennessee State Route 73/Little River Road. Check out Great Smoky Mountains National Park for additional photos from the Husky Branch loop, and watch for more updates in the coming days from North Carolina!

Laurel Falls

It was Friday evening and the weather was going to be moderately depressing in Cincinnati, with rain in the forecast and chilly temperatures. Although it would have been great to stay and work on the house for that weekend, catching up on some maintenance and tasks that needed to be done, I hastily grabbed some maps out of the bin and decided to head south to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

This was a departure from prior trips to West Virginia, which was a six hour drive east on mostly four-lane highways. I had rarely gone south into Tennessee, with the exception of the Big South Fork region, namely because of the long drive. Or so I thought. I typed into my phone, directions from Cincinnati to Gatlinburg, and at most, it would take me approximately four-and-a-half hours.

That was all?

But the weather looked to be as every bit of miserable as Cincinnati, although warmer into the fifties. I packed up my rain jacket and some pants into a bag, a cornucopia of lenses and flashes, maps, and piled into my Subaru and aimed my internal compass south. It might be time to start my annual spring waterfall and wildflower pilgrimage.

I arrived in Gatlinburg in the middle of the night, and decided to spend the night in a hotel and get rested up well for the next day. No sunrises here, it was going to be cloudy, with rain anticipated for the afternoon. The next day, I headed out to Little River Road and journeyed 4 miles to Fighting Creek Gap, where I unpacked and headed out along the Laurel Branch Trail. The 1.3-mile hike to the waterfall is one of the more heavily traveled paths in the Great Smoky Mountains, and for that reason, it is paved with a slight incline. Laurel Branch, which feeds the 85-foot waterfall, is named for rhododendron, which blooms out annually in mid-May. It is nestled amongst the cascade.

It had rained yesterday, so the flow was quite heavy.

Laurel Falls

Check out Great Smoky Mountains National Park for additional photos from Laurel Falls, and watch for more updates in the coming days from Tennessee and North Carolina!