Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest
4.5
About
Impressive 3800-acre wilderness that was once the unchartered hunting ground of the Cherokee Indians.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Full view
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
1 within 3 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
121 reviews
Excellent
84
Very good
31
Average
6
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Chip P
1 contribution
Mar 2020 • Couples
If you’re already in the area, this is not a bad hike, but I wouldn’t recommend traveling any distance to see it. We traveled 2 1/2 hours & honestly we’re a little disappointed. The lower half has more downfall than any hike I’ve ever been on & no large trees. The upper half is nice with some very large Poplars & was enjoyable. Overall, about a 3.
Written March 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EastTNTraveler
Kingsport, TN540 contributions
Oct 2020
Visited on a beautiful October morning. With some mobility issues and closure of the shorter trail we were not able to walk the trails. There were restrooms, picnic tables, and several displays at the trailhead. Sorry we were not able to hike a short way on the trail to the large trees. We had visited years ago and did back-packing in the area. Nice to return if just for a short visit.
Written October 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vonnie J
Greenville, NC162 contributions
Apr 2021 • Couples
Wanted to hike the Loop Trail, but the lower loop was under maintenace. We could still get to the Upper Loop. Enjoyable hike, but we did not do the whole upper loop since we wanted to drive part of the Cherohala Skyway. It was a good trail except there were several muddy spots due to recent rainstorms. Would like to come back later in the spring and try it again.
Written April 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joy P
Larsen, WI14 contributions
Sep 2013 • Couples
Visitors to the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest might initially be disappointed by the remnants of many large trees whose shattered boles are abundant in the areas closest to the parking lot. These are hemlocks that were killed by the hemlock adelgid insect; the National Forest Service needed to take down some of those trees to reduce the dangers they posed as they decayed, and did so by blowing the trees apart with dynamite to simulate the effects of windstorm (power tools not allowed within the Wilderness Area, either.) Blackberries and young trees are abundant now on the sunlit areas that resulted. Keep walking about a mile though, past the very unassuming memorial to Kilmer at the center of the two trail loops, and on to the further reaches of the upper loop. While there are large, impressive trees of many species everywhere in this virgin forest remnant, the enormous poplars in the "large trees" grove are almost unbelievable. They're truly awe-inspiring, and larger than any trees I've seen outside the redwood and bigtree groves of California. The entire forest is gorgeous, the walk is easy and delightful (even in the rain!), and well worth a couple hours of your time. It's a magnificent place.
Written October 15, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bbqman3341
Gainesville, GA6,572 contributions
easy hike, exceptional forest with magnificent old growth absurdly tall, massive circumference trees. an easy trek from snow bird lodge.
Written February 1, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
UGAly1
Blue Ridge, GA183 contributions
Oct 2012 • Couples
There is a well-maintained 2 mile trail through this old-growth forest, populated by large poplar and evergreen trees. It is just off the scenic Cherohala Skyway from Tellico Plains, Tennessee and Robbinsville, Noth Carolina. Some of the old poplars were so large that three adults could not reach around them.
Written October 16, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark G
Dalton, GA129 contributions
Jul 2016 • Couples
People, seldom do I struggle for words on tripadvisor. But here, all I can tell you is that once in your lifetime, you need to visit the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and hike the loop trail.
Along the way, you will see a remnant of the great forest that once stretched from Maine to Florida and west to the Mississippi River as the Indians and the very first Europeans saw it. Almost primeval. I saw around 150 trees that averaged between 300-500 years old in a grove. Most were poplars. We stood by some and they simply dwarfed us. Take your camera.
The trail itself was not difficult at all. Bear left at the beginning for the easiest walk. (Short uphill, long downhill).
The forest is full of ferns and it wasn't difficult at all to travel back in time in your mind and realize these trees predate the very first feet of the pilgrims. Easy to imagine Indians wandering through this pristine forest. By the time I left there, I considered what a shame it was that we cut almost all these majestic trees down over so large an area.
Yes, it is out of the way, but you will never be sorry.
Along the way, you will see a remnant of the great forest that once stretched from Maine to Florida and west to the Mississippi River as the Indians and the very first Europeans saw it. Almost primeval. I saw around 150 trees that averaged between 300-500 years old in a grove. Most were poplars. We stood by some and they simply dwarfed us. Take your camera.
The trail itself was not difficult at all. Bear left at the beginning for the easiest walk. (Short uphill, long downhill).
