Rough Creek Trail

Dogs No Dogs

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

This is a short run that connects Little River Trail to Sugarland Mountain Trail. To get here, you can run 4.5 miles from the Little River Trail. Just around the corner on Little River Trail is the Rough Creek Campsite, #24.

Shortly into the trail, runners will come to Rough Creek in about half a mile. Despite the name, it's actually a pretty mellow creek. The trail winds through the forest comes to a small clearing that may have been part of a railroad in the early 1900s.

Runners will cross rough creek at about a mile and a half, and then a third time in two miles. After that, the trail will steeply ascend the ridge before coming to its conclusion at the Sugarland Mountain Trail.

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.