This 7.8-mile out-and-back is a great place to look for some of the 30 salamander species that live in the park. (Peek in small polls to find them.) From the Brushy Mountain Trail, hike 1.6 miles through yellow trillium to a wooden footbridge, looking to your left for mayapple with leaves like green umbrellas. Wild geranium carpet the hardwood slopes, and the tiny blue petals of Wild stonecrop cover mossy boulders. At 3.2 miles, find wildflower nirvana in a blanket of white trillium. The trail ends at backcountry campsite 31, a spacious plot with a fire ring and stream.

WHEN TO GO: April and May are best for wildflower blooms, while fall, with its brilliantly colored leaves, is drier.

PERMITS: Free backcountry camping permits are required in this park. Backpackers must stay at designated campsites. Book early to get the best spots.

MORE INFO: Great Smoky Mountain National Park, (865) 436-1200; nps.gov/grsm

--Mapped by Marcus Woolf

TO TRAILHEAD: From Gatlinburg, drive east on TN 73/US 321. In 5.7 miles, turn right on to Greenbrier Cove Road. Drive about 4 miles to Brush Mountain/Porters Creek trailhead.