Smoky Mountains fall colors and wildflowers: Cove Mountain Trail

The recent light rain may have washed down many of the colorful fall leaves but there are still plenty of fall colors to be found right next to Gatlinburg in the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

One of the lesser traveled hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains national park that is very close to the city of Gatlinburg is a perfect place right now to see fall colors, long vistas and even a few wildflowers that are still left blooming.

The beginning of the Cove Mountains Hiking trail is less than 2 minutes from downtown Gatlinburg and is right behind the national park headquarters. The trail passes by Cataract Falls which is generally a trickle this time of year. After you are past the falls you will run into few people if any.

If you were to hike the entire length of this trail it would almost be an 18 mile round trip, but there is no need to hike that far. Hiking just an hour or so in you will pass by pretty views, streams, plenty of fall colors and the best wildflowers still left blooming on the national park.

The majority of the steepest hiking will be within the first half hour on this trail. The trail is very smooth and usually bone dry so you can hike comfortably with just sneakers.

On this trail you will still find yellow and crimson red fall leaves on the trees. There is also plenty of color on the bushes, small plants and young trees along the forest floor.

While usually by this time of the year there are few if any flowers blooming, this trail has more than any other trail we had checked for weeks.

There are a variety of small wildflowers still blooming and the color pallet ranges from pure white to yellows and light and deep purples. All of the wildflowers in the photo montage below were photographed from the Cove Mountains hiking trail yesterday.

While same of these wildflowers are far past their peak, there are still blooming and giving some additional color other than just the fall leaves to the mountains and forest floor.

You can look at the wildflowers in the National Park but you must remember not to pick them or remove plants or even seeds. Plants, animals and even rocks are protected within the boundaries of the national park.

While same of these wildflowers are far past their peak, there are still blooming and giving some additional color than just the fall leaves to the mountains and forest floor.

Speaking of seeds, by this time of the year many of the wildflowers have turned into seeds. Even in their simplicity there is great beauty so be sure to take your time and take in all the fall beauty of the park.

The seed head above was about half the size of a dime and was in some moss along the side of the trail about and hour and a half up. Looking up from this point you will see giant red leaves hanging from a flame oak tree.

Once you get out of the hollows, the hiking trail follows a ridgeline which often looks out at the mountains across the valley. The light was fading fast when more clouds came in you could see the yellow still popping out in the valleys where more of what's left of the fall colors are.

What's unusual about this hiking trail and unlike most other hiking trails within the Great Smoky Mountains national park is that this trail passes close by some homes and cabins so if you smell smoke it may be a fireplace not a wildfire.

You won't have to hike long to enjoy the fall colors on Cove Mountains but you will enjoy all the time you spend on this wonder fall hike.

The Cove Mountain Hiking Trail is just minutes from dozens of Smoky Mountains cabins for rent by American Mountain Rentals.

Smokies Fall color report for Wears Valley and Cove Mountain

It is officially peak for the 2008 leaf season with stunning colors on Cove Mountain and all throughout Wears Valley in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains.

Cove Mountains id the focal point for the whole Wears Valley area and can be seen from areas such as Bluff Mountain and it part of the Great Smoky Mountains national park.

The colors on the trees and the bushes on and around Cove Mountain are at autumn peak right now and are stunning and can be seen for miles away given the perfect weather we have been having here in the Smokies and the perfect weather predicted for the next week.

Even though we are at peak fall colors today the vibrant intense colors on Cove Mountains and all around Wears Valley should last for at least another week to a week and a half before they peter out.

The most vibrant reds from the hardwoods such as Oak are just starting up so take a drive on Wears Valley Road (321) or better yet rent on of the cabins that are still available that look at this beautiful site and from the comfort of your own deck or hot tub, enjoy the falls colors.

In the Great Smoky Mountains National park you can hike up to Cove Mountain from a trail that starts behind the Sugarlands National Park headquarters, or from the Laurel Fall Trail on Little River Road or from the Little Greenbrier Trail in the Metcalf Bottoms area or from the Wears Valley entrance of the national park.

Wears Valley sits between Pigeon Forge and Townsend Tennessee and is one of the most picturesque areas of the Great Smoky Mountains where you can still see working, horses and cattle in fields and huge tracts of undeveloped land.

Bring you camera - you won't want to miss and any opportunity to capture this fall Smoky Mountains peak leaf season beauty!

Cabin Rental Specials for the Fall.