by Julie Dodd
Workers continue making progress on Ramsey Cascades Trail, as the Trails Forever crew moves into the third year of the trail restoration project. The Trails Forever crew is funded by Friends of the Smokies.
The four-mile trail is located in the Greenbrier area of the national park. It ends at Ramsey Cascades, the tallest waterfall in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Ramsey Cascades Trail is scheduled to be completed by November 2024. The trail is closed to hikers from Monday through Thursday for trail work.
The Trails Forever crew is assisted by American Conservation Experience and Southeast Conservation Corps crews and trail work volunteers.
Trail work during 2022 and 2023
The restoration project began in April 2022 and was scheduled to be completed in 2023. But in July 2022, flash floods disrupted and then stopped the trail work.
The first flooding took out both of the foot log bridges on the trail and caused other damage, including washing out a section of the trail.
The second flooding so severely damaged Greenbrier Road that the road had to be closed – and Greenbrier Road is the access road to the trail.
Trail work resumed in 2023, with a new expected completion date of November 2024.
The crew built a 200-foot long rerouted trail, to replace the section of trail that was washed out. The crew also built five new trail structures — including retaining walls and steps — to repair damage to the trail caused by the flooding.
The first large scale project of the restoration for 2024 was the installation of a new lower foot log bridge replacing the bridge dislodged in the 2022 flooding. (The new foot log bridge is pictured at the top of the page.)
Work on the trail this year began in May and will continue – Monday through Thursday – through November when the restoration is scheduled to be completed.
Role of volunteers
Volunteers are a key part of the trail restoration, according to Trails Forever Crew Supervisor Josh Shapiro.
“Volunteers have an important role in assisting the Trails Forever Crew in completing trail rehabilitation projects,” Shapiro said.
In 2023, 80 individuals contributed 1,265 hours to Trails Forever, Shapiro said.
This year, Volunteer Wednesdays are being held weekly through Sept. 25.
Individuals and groups can volunteer to assist with the restoration but must register in advance.
Check the Friends of the Smokies webpage about volunteering to learn more about hours, clothing requirements, and how to register.
“On Ramsey Cascades Trail, volunteers have completed various tasks including trail surface repair, clearing trail drainages, and brushing back encroaching rhododendron to open the trail corridor,” Shapiro said.
“All of the dedication and hard work completed by volunteers is greatly appreciated, and their efforts have contributed to the successful completion of Trails Forever Projects.”
Trails Forever Restoration Projects
Ramsey Cascades is the seventh trail restoration project for the Trails Forever Crew since the Trails Forever program was established in 2012 by Friends of the Smokies.
The Trails Forever Crew has restored Alum Cave Trail, Rainbow Falls Trail, Trillium Gap Trail, Abrams Falls Trail, Chimney Tops Trail and Forney Ridge Trail.
You can make a donation to support Trails Forever trail restorations.
