Flowers in the Smokies

The flowers in the Smokies have been fabulous so far this year with the Mountain Laurel on the backside of its bloom but many still very pretty! This immediate area is, for the most part, like 4 inches+ short of the rain we usually get this month. Some spots have received relief with pop-up thunderstorms and brief, heavy rain.

Over the last three weeks the hikes I have taken have offered the annual display of natural and native colors. I have walked several trails including some otg, however the majority of these blooms were occurring on marked trails no more than a mile from parking areas.