The Whaley Trail

Nestled in a quiet corner in the Great Smoky Mountains, Blackberry Mountain’s Whaley Trail is an immersive experience designed to evoke all five senses while highlighting the natural beauty of the region. 

The one-of-a-kind trail originated from the idea to implement a sensory garden. In considering what the ultimate sensory experience would look like at Blackberry Mountain, the Wellness and Grounds teams expanded the idea from a simple garden to an interactive walk through the woods — an experience uniquely aligned with the Mountain’s adventurous spirit while still grounded and intentional.

With this direction in mind, Land Manager Brad LaFoy began to think through the elements of the Mountain that were the most striking, provided the most stimulation and elicited a genuine response when encountered.

“We wanted to create a space with movement, color and contrast,” Brad said. “Transitions in sound and smell, changes in light and texture, a feeling of being swallowed up or nestled. A goal, some way to interact with the landscape and surprises.”

Brad’s team decided to carve out a space mid-Mountain. Located right along a pasture blooming with wildflowers and native grasses, they felt confident the site could accomplish all the desired elements while also leveraging the natural beauty that makes the Mountain so special.

“While walking the edge of the field, you experience the movement of the wind across the tall grasses, the sounds a visual of all the small songbirds flying away as you approach their perches on the wildflowers,” Brad says. “You’re greeted by colorful flowers, pollinators and the smell of the wildflowers and grasses.”

As you follow the path, the trail transitions from a sunny field to a dense canopy of trees and greenery. 

“You experience a quick change in sound and light as the wind disappears, and you enter a shaded area covered in moss. The moss dampens the noise and creates a calm space. Light filters through the rhododendron onto the moss on sunny days, leaving leaf prints in its wake.”

With a few steps down a gentle slope, you approach a creek bed with different textures and colors.

“The trail then quickly climbs out of the creek along a mossy pass, back into a shaded field of flowers and grasses that overlooks the Labyrinth. There are two chairs for sitting with the purpose of being swallowed up in the wildflowers and experiencing all of the life around you. Above the chairs is a pit of river sand with a small garden for raking and interacting with the landscape. Finally, the trail leads through the field to the Labyrinth, which is an experience in and of itself.”

In just one third of a mile, the trail winds through a diverse array of sensory elements that might require five miles of hiking along a typical trail.

The Whaley Trail was named after Lydia Kear Whaley, a midwife, teacher, healer and renowned weaver born in Sevier County, Tennessee, in 1840. Her appreciation for the Great Smoky Mountains and the tight-knit communities found in them helped inspire the creation of the trail, inviting Blackberry Mountain guests to experience some of the magic for themselves.

In addition to exploring the Whaley Trail at their own leisure, guests can enjoy special programming led by the Blackberry Wellness team. The Winding Woodlands meditation will be offered twice weekly throughout the month of May, guiding guests along a moving meditation that explores aspects of forest bathing (or shinrin-yoku) through sensory experiences with native flora and fauna. Guests are invited to notice textures, colors, scents and more while learning about the important roles of plants such as rhododendron, birch trees and lichen.

 “Throughout the experience, guests are asked to pause and experience what is happening in the woodlands around them — the sunlight filtering through leaves, the sound of a small waterfall flowing nearby, a hawk flying overhead,” Blackberry Wellness Manager Tina Cheema says. “We’ve also incorporated mindfulness elements such as reflexology stones to stimulate acupressure points on the feet and facilitate energy flow through the body and Karesansui-inspired sand raking to highlight the impermanence and fluidity of our lives.”

The Winding Woodlands experience concludes with an invitation for guests to chart their own path through the Labyrinth, with the Wellness team offering thoughtful prompts that shift with the season and what is unfolding in nature.

Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a new explorer, looking to enjoy quiet time to yourself or introspective moments among friends, the Whaley Trail offers a memorable experience to all who wander its path.