Ramsay Cascades

With Labor Day behind us, most of the tourists who clogged the roads into and out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park all summer have departed. They will be back in October, so take advantage of September by taking a hike to Ramsay Cascades.

This trail offers many attractions, including rushing water along much of its length, abundant wildflowers, glimpses of rare old-growth forest and, at its end, one of the park's most stunning waterfalls. Actually, I'm told it's not a waterfall but a cascade. I personally can't tell the difference.