Gregory Bald

Gregory Bald is the Smokies' flame azalea showpiece: for roughly two weeks in mid to late June the 10-acre grassy summit blazes with wild hybrid azaleas in reds, oranges, salmons, and whites found nowhere else, drawing hikers up one of the park's tougher day hikes. From the small lot at the end of Forge Creek Road the Gregory Ridge Trail climbs past old-growth poplars and backcountry campsite 12 along Forge Creek, then grinds up the dry ridge crest — about 3,000 feet of gain over 5 miles — to Rich Gap, where a right turn onto the Gregory Bald Trail leads a final half mile to the open bald and its long views over Cades Cove and the western Smokies. Carry plenty of water; the ridge is waterless after the campsite, and summer heat hits hard on the climb. Forge Creek Road is one-lane gravel and closes in winter, and on peak azalea weekends the handful of parking spots fill before breakfast — come at dawn or hike midweek.