April 25, 2023
I’ve thought about hiking this trail more than any other over the past two weeks. Is it nice? No. Is there a lovely trail to the falls? No, it’s paved the whole way. Are the falls that impressive? No way.
For some reason, this trail is one of the most popular in the park. It is so popular and well-traveled that the park is inviting public comment of any proposed changes to the trial. Look at the picture in that link, that’s what it looks like daily. Two weeks prior, I hiked the .9 mile sliver of Laurel between Little Brier Gap and Cove Mountain Trail; today, all that was left was the 3.1 miles from Little River Road to that junction. The first 1.2 miles is paved. The most shocking thing is the sheer amount of trash on and off the trail: water bottles, toilet paper, plastic, diapers, beer cans, wrappers. If you’ve carried it on a hike, someone has dumped it on Laurel! I have hiked 635 miles of the park’s 800 and this was absolutely my least favorite portion thus far. Who in their right mind changes a plastic diaper and then throws it on the damn ground on a path? I knew this path would be crowded, so I was at the trailhead before 7:30 am to beat the throngs of would-be litterers. Once past the falls, the trail is actually chock full of giant poplars and some nice-sized hemlocks. En route back down, the sheep were present. I passed perhaps 50-60 people from 9:00-9:30. The craziest was a bus load of Mennonites. Literally, a group of a dozen brethren took a bus to hike this trail. It is absolutely unreal, the number of people hiking this thing. My goodness, I could think of hundreds trails that are prettier. I do not have a Worst Hikes header, but this would be at the top of the list.
So, why is Jonathan thinking about the trail over and over? It brings to mind this weird dichotomy. It’s what we see daily. Next time you’re taking a road walk, look at the ditch or embankment: tons of beer cans. Litter is human selfishness and ironically, it’s the easiest thing to fix (Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute). It is our expectation of preserved beauty.
Total mileage is 6.2 miles.
I get it, for sure. One of my favorite places in the Park (despite the crowds and mostly for sentimental reasons) is Deep Creek. Every time I go, I carry a bag to pick up trash and every time I fill the bag. But then along the road where I live (Caney Fork in Jackson County) there is often lots of trash as well. I find myself getting more incensed about Deep Creek than my own road. You’re right–it’s likely due to the expectation that our Park will be appreciated and preserved by those who visit. Alas, they are not.
Sadly you’re right! I love the Candy Fork area of Jackson! Great place to live.