Chestnut Top Trail

Hike #66 : April 25, 2016

10 miles

4.3 new miles
742.2 total overall miles

491.1 total miles of 800.8

Sunrise on Chestnut Top Trail

Today Denise, Randy and I head off on a Spring journey in search of the wonderful wild flowers of the Great Smokies! It's an early start to avoid all the other flower watchers (we're so antisocial! lol!)

Chestnut starts out from the Townsend Wye parking lot. The flowers are impressive early on as we begin the somewhat steep climb up.

A sampling of the flowers along Chestnut Top 

Chestnut is a wonderful trail. The climb is a bit steep at times, but the often pine needle covered trail is nice on the feet after some of the rock trails of late. We soon start spotting pink lady slippers all over the place!
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Pink Lady Slippers

After about 3 miles or so of climbing, we finally reach the top of Chestnut Top!

Elevation marker atop Chestnut Top Trail

There were many surprising views from the trail...

View from Chestnut Top

The trail rolls up and mostly down over the next mile and a half before coming to the junction with Schoolhouse Gap Trail which I've previously blogged about a few years ago. Although we were a little underwhelmed with the spring flowers as a whole, as there really wasn't a large variety at the time, we still enjoyed the trail a great deal. 

I'll leave you with this ultra rare, seldom photographed, mysterious Winnebago Gardens of Townsend. Never approach these guys, the scare easily!

We did this trail as a car drop so we were able to continue on the Schoolhouse Gap and the White Oak Sinks before coming out at the Schoolhouse Gap parking lot. Another great and beautiful day in the GSMNP!

Wanna hike the 900 without getting lost? Start by checking out the book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains by Elizabeth L. Etnier.

Hiking Trails of the Smokies or "The Little Brown Book" from the GSMA

Hiking Trails of The Great Smoky Mountains by Ken Wise

There is loads of information in the pages of GoSmokies.com.