With barely an incline and a mixture of boardwalk and paved path, the Trail of the Cedars is one of the easiest to navigate. The looping trail sweeps through rich forests of cedar, hemlock and larch, and winds across Avalanche Gorge, a fierce creek whose waters spew through red argillite rock.
The Cherokee people
believed that the Creator created a new tree to hold the spirits of their ancestors. This tree was named a-tsi-na tlu-gv (ah-see-na loo-guh), or the cedar tree. When you gaze upon it standing in the forest they said, remember that if you are Tsalagi, you are looking upon your ancestor.
Giant cedar trees nourished by the constantly moist forest floor, bear deep-seated roots that have melded into pathways.
Meanwhile, the boardwalk continues to beckon.
Hollowed out trees, tall enough to encase a body show how relatively undisturbed the flora is in this area.
Occasionally, the trees break, allowing a magnificent glimpse of the scenery shielded from human eyes by the dense canopy.
Prior to reaching Avalanche Gorge, the Trail of the Cedars reveals a challenge. With an elevation climb of 500 feet, this two-mile hike to Avalanche Lake, offers a distraction for stronger legs.
Those visitors choosing to press on with the easier amble, the moss-covered rocks oozing water, offer an ethereal glimpse into a potential fairyland.
Toppled trees remain where they fall, offering a glimpse of the extensive root system of a smaller cedar tree.
The epicenter of the Trail of the Cedars and the final stop before the loop winds back to the road is Avalanche Gorge. Its myriad of colors enhanced by the light in parts and glossy moss-stippled argillite rock in others, is as beautiful as its gushing waters are loud.
With the hot summer this year the stunted water flow did nothing to diminish its lethal beauty. Slippery rocks combined with fast flows have been the downfall of several visitors enticed into having a closer look.
After visiting the gorge last April, we were able to witness the spring runoff at the height of its power.
The Trail of the Cedars is an easy afternoon stroll located along Going to the Sun Road just east of the Avalanche Creek Campground. Even with photo opportunities, the hike should take no longer than an hour. A parking area across the street grants immediate access to the trail head which is one of the first areas to open in the park after the winter, and the last to close.