No Azaleas (Go In Early Spring!)

The Wild Azalea Canyons is located in a fairly remote area with not much else nearby to see or do.  You have to go out of your way and make a point to get there.

Finding it is a bit challenging since you have to take a few dirt roads back into the woods.  You can find the driving directions here.  There is no sign or kiosk saying "Wild Azalea Canyons" when you arrive.  There is only a corporate sign at a make-shift parking area.

The trail takes you down some stairs into the canyon.  Soon, thereafter, things got a little tricky.  The trail was so overgrown and poorly marked, I got lost several times.  There are numbered markers placed at various points, but I missed several of them and ran into others by sheer accident. At many points, I was bushwhacking cross-country, constantly vigilant of snakes.

After enduring this whole ordeal, I did not see a single azalea.  Not even one late bloomer. :(

If I had to do this hike again, I would recommend two things:

1.  There is a small window of time in the early Spring to see them, so if you are going to go, the best time is during mid-March through early April.

2.  If you have a GPS, load in the coordinates of the numbered signs to help you navigate from point to point.  You can find the coordinates and crude trail map here.