Some of my favorite hiking here on the Cumberland Plateau is that way because of the lack of other people. Having a famous national park not too far away is a good way to keep people away from less desirable destinations. Of course, there are lots of places in the Smokies to get away from crowds as well, but even on the best days you'll generally see at least a few other hikers.
Here on the Plateau, it is still possible to hike all day and not see another soul. To be fair, it is becoming more and more rare, but it still happens. This past winter, I even pulled that feat off on one of my favorite hikes, Virgin Falls. That is truly becoming a difficult proposition, but it still happens from time to time. Other lesser known trails and hikes are more likely to provide that treat.
Of course, to keep them that way, I can't really talk about where they are or provide too many details. A bit of sleuthing might even help you find some of my favorites even if I don't name them now. That said, a recent trip was more of a treat than usual for reasons beyond the lack of other hikers.
I did something I don't do nearly as often as I ought to: I carried my big DSLR and a couple of lenses. Turns out I really just needed one lens for the things I took pictures of, but it was nice to have options. What makes this hike go from special to magnificent is a little off trail jaunt that brings the hiker to incredible pools of spring water. These off trail jaunts are a lot of fun this time of year and often yield spectacular wildflowers as well. On this trip, the flowers were just barely getting going, so we enjoyed what we could and focused on other scenery.
In the end, I took several favorite pictures but one stood out more than the rest. I'll share all of them below, culminating in that favorite shot. I hope you enjoy!
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| ©2026 David Knapp Photography |
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| ©2026 David Knapp Photography |
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| ©2026 David Knapp Photography |
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| ©2026 David Knapp Photography |
