Spring Wildflowers of the New River Gorge: The Rend Trail

As the last snows of winter linger, it’s comforting to know that spring will come and flowers will bloom. And it’s true what they say about spring wildflowers; they sprout up out of nowhere. As chaotic and uncertain as the world seems to be, we can still count on spring wildflowers to carpet the forest floor. The best place to spot spring wildflowers are on the trails that run along the bottom of the New River Gorge. The National Park Service (NPS) maintains many such trails. In this blog I’d like to feature one of these trails and point out which spring wildflowers to look for.

Rounded-leaved Ragwort

The Rend Trail

Hiking the NPS Rend Trail will reward spring wildflower seekers. The Rend trailhead is on the road to Thurmond and is not far from the Stone Cliff trailhead. Directions according to the NPS are as follows:  “From U.S. Route 19 north of Beckley, take the Glen Jean-Thurmond exit. Take an immediate left, and go 0.5 miles to Glen Jean. Take a right and follow the signs to Thurmond (WV Route 25). The trailhead is on the left, 5.1 mile down WV Route 25.”

Common Fleabane

Mid-April

Rather than finding a lot of the earliest spring wildflowers, Phyllis and I like the Rend Trail for wildflowers that bloom in middle to late April. Common fleabane, wild strawberry, wild blue phlox, Dutchman’s breeches, squirrel corn, Solomon’s seal, false Solomon’s seal, and wild geranium are common. But the main attraction of the Rend Trail for us is Jack-in-the-Pulpit and a special stand of trillium. Jack-in-the-Pulpit abound on the Rend Trail. This uniquely formed spring wildflower is a favorite of ours. About a mile from the trailhead, it is found in numbers on the uphill banks of the trail. Along this segment of the trail, Jack seems to pop his head up every other step you take. Being photographers, we like the challenge of trying to capture images of Jack-in-the-Pulpit, which is not easy since “Jack” likes to hide under a large, overhanging leaf. 

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Trillium Galore

About 1 ½ miles from the trailhead, the Rend Trail meets the Arbuckle Connector Trail, which descends to the South Side Trail. Take this connector trail to its intersection with the South Side Trail. Near the intersection of the two trails, there’s a stand of trillium well worth seeing. The trillium is white wake robin that extends on both sides of the trail in lavish numbers. If you time it right and catch the trilliums when they’re fresh, the abundant blossoms are a sight to behold. To be sure, this stand of wildflowers is a little off the Rend Trail, but is worth the extra effort. 

Trillium

Note:

Judging by what I saw on March 30th of this year, I’d say the trillium will be out early. I estimate they will hit peak around April 7th.

Wild Blue Phlox