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It closed back in November of 2016 after the deadly fire. Most of the trail is accessible now except the last quarter mile due to safety concerns. Road Prong trail is still open. I hiked it just a few months ago.

I wish I had hiked it before it was closed down after the fire in November of 2016. The root system was destroyed and the ground is completely unstable. Agree, not worth the risk when there are so many other good trails to hike.

Agreed. After the fire in 2016 the root system was destroyed and the ground became unstable. They closed it for safety concerns.

Thanks Pierce! Good to hear from you. We've driven past it for years and finally decided to stop. Glad we did. It is extremely interesting.

Nice! Where did you go in the Smokies?

We stayed in Pigeon Forge, and we drove in the mountains. It was a short trip, but we walked on the Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail. It's great if you don't have much time, or can't walk very far. It's also paved for wheelchairs, and has 10 benches spaced out on it, if you need to sit down. We had a great trip, and will be back in August with our family.

@OnCallMamaw That's awesome! I love the Sugarlands area. Glad you got to visit!

Ha! I hadn't thought about that. It would be a heck of a ride! 😆

Ha! I've come across a couple that are worse. Chimney Tops has a ton of steps, but it does have a good view.

You faced your fears Laney! That's awesome! Plus, it's a nice view from the tower. 🙂

Thanks Rebecca!

Hello 🙂

Hi Cheffrey! Many people have ignored the sign. A couple of people have had to be rescued from there recently. I'm hoping the ground stabilizes soon, and they remove the sign.

Hi Eric! Thanks for the recommendations. I have them both on my list to hike soon.

Hi Lisa! I can't believe I had never stopped there before now. It contains a ton of history and is extremely interesting.

Hi Deborah! Thanks for the concert info. We'll have to check it out. We went to the Abbey for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Plus, we stopped there again yesterday. 🙂 It's an awesome place with plenty of seating, great food, and very nice people.

It really is!

Good question. I looked it up just to confirm, but it can be natural or by human activity. It is where there is more water than the land can absorb. I've always called it runoff, but maybe I need to find a better term. 🙂

Oh no your good I just never knew it could be natural

@@ShadowFreddy127 No worries. I always appreciate the questions and feedback. I sometimes worry my terminology might be local to East Tennessee. 😄

Hi Laura! That was our first time visiting Chimney Rock, but it won't be the last. That place was great!

I agree Matthew! Nature is incredibly beautiful.

I always like it when I get a good view of the mountains when hiking. 🙂

Gatlinburg is an awesome place!

No worries Laney. Glad to hear from you again. Seeing the sun come up over the mountains is always an awesome sight. 🙂

Ha! Yes, from that angle, it does appear that way. From the ground looking up, it does resemble a chimney. It is an extremely beautiful place to visit. I'm glad I had the opportunity to go there.

I'm hoping the land is protected since it's in a State Park.

It is definitely a great place to visit. Hope the honeymoon was nice!

Agreed. It was awesome. That was our first time there.

Thank you! That place was awesome.

Hi Chris! Greetings from East TN. NC is one of our favorite places to visit.

Hi Kelly! That's one of my favorites also. Thanks.

Hi Rocky! I haven't had the chance to climb past the gate. I'm hoping they reopen it at some point. However as you mentioned, the ground is extremely unstable from the fire.

Let’s not forget those that died as a result of that fire and those responsible walk free, never held accountable.

@rustyshackleford2910 Agreed! Such a tragic event, and no consequences for those responsible.

Yikes! I hope not.

I hope not! If so, he played the best game of opossum ever. 😆

Not this guy. I'm born and raised in East TN. 😀

Ha! Lots of neighbors up north visiting.

Sometimes us yanks tire of the White Mountains. An hike in the smokies is good for rehab.

@@billetboy4070 I've never had the opportunity to visit the White Mountains, but it looks pretty nice online. The Smokies are great, but I'm a little biased. 😃

Hi Kacie! If they don't re-open it soon, I may have to. 😀

Same for me. I didn't go around the gate either, but there was a clear path where people had ignored the warning.

Hi Lisa! I've enjoyed Metcalf Bottoms ever since I was a kid. We used to go there for picnics also. The cemetery was an unexpected surprise the first time I hiked this trail. I wanted to go back to film with the GoPro 12. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great that day. I plan to go back this winter to see if I can find the old Henderson homesite.

I believe they had to remove the metal beds and fencing due to lightning. However, I think I could sleep better with a fence to keep out the bears. 😁

I've never been. I'm hoping they open it back up before I am unable to make the hike.

Hi Deborah! This was definitely a good trail, but it was more challenging than I expected. Still an awesome hike though.

Luckily this one was, but I've had a few this year that have been challenging.

It's only 1.4 miles round-trip and the trail is mostly flat with a slight incline. There are only a few steps on the trail itself. It's located in Chimney Rock State Park in Lake Lure, NC. If you explore other areas of Chimney Rock, there are ALOT of steps.

Thanks Wendy! Yes, it was extremely peaceful that day.

Hi Jodie! I agree. Hiking alone is extremely peaceful. Plus, you get to see a lot of wildlife that you might have missed otherwise.

Agreed! The Smokies are great!

Hi Janet! That's awesome! Hope you had a great day in the Smokies.

Thanks Rebecca! I have been letting nature do the talking for me on the short videos. I thought everyone might be tired of my long-winded commentary from the regular videos. 😄 Maybe I'll try to talk on some of the shorter ones in the future.