Quick appreciation for the Smoky Mountains - the quiet spots hit different

I hiked the less crowded Gregory Bald trail in the Smokies last weekend and there was a moment around mile 4 where I could actually hear the leaves rustling without any noise from other hikers, has anyone else found a specific stretch of trail that just feels completely untouched?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaret994d ago

My buddy Jason actually tried Gregory Bald last fall and told me it was so packed near the summit he ended up eating his sandwich behind a rhododendron just to get some peace. @christopher_sullivan you're probably right about the timing thing, but he said the middle section of the trail around the old log bridge was totally empty for like twenty minutes. He sat there and watched a pileated woodpecker work on a dead tree, no phones or voices or anything. That kind of quiet on a popular trail feels rare now, almost like you stole it.

christopher_sullivan5d ago

Gregory Bald is actually a good hike but it's not "less crowded" - that trail gets plenty of foot traffic in season, you just caught it on a slow day.