Rich Mountain Road Auto Touring

Catesby's Trillium blooms along our drive today

Rich Mountain Road Auto Touring

4//17/2022

Dana & Kenny Koogler

Though I complain sometimes about tourist traffic and the changes that have taken place in our area over the past two decades.. I still have days like today when I am very happy to live where I do.

Kenny and I were at one one evening when I took a notion I wanted to take a wildflower drive. We went over to Cades Cove before the gate closed for the evening. We made it around to the place where Rich Mountain Road exits the cove and heads back toward Dry Valley and Townsend. We had amazingly light traffic on the loop road for a Spring evening.

We stopped for me to photograph blue comfrey blooms.



Above: Wild comfrey's delicate blue blossoms.



Below: the whole plant








We continued around the loop and began seeing Catesby's trillium


Above: A pure white catesby's trillium bloom

Above and below photos of the delicate yellow bells of mountain bellwort. It is one of my favorite flowers. It likes the same sort of pine woods where you see catesby's trillium and pink lady slippers. I saw lots of it along here today. In more than one place!








Above and below: the view from Rich Mtn Road back toward Cades Cove



Above: little brown jugs just starting to bloom

Above and below: we saw several places where the pale purple blooms of dwarf crested iris carpeted the slopes along the road



Above: We drove on around the loop and saw a big bear! He was lumbering along the banks near us. This photo is zoomed in. I never got out of the car or approached him. I merely rolled the window down and zoomed in.

Above: A hawk of some sort on a tree limb above the road

Above: common blue violet was abundant



Below: Birds foot violet is another wildflower that loves piney woods!



Above: windflower or rue anemone. It likes the rich cove hardwood forest which we had now gotten to on the drive



Below: yellow trillium was also plentiful



Above: a mossy rock face covered with blue violets and wind flower

Above: sweet white trillium was thick on the slopes once we got to the cove hardwood forest

Above: large flowered bellwort is so sunny and bright



Below: the tiny delicate flapper skirts of Early Meadow Rue

Below: a pale pink rue anemone




Below: the second view from around the loop. The sun is going down and it has clouded up. We got a few sprinkles of rain.



Above: double bloom of Catesbys trillium

Above: dwarf crested iris close up


I also saw one of my favorite flowers and plenty of them. Spotted Mandarin shown above. Fairy Bells



Finally we arrived at the end of the park portion of the drive. We pulled over at the parking for Ace Gap Trail and took a short stroll down into Bull sink.





Above: bull sink in spring green

Below: zoomed in on the cave entrance








Above: Canada violets near Bull sink








Above: wild stonecrop in bloom down in Bull sink

Above: we saw lots of putty root orchid. the one shown above is tightly closed



Below: this one is opening up. Though it is not real showy in color it is still pretty. you have to look harder to see these.









Above: dwarf larkspur in bloom in Bull Sink.




Above: showy orchis .. one last wildflower at Bull Sink



We enjoyed our drive on Rich Mountain Road, but turned and headed back toward the house. We swung by a place on Old Walland Highway that I like.






Above: mossy rock with green new leaves on the trees








Above: miami mist phacelia

Above: a pair of yellow trilliums
Below: Prairie larkspur

Below: Daisy Fleabane



We also swung by a spot I'd been meaning to photograph on Old Walland Highway... the building shown below is now the property of a construction business. It was the first location of Rocky King's convenience store. If you have ever visited Walland Center along Hwy 321... this is where it all started! The first incarnation of the store! I pass this all the time on my way to pick up grandkids at Walland Elementary School.










It was a nice wildflower day for us!


The next day I turned around and drove Foothills Parkway out from Walland toward Wears Valley.


It was not as good a year as some for flowers. I had waited too late in the season this time.


Above: violet wood sorrel was one of the few things I saw in bloom



Above: the waterfall along the parkway had barely a trickle of water. It was still pretty with all the green leaves. Saw a few sweet white trilliums still in bloom.


It is a blessing to live where a quick drive can yield so much rewarding beautiful scenery!