The forest is full of ferns and it wasn't difficult at all to travel back in time in your mind and realize these trees predate the very first feet of the pilgrims. Easy to imagine Indians wandering through this pristine forest. By the time I left there, I considered what a shame it was that we cut almost all these majestic trees down over so large an area.
Yes, it is out of the way, but you will never be sorry.
Written July 9, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alisson B
68 contributions
Aug 2015
I had no idea there was an old growth forest on this side of the country so, when I found it I just had to go. It's beautiful. Huge poplar and tulip trees. Lots of beautiful photos to be taken here. There's a gorgeous stream on the opposite side as the trail head, across the other side of the parking lot. You will also see it under a bridge near the end of the trail. Just be careful not to slip on the rocks! There are bathroom facilities and a picnic area in the parking lot. The trail is not difficult. On a difficulty scale of 1-10 I rate it about a 2 or a 3.
Written August 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Voodew68
Spring Grove, IL40 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
This place is marketed as an old growth forest containing 400 year old trees with trunks that are 20 feet around. It claims you have a 2 mile hike in to see them. DON'T GO THERE FOR THESE TREES!! We hiked all the trails and only found a handful of very old trees. The trails are NOT marked so we went through the first time, and didn't find anything. So we checked the posted map in the parking are and tried again. We did find the second looping trail, but still only a handful of trees. Other hikers said the same thing. It takes a long time to get here through some very winding mountain roads. Also, the bathrooms were locked so no facilities were available. This place should be marketed for the rainforest that is along the main trail that loops back to the parking lot. It is a beautiful example of this type of rainforest and is very lush and wet. Many picturesque areas if you are into this type of thing. A huge disappointment on the old growth trees though.
Written April 5, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vicki Sugar Hill GA
Sugar Hill, GA196 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
A nice tribute to Joyce Kilmer for his poem "Trees". We drove into the park from via Robbinsville, NC. Park is located just off the beginning of the Cherohala Skyway on the eastern end of the skyway. We had no problems locating the road to the forest, but we had picked up a map in Tellico Plains a few days earlier and had a good idea of the location. The forest is a 2 mile loop through the forest, with lots of opportunities to see the huge poplar trees. It was just awesome standing next to these huge trees and thinking what it was like when they were first introduced to the area some 450 years ago. Amazing views and photo opportunities. The walking trails were fairly level, we did have to cross over a few trees that had fallen, but really not many obstacles. The area has had alot of rain this summer, so some of the trail was alittle muddy in areas. The park has a nice picnic area along the stream, I think a total of 3 picnic tables w/grills. There are no restaurants close by, so we had packed a picnic to enjoy after our hike. There is a bathroom if you need one, but no running water.
These were the biggest trees I have ever seen, so I was quite impressed and thankful we stopped to see them before they are gone.
These were the biggest trees I have ever seen, so I was quite impressed and thankful we stopped to see them before they are gone.
Written August 10, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes, we saw folks walking their dogs on leashes there.
Written May 5, 2019
We'd like to do the entire figure 8 trail but are concerned about the bees and poison ivy that some have mentioned. Are they easily avoided, or are they prevalent throughout?
Written September 5, 2016
I'm allergic to poison ivy but there wasn't enough to concern me. I'm not saying that some isn't near the trail, but it's not that prevalent--the trails are not overgrown with it. My husband and I don't recall any problems with bees.
Written September 17, 2016
All Joyce Kilmer has been logged. It was some of the first in that area of in now Graham County to be logged because it was the easiest to get to and get the trees out. Poplar Cove was John H Denton's farm so sorry no 400 year old trees there. Denton was the one that started the logging for the Belton Lumber Company in around the middle 1800's and logged a large portion of it before their mill in TN burned down.They built splash dams to float the lumber to TN. They inspired other loggers to use them on up Santeetlah, Snowbird and West Buffalo before they built roads to Andrews, NC the railroads came here. My moms side of the family worked for John then his Son. Then Sherman Stewart also had a pretty big farm in Kilmer, Brownlow Blevins and Many more had settled there. Babcock then bought it and logged about 2/3 of Slickrock and the upper part of Joyce Kilmer. before Calderwood dam was built ending their logging Then Gennett Lumber Company bought Joyce Kilmer, set up a mill at the parking lot and W.T Cloer finished logging it. Now there is your true story. It is difficult but if you search enough all this info is available online. This forest was dedicated to Joyce Kilmer for the most species of trees, not virgin or old growth forest. Why can't somebody print the truth about Joyce Kilmer?
Written August 5, 2015
Showing results 1-6 of 6
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing