Perhaps one of the best kept secrets in the Smoky Mountains is the Courthouse Rock Trail. Unlike the numerous trails that crisscross Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Courthouse Rock Trail is classified as a manway which is an old foot path that is not maintained by the national park system and is largely forgotten. Each year millions of tourists drive by the Courthouse Rock Manway unaware of its existence. The trail leading to this magnificent wonder is so obscure that many life-long residents are unsure of its location and many others are unaware of its existence.

Courthouse Rock is the only free standing rock formation known to exist in the Smokies. The rock looms approximately 60 feet high.

The side of the Courthouse Rock resembles a human face.

Clayton LaPrees of Smoky Mountain Guides is well aware of the path’s existence. He has taken numerous guided tours to the destination over the past five years. The Courthouse Rock Manway was created either by the Cherokee or other indigenous tribes of the region or by early settlers. These manways are not well marked and are so obscure that the trail leading to them is often difficult to find. It takes a trained guide to access the trailhead.

The Moonshine Cave where the Quilliams family made homemade hooch.

Quilliams Waterfall was the primary source of water for the early settlers.

Courthouse Rock is an unusual natural rock formation unique to the Smoky Mountains. The rock is actually the only free standing rock formation of its kind in the Smokies. The rock is composed of several layers of granite, sandstone, and one layer of quartz piled as much as 60 feet high forming one large rock shaped liked a pillar. The rock is smooth on four sides with some crevices allowing climbers a place to scale the heights of the rock. The top is a flat surface that would allow a dedicated rock climber an awe inspiring view of the valley below.

Clayton LaPress cooks fajitas for the tour group on a propane heated grill.

Recently, LaPrees led a group of five hikers up the trail for a Trek and Dine excursion. The Trek and Dine features a hot meal prepared at the destination on a small propane cooker. It is 36 degrees outdoors. LaPrees had instructed his group to wear layers of clothing and to dress warmly. LaPrees met his hikers at the Sugarlands Distillery in Gatlinburg and loaded the troupe into his company van.

The Group is driven toward the manway by LaPrees who relates the history of the region to his clients. Reaching his destination, LaPrees pulls off to the side of the road and assembles his group and all the supplies that will be needed for the trip which he carries in a back pack.

Looking about, the trail is indiscernible. LaPrees leads the group, none of whom have any idea where they are going, over some fallen trees and through rhododendrons. After a short walk a small trail emerges from the thick foliage. The group reaches a stream and each person carefully steps from one stone to the next in hopes of not stepping into the water.

The trail continues on uphill. Along the way LaPrees tells the tales that have become a part of local folk lore. According to LaPrees, the Cherokee may possibly have held court at the Rock.

“There is no written record to prove it, but according to local lore, this site may have been a social gathering for old settlers and also a place of court for native Indians. Some historians have considered it a place once used for hanging judges to carry out hangings,” said LaPrees.

Along the way, the group hikes past the remains of several cabins. The inhabitants of these mountain homes are long gone having sold their land to the federal government decades earlier to make way for the national park. All that remains of the homes are the stone foundations reminiscent of a ghost town. Most prominent among these is the home site of the Joe Quilliams family who once farmed the area. A few metal artifacts, which provide a clue to the existence of those early settlers, are strewn about the property such as what appears to be the door of an old wood stove. These artifacts belong to the national park and it is illegal to remove them. LaPrees explains the role of moonshine in the early days and relates some unusual facts about home remedies found in the mountains that were used by settlers. Nearby is the Moonshine Cave where the family brewed home-made whisky.

“The moss growing on rocks was used by the mountain folks to treat diaper rash,” said LaPrees. “The bloodroot plant was used to prevent swelling and mayapple was found to be a cancer preventative.”

Along the way, LaPrees stops at three different peaks from which the hikers are given a chance to take photos or stare in awe at the magnificent scenery around them. In the distance is the snow-capped Mount LeConte, to the left is Pigeon Forge and between them is a forest that seems almost boundless. Beneath the first peak is an inactive bear’s den. LaPrees continues up the trail through a rhododendron tunnel. At an elevation of 3,000 feet we are nearing our destination. Finally, after more than an hour of hiking, the group crosses over a rise and looming in the distance is an incredible rock formation towering six stories high. This formation is the only such formation known to exist in the Smokies.

“Scientists believe this area was all under water at one time,” said LaPrees. “This rock was formed by the ocean. It is common to see these in Arizona but this is one of the only free standing formation of this type that I know of in the Smokies.”

The group marvels at the natural wonder while LaPrees begins preparing lunch for his group. He serves hot chocolate to warm the chilled hikers then lights up a small propane grill sitting on a rock. Within minutes he serves up chicken fajitas made from garden fresh vegetables he has grown and precooked chicken. The fajitas are wrapped in a whole wheat wrap. After lunch, the group continues admiring the rock formation and pondering what life may have been like for the early settlers who called this area home. Walking around the base there is a name carved on the opposite side by a visitor that had visited the rock in 1827.

Looking about the area it becomes all too apparent the dangers of hiking to this location alone. Because the site is secluded, if a lone hiker or climber were to sustain an injury, it could be days before he is discovered. Cell phone reception is poor in the elevation making it improbable for an injured hiker to call for rescue. During the summer months bears, snakes and yellow jackets are sometimes encountered on the trail. An inexperienced hiker unfamiliar with the area could easily get lost up here as well as there are other trails that lead away from this trail.

LaPrees is careful to clean up after lunch in the interest of leaving the forest as he found it. The hike down the mountain was easier. LaPrees takes a detour to a nearby waterfall which the early inhabitants used as a water supply. After a few photos, the group was ready to make the final leg of the journey. Hiking down the same trail we originally entered into the forest we soon arrive at LaPrees’ van. Looking back from the road, the trail was once again obscure and difficult to locate. It was as if it had faded into the foliage.

A short while later the group arrives at the Sugarlands Distillery where they can sit down and rest after an adventurous trek near the outdoor expedition booth. Smoky Mountain Guides offer a wide array of small group adventure tours throughout this region. Moonshine in the Smokies, Waterfalls & Wineries, Trek & Dine, a variety of auto tours throughout the National Park, seasonal guided hikes, wildflower discoveries, Appalachian trail hikes, multi-day backpacking trips and fly fishing are among the many tours offered. SMG corporate services division offers corporate retreat programs that include: all inclusive company retreats, team building, transportation, executive itineraries, off site programming, sales team events, and their attention to detail in all of their events. They have worked with companies worldwide, which have included MARS, inc., ION, Siemens, Covance, Bush Beans and many more. SMG has been featured on the History Channel as safety consultants for numerous television companies.

Hiking a manway can be hazardous as there is a potential for unwelcome wildlife encounters that could result in injury, there is a possibility of non-wildlife related injuries and the threat of getting lost on undesignated trails. For this reason it is advisable to enjoy the area with a skilled and qualified guide. For more information about Smoky Mountain Guides please visit www.smokymountainguides.com or call Clayton LaPrees at 865-654-4545.