Mt Kephart (6,217') is the 9th highest peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's proximity to Newfound Gap and the Appalachian Trail make it one of the most accessible high peaks in the Park. On its northeast shoulder is The Jumpoff (6,133'), one of the best viewpoints in the Smokies. From Newfound Gap the AT joins the Dry Sluice Gap, Grassy Branch, and Sweat Heifer trails to form an ecologically varied lollipop loop through high mountains and low hardwood forests.

Views from the ridge below Charlies Bunion

Carotenoids produce orange and yellow colors, while reds and purples come from anthocyanins, a pigment formed when sugars in leaves break down in bright sunlight

Wild turkey are found at all elevations in the Park, and are particularly common on the Dry Sluice Gap Trail

Autumn berries provide a vital food source for bears as they prepare for hibernation

Leaves change color in the fall as chlorophyll ceases production and allows less dominate pigments a chance to be seen

Where there are berries there are bear, and fresh scat is a common sight along the Appalachian Trail

View across the North Carolina - Tennessee border from Newfound Gap

Open ridges near Charlie's Bunion provide big, open views to the north

The bridge over Kephart Prong at the loop's lowest point

By mid fall, high elevation trails are littered with fallen leaves