Serious question, has anyone else skipped the popular trail for the less crowded one?

Last spring in the Smokies, everyone was heading to Alum Cave Bluff, but I chose the quieter Brushy Mountain trail instead. It added about two miles to my day, but I saw maybe three other people the whole time. The view from the top was just as good, without the big crowd at the overlook. Has anyone else made a choice like that and been glad they did?

3 comments

3 Comments

willow_nelson1d ago

Totally get that. Sometimes the quiet trail lets you actually hear the birds and the wind instead of just other people's conversations.

lucasw841d ago

Ever find a spot so quiet you can hear your own heartbeat? What's the most peaceful trail you've been on?

gracethomas1d ago

That "hear your own heartbeat" quiet is rare, but I found it on an overgrown logging road up near the state line. Lucasw84, it was so still I jumped when a branch fell fifty yards away. Honestly, the peace was kind of spooky after the first ten minutes.