![]() The Epsom Salts Manufacturing Company was established at Alum Cave in 1838. It appears this will significantly lessen the chances of hikers being hit by icicles.Īlum Cave is rich in history. This involved building a series of steps away from the water seeping over the top of the cave. ![]() As part of this project the park also made changes to the access point into Alum Cave. Efforts were also made to improve drainage in areas where minor landslides have occurred in the past. Restoration efforts focused on improving hiker safety by repairing cable handrail systems and reinforcing hanging trail sections. In 2015 the park launched a two-year project to rehabilitate the Alum Cave Trail. The views from Alum Cave are always great. However, on this day, we were forced to advance through enough accumulated hail to have completely buried the steps. The last 50 feet to the cave is normally a bit of a slog, even with the help of steps. Needless to say, extreme caution is needed here during such conditions.įortunately we didn't have to worry about icicles during that spring 2008 hike, but we did have to contend with the unusual obstacle of several inches of hail at the base of the bluff. We were forced to time our entry and exits into the cave in order to avoid shrapnel, or worse yet, a direct hit. Every couple of minutes an icicle would drop down like an incoming missile and explode on the rocks around us. ![]() The first two times we hiked to Alum Cave we were forced to dodge icicles falling from the top of the bluff, some of them as long as three feet. In the winter these droplets turn into large icicles. During the warmer months of the year water drips off from the ledges above. In case you're unaware, peregrine falcons are also known as duck hawks.Īt 2.2 miles hikers will reach Alum Cave, which really isn't a cave, but is actually a concaved bluff, about 80 feet in height, and roughly 500 feet in length. ![]() While descending the trail on our return trip we watched as two peregrine falcons playfully swooshed through the air near the Eye. The Eye of the Needle, a hole in the rock near the top of Little Duck Hawk Ridge, can also be seen from this vantage point.Ī much better view of the Eye can be found a tenth-of-a-mile further up the trail. At roughly 2 miles from the trailhead hikers will reach the appropriately named Inspiration Point, a heath bald that offers commanding views of Little Duck Hawk Ridge to the west and Myrtle Point towards the northeast. Anakeesta Ridge will dominate the views on your left throughout this stretch. The trail actually goes under the arch and requires a climb of several steps etched into the stone before exiting at the top.īeyond Arch Rock the trail begins ascending towards Alum Cave. The arch was formed by freezing and thawing, which eroded away the softer rock from underneath the harder rock. They also related how they watched an incredible display of lightning below them, just before the storm moved up and over the mountain.Īt just over 1.3 miles from the trailhead hikers will reach Arch Rock, the first prominent landmark along the trail. Guests returning from their stay at the LeConte Lodge the night before reported that the top of the mountain received nearly six inches of hail. The night before one of our hikes in the spring of 2008, a strong storm blew through the Smokies and dropped marble-sized hail, which still littered the trail the next morning. This section of trail is choked with rosebay rhododendron, which offers beautiful blooms during the early summer. Just before reaching Arch Rock, however, the trail begins following the Styx Branch. Hikers will follow Alum Cave Creek over the course of the first mile. The first section of the Alum Cave Trail, up to Arch Rock, travels over a fairly gentle grade. To reach the 6593-foot summit of Mount LeConte hikers will have to climb 2763 feet, and hike 5.5 miles from the Alum Cave Trailhead. Sure, there are hikes in the Smokies that are far longer, gain more elevation, or have steeper climbs, but the Alum Cave Trail is unmatched in its combination of interesting geological features, history, high adventure and stunning panoramic views. Gsmrc-post_20_02.If ever there was a classic hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Alum Cave Trail to Mt. Hiking, (Library of Congress Subject Headings) The Alum Cave trail to Le Conte passes through the opening under the rock. on Mafor a postage of 1 cent.Īrch Rock presents quite an unusual and spectacular formation, it looks as though this rock had toppled off from above and landed nearly upside down in the Cavern below. Postcard with handwritten note sent from Knoxville to Mrs. Standard News Agency (Knoxville, Tenn.) (Creator) Arch Rock, Great Smoky Mountains National Parkīogart Family Great Smoky Mountains Postcard Collection, 1917-1946, MS.3709
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