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?

4 comments

4 Comments

willow_nelson1mo ago

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

lucasw841mo ago

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

rowanw111mo ago

That kind of deep quiet can really mess with your head. It makes you notice all the tiny sounds you normally miss, like the rustle of a mouse in the leaves or the creak of a tree trunk. After a while, your own breathing starts to sound super loud. You end up walking on your toes just to keep from breaking the silence.

gracethomas1mo 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.