Frozen Head--Chimney Top & Spicewood Branch Trails

Sunday, March 31, 2007 - Chimney Top & Spicewood Trails

Chimney Top trail in Frozen Head state park is tops for wildflowers. March 31, 2007 and Saturday morning traffic was nothing like Wednesday as I had no trouble driving the 58 miles to Frozen Head from my Maryville home in less than an 1 hour 15 minutes. I had been looking forward to a return here since my hike earlier in the week revealed that wildflowers were ready to put on the big show I was not, however, prepared for the five part serenade that would tempt me to rate Chimney Top trail as one of my all-time favorite trails for early spring wildflowers.

The Frozen Head trail map describes Chimney Top trail as difficult with 3,460' of elevation gain/loss. They got that part correct: It is very difficult and includes two major climbs and descents (more than 1,000' elev. change each) plus several more minor ones. Some grades are in excess of 20%. Better eat your Wheaties and leave that heavy pack at home. Take plenty of water and energy snacks.

However, those of us who love hiking know the incomparable pleasure that goes along with hiking a difficult trail that has everything going for it. This is the kind of trail you'll find with Chimney Top. The trail surface is excellent and the views are constantly varying due to the switchbacks and crossing back and forth across major ridgelines. On a clear day you'd be able to see the Smokies from this trail and all those things in between. Did I mention wildflowers? Oh yeah, the wildflowers! You soon learn when hiking in the mountains that what was in bloom last week is often just starting to bloom again about 1,000' higher up the mountain. And many wildflowers require a specific environmental niche. Hiking a wide range of elevations and alternating between north and south slope exposures gives you everything you need to see a long list of wildflowers in one trip. Finally, there was solitude. Difficult trails scare-off lots of hikers who fear they either will not be able to complete the hike or else just wouldn't enjoy it. Chimney Top trail has all of these things going for it--and more!

I've never seen such a grand display of large-flowered bellwort as the ones I saw on Chimney Top trail (Note: in my photo captions these are incorrectly identified as perfoliate bellwort). Dutchman's breeches were the other big wildflower surprise: Long sections of the higher elevation portions of the trail were carpeted with flowering dutchman's breeches. Trilliums (several species), cut-leaf toothwort, spring beauty, rue anemone, blue cohosh, mandarin, wild ginger and lots of violets in a rainbow of colors completed the wildflower show on this wildflowers-to-the-max trail.

I must also mention all the big rocks. The peaks of these ridges live-up to the trail's title: Chimney Top. There are huge groups of tall rock formations crowning the ridges here. Some were so tall and massive that I could have spent hours just climbing around on them.

Chimney Top trail starts behind the visitor center and ends at the junction of South Old Mac and Lookout Tower trails. Spicewood Branch trail intersects with Chimney Top trail about 7/10ths of a mile from the end of Chmney Top trail and this is where I paused for lunch. A group of 4 boy scouts with two adult leaders joined me for the hike down Spicewood Branch trail. I'd met this group at the visitor center and suggested to them that they include Spicewood Branch trail for their return route. Judging by their continued amazement at the wildflower displays and grand vistas, they were not disappointed. All of them were intrigued by the various aromas of the trilliums ("banana popsicle" Trillium cuneatum usually called Sweet Betsy and "wet dog" Trillium erectum often called Stinking Benjamin). Everyone's cameras came out of their packs when I showed them the flower beneath the Wild Ginger and it was about this time when they slowed down considerably and I bid them farewell as they continued to explore all the new wildflowers they'd never before noticed.

I noticed that Spicewood Branch trail had more than 3 times as many flowers in bloom Saturday as it did just three days earlier (Wednesday). I'd say that two weeks from now most of the flowers I saw Saturday will be completely gone from view.

Chimney Top and Spicewood Branch trails in Frozen Head are among the top 10 wildflower trails of all that I've ever hiked. I suggest you take off one day this first week of April and go explore them for yourself before the flowers disappear until next year.

Chimney Top: 7.4 miles. Spicewood Branch: 2.5 miles. Connecting trails required: about 1.5 miles. Total hike: about 11.4 miles. Time: 6 hours. I recommend hiking this trail loop counterclockwise (start with Chimney Top, end with Spicewood Branch).

Intermission....Frozen Head wildflowers call time-out. 5/20/07 Sunday I hiked again in Frozen Head state park along Spicewood Branch and Chimney Tops trails. Where are all the wildflowers? The early April freeze hit the wildflowers hard at Frozen Head. Perhaps in another couple of weeks the early summer flowers will take over but for now, trails there are somewhat barren of anything in bloom other than spiderwort. Oh yes, there were some mountain laurel in bloom along Chimney Tops trail. Greenery was abundant as was nettle (ouch) and poison ivy. For the next few weeks it would be wise to take along a pair of long pants just in case you need them on the trails you are hiking.