点评:We visited on the Wednesday before Memorial Day and encountered very few other visitors. There was no entry fee. The visitor center was small and dated but there was a crew working outside so maybe they are renovating. When we stepped out of the car we were greeted by the loud buzzing of the 17-year cicada brood which hatched this year, and that was a special treat. There had been a major storm the night before so there was plenty of water flowing in the creeks and waterfalls, but this was a gorgeous day with sunlight filtering through the trees.
We parked at the Old Mac Trailhead and hiked the Interpretive Loop Trail which was very pretty with nice interpretive panels along the way and a creek for most of the trail. We took our time and spent about an hour on this flat and easy trail.
We drove to the Flat Fork Campground for a picnic lunch next to the creek, a beautiful spot.
Then we drove to the Panther Branch Trailhead and started down the Panther Branch Trail which has lots of rocks and roots. We turned to the right at the Debord Falls Overlook Trail and went down the stairs to the bottom of the falls. Then back up to the Panther Branch Trail until it forked; we turned left and went uphill on the Emory Gap Trail (I recommend taking a hiking stick). This trail ended at a rocky area with a waterfall. Then we retraced our steps back to the car for a total of about two hours on this hike.
翻译:我们是在阵亡将士纪念日前的星期三去的,几乎没有遇到其他游客。门票免费。游客中心很小,设施陈旧,但外面有工作人员在工作,所以他们可能正在装修。下车时,迎接我们的是今年孵化的17年蝉的嗡嗡声,这真是一次特别的享受。前一天晚上下了一场大暴雨,所以小溪和瀑布里水流很大,但这一天阳光明媚,阳光透过树梢洒落下来。
我们把车停在老麦克步道的入口处,沿着解说环路徒步,这条步道非常漂亮,沿途有漂亮的解说牌,步道的大部分路段都有一条小溪。我们慢慢走,在这条平坦易走的步道上待了大约一个小时。
我们开车去了平叉露营地,在小溪边享用了野餐,那里风景优美。
然后我们开车去了黑豹支流步道的入口处,开始沿着黑豹支流步道徒步,那里有很多岩石和树根。我们在德博瀑布观景步道(Debord Falls Overlook Trail)右转,沿着台阶下到瀑布底部。然后回到豹子支线步道(Panther Branch Trail)上行,直到它分叉;我们左转,沿着埃默里峡谷步道(Emory Gap Trail)上坡(我建议带登山杖)。这条步道的尽头是一片有瀑布的岩石区域。然后我们原路返回车上,这次徒步总共花了大约两个小时。