Name: Twin Creeks Trail
Rating: 3.8

“A great and easy nature trail for families. There are also remnants of old settlements here.”

— Max Willner

GPX File

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Spring · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Family Friendly This is a wonderful nature trail; it's an easy hike, and the remains of the settlements here offer a great lesson in Appalachian history.

All campsites must be registered with the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park also closes secondary roads on a seasonal schedule due to snow. Schedules can be found here.

Backcountry rules and regulations can be found here.

Description

Twin Creeks trail is a pleasant, short hike that is both easy and great for all ages. Hiking along this trail, there's a creek on the left known as LeConte Creek. If you've been to Rainbow Falls before (seen on the Rainbow Falls Trail), this is where the water came from. Hikers can either park a car at the Ogle Place Parking area, or hike to the end of the trail and back for a total of about 4 miles.

Soon, hikers will find the remains of an old homesite. There are still foundations and walls standing there, a testament to time from long ago.

About 1.5 miles in is a small footbridge that crosses a creek. At 1.9 miles, the trail comes to an end (hikers can take a small loop trail known as the Noah Bud Ogle Place Nature Trail).

Flora & Fauna

The Smokies are home to more than 1,600 species of plants, most of which produce an abundance of flowers in the spring. These species include mountain laurel, rhododendron, azalea, and many others. Spring wildflowers peak from early April through late May. To learn more about the plants of the Smokies and even get a trees and shrubs checklist, visit the park's website.

As for local fauna, black bears are common in the area, along with white-tailed deer and 31 species of salamanders.

Birdwatchers can spot a variety of species, notably the northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) and red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus).

For more information on black bears, refer to this webpage.