The East’s Best Hikes for Spring Wildflowers
Spring has started its welcome march north and wildflower blooms popping out along the hiking trails of the eastern U.S. are one of the surest signs that warm weather is here to stay. First the bright yellow daffodils and blushing redbuds arrive at low elevations across the south, often while lake effect snows and nor’easters continue to batter New England. A few weeks later, delicate trillium and lady’s slipper peak out across the Alleghany Mountains of the mid-Atlantic as the last of the snow clings to the peaks of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. The absence of the thick, green eastern tree canopy is the catalyst for this brilliant carpet of color. Sunlight and warmth hit the forest floor for a brief time, encouraging wildflower growth. Make the most of your spring adventure with a camping trip!
Catch the wildflowers at peak bloom on these eastern hiking trails.
1. Buckeye Trail
Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio
Waterfalls are usually the highlight in Hocking Hills State Park, but wildflowers rival the falls for attention in early spring. Follow the Buckeye Trail between Old Man’s Cave and Ash Cave to find columbine, violet, pink lady’s slippers and wild blue phlox in bloom around Cedar Falls and along the heavy forest hiking trail. Search for the best campgrounds in Ohio.
2. Appalachian Trail
Cherokee National Forest near Bakersville, North Carolina
The grassy mountaintops along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee light up with orange azalea and deep pink Catawba rhododendron in spring for a showstopper of a hike that draws crowds from all along the east coast. A five-mile trek through the Roan Highlands on the Appalachian Trail crosses Round Bald, Jane Bald and Grassy Ridge, with rock scrambles, constant climbs and descents, and panoramic views in every direction. Search for the best campgrounds in North Carolina.
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3. Lake Treman Loop
Buttermilk Falls State Park, New York
Combine the Rim, Bear and Gorge Trails in Buttermilk Falls State Park for a moderate 4.5-mile loop to a swimming hole below Buttermilk Falls on your way to Lake Treman. Look for the Finger Lakes region’s native mayapple, red trillium and foamflower clinging to the rocky ravines along the trail. It's the perfect reason to escape the big city this spring. Search for the best campgrounds in New York.
4. Blue Suck Falls Loop
Douthat State Park, Virginia
The 8.9-mile loop hike to Blue Suck Falls in Douthat State Park is a springtime favorite for two waterfalls and beautiful views across the Alleghany Highlands from Tuscarora Overlook. The rocky, moderately strenuous trail gets its name from the whirlpools that form at the base of the falls. Bellwort and creeping phlox take center stage in spring, and an assortment of violet species thrive on the wet forest floor. Search for the best campgrounds in Virginia.
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5. Smith Creek Trail
Helen, Georgia
The lush, mossy north Georgia mountains are ideal for nurturing the bell-shaped Solomon’s seal and sprays of blue cohosh that dangle over the rocky ledges along the nine-mile out-and-back hike to Anna Ruby Falls. Enjoy the eastern shooting star and smooth phlox carpeting the slopes around the double waterfall cascades. Search for the best campgrounds in Georgia.
6. Lambert Ridge Trail
Lyme, New Hampshire
The strenuous 7.5-mile climb to the summit of Smarts Mountain is made for hearty hikers in pursuit of equally hearty wildflowers. At this vibrant New Hampshire destination, sheep laurel, three-toothed cinquefoil and mountain holly add a surprising splash of color to the wind-battered mountain ledges at over 3,000 feet. Search for the best campgrounds in New Hampshire.
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7. Pennyrile Nature Trail
Pennyrile State Park, Kentucky
Start out at the trailhead in Pennyrile State Park for a family-friendly 13.5-mile point-to-point distance hike that comes alive in spring. Leaving the park, you’ll enter state forest and wildlife management lands, where you’ll find creeping aster, yellow false foxglove and the distinctive, four-petaled St. Andrews Cross in bloom. Search for the best campgrounds in Kentucky.
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8. Profile Trail
Grandfather Mountain State Park, North Carolina
You’ll gain over 1,700 feet of elevation as you make the strenuous 3.6-mile climb to the top of Grandfather Mountain. The out-and-back hike to the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains tops the list for spring wildflower diversity in North Carolina. Pass through 12 ecological zones supporting bloodroot, Oconee bell, Dutchman’s breech, lily of the valley, bluet and more that you’ll find flowering along the trail. Search for the best campgrounds in North Carolina.
