Sunkota Ridge Trail is accessed from the Deep Creek area of the GSMNP. There are many trails in the area and most were roads at one time. Still today these old roads are two track trails. Almost all are open to horses and even a few to bicycles. The waterfall above, Tom Branch Falls is seen on the main trail leaving Deep Creek picnic and campground. Everyone who tubes in the creek floats past this waterfall, so there are numerous photos of it in folks' vacation photos.
Sunkota Ridge rises up from the creek and enters a pleasant hardwood forest with some very limited views. It was a thrill to hear the drumming of a Roughed Grouse and then see one with his tail fully fanned.
Some late season Indian Pipes are seen above. Wildflowers today limited to White Wood Aster and some purple asters. It was a cloudy and humid day without much bird activity, sometimes eerily quiet.
With so many trails in the area, you have many options for making loop hikes. I chose one which would permit me to hike future loops with a minimal amount of backtracking. I returned on the Indian Creek Motor Trail, not to be confused with the Indian Creek Trail. I was confused by the similar names.
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