Big Canoe Property Owners Association, Inc.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate - at one point there is a steep embankment with steps. If you are concerned with the difficulty, it is easier to hike if entered near the Scout Hut.

Features: The trail follows along Blackwell Creek with the water flowing over the rocks in the stream. Walking through a mature forest with many large hemlocks is a relaxing experience. This trail features benches with meditation books and Bibles in the small boxes near the benches.

This trail follows through the Robert B. Platt Botanical Garden. The Botanical Garden is a natural area with a mature forest with many plants native to this area including native flowers, ferns, rhododendrons, Carolina Hemlock and American Beech. A pioneer cabin that you can explore is near the beginning of the trail and there is a reflecting pool and benches for you to relax on.

How to get there: Traveling north on Steve Tate Highway from the Main Gate, take the first left into area with the amphitheater. You can park on the left. The entry to both the Botanical Garden and the Blackwell Creek Trail is to the right of the parking area. You can also continue past the first parking area, turn right at the first road, continue past the amphitheater to the Scout Hut and enter the trail to the left of the Scout Hut. The trail is a loop, so you will come back to where you started.