The hike to Quilliams Cave and Courthouse Rock is one of the better-known off-trail hiking routes in the Smokies. There’s lots of info about it online, and the hike is relatively short and easy. But for some reason, Jean and I had never hiked it. I’d found a GPX track, plus several maps and descriptions online, but none of this info was as clear and useful as I was used to getting from my regular sources. Even though I wasn’t confident about the route, Jean and I decided to give it shot. Luckily for us Ed decided to come along.
Ed,
of course, had done the hike, and, of course, led the hike for the SMHC, and,
of course, had used the route to launch a more ambitious trip up and over
Sugarland Mountain. But it had been several years since Ed’s trips, so there
would be some adventure for all of us.
We
met up to carpool at Sugarlands VC. We first drove up US 441 to a small pullout
on the west where the road crosses Road Turn Branch. We were hoping to start on
the grade of the long-abandoned pre-US 441 Road but did not see the grade here.
So, we drove up to the second pullout on the right and tried again. This time we found old road just above the new one.
The
wide, engineered grade of the pre-441 road was obvious, but overgrown to our
left (and heading south). We followed a well-defined manway along the grade to
our right (north). Almost immediately the manway forks. Another good manway splits
left providing a short cut across Hickory King Branch back to the main manway
along Road Turn Branch. We continued right on the manway and old road. The main
manway is well used for its entire length, and it is no trouble to follow even
in the midst of summer growth. However, there are numerous side paths that will
distract hikers from the main route. I’ve heard various versions of whether or
not this manway was once a park maintained trail. Ed thought it never had been
an official trail, but one of the write-ups I found on the old “Go Smokies”
website stated, “The 1945 park book called this the Rock House, but was never
put in any newer books.” The manway does not appear on the 1931 map, but the
1949 park map shows the manway along Road Turn Branch.
It
was too late for flowers after our early spring, but the spring green still
dominated, and we saw foliage for many flowers including trilliums. The manway
was clear through the explosion of spring growth, and there was even a little
very old gravel in the tread. As the manway turns left into Road Turn Branch,
it leaves the old road grade. The manway then follows the branch a short
distance. Where the manway turns right and away from the branch, we could see a
faint path crossing the creek. This path is likely the west end of the
connector manway that we had seen near our parking pullout. Our intent was to
take this connector on our return leg, but we all missed seeing this junction
as we came back down.
The
manway climbs the north side of Road Turn Branch using two switchbacks, the
first is long and wide, and the second is short and sharp. A few old rock piles
presumably mark old farm structures. Much of the manway is a rhodo or laurel
tunnel, the opportunities for going cross country here looked limited. There
are overlooks in the elbows of the switchbacks out toward Big Branch, Bullhead
and Balsam Point on LeConte.
Ed looking at LeConte.
At
about 2900’, a gravestone-sized rock marks the start of the ~0.1-mile side trip
to Courthouse Rock. 
Marker for the turn to Courthouse Rock.
It
is hard to judge the size of the rock amid summer’s growth, but it is likely 50
feet in, and the about same in height. There is one smaller rock above it
(Judge Rock?) but otherwise Courthouse Rock sits alone on the hillside, like
some lost visitor from the canyon country of the Big South Fork. The front side
of the rock is clear of vegetation, but circling the rock requires some rhodo
bashing on the back end. Both here and at Quilliams Cave we noticed more
graffiti than usual for the Smokies. Are vandals more active in these unmapped,
but internet available places, where the rangers are less likely to patrol?
Jean at Courthouse Rock.
We
headed back to the main manway and resumed our climb. The manway is steep, and
there are more blowdowns above Courthouse Rock, but this is easy hiking by
off-trail standards. There is another crossing of Road Turn Branch, then manway
becomes braided near the top. But the climb is worth it! The cave sits at the
base of a ~100’ tall band of cliffs circling around the head of Road Turn
Branch. The left side of the cliff is mostly breakdown, but there is a wide
rock house-like cave occupying the right side, ideal for a lunch stop. The day
had been bright and shiny, and the stark contrast between the bright sky and
the shade of the dense forest made for difficult photography. Winter photos
with even light and less foreground clutter would be better than what we could
capture in the harsh sunlight. After exploring a “Hidden Passