Park Wildflowers
- Viewing Wildflowers From Your Car
The
best way to experience the Smokies’ wildflowers is to take a
hike or stroll down one of the Park’s many clearly marked quiet
walkways. However, several park roads also provide good wild-flower
viewing from your vehicle. The following are some of the best park
roads for viewing wild-flowers.
Laurel Creek Road - This paved, winding route fol-lows
scenic Laurel Creek for seven miles from the Townsend "Y"
(near the Townsend entrance to the park) to Cades Cove. Plants in
bloom include fringed phacelia, columbine, blood-root, fire pink,
Fraser sedge, yellow trillium, and many other species. Early
April – May
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (opens April 1) - From Gatlinburg,
TN, turn off the parkway at stoplight #8 and follow Airport Road into
the park. Roaring Fork is a paved, but narrow, one-way loop road.
No motorhomes or trailers. Wildflowers include spring-beauty, yel-low
trillium, hepatica, large-flowered trillium, and violets. Early
April – May
Clingmans Dome Road (opens April 1) - This seven-mile paved
road runs from Newfound Gap to near the summit of Clingmans Dome.
Plants in bloom include ser-viceberry, fire cherry, silverbell, witch-hobble,
fringed phacelia, bluets, and spring-beauty. Mid- to Late
May.
Back to wildflowers main...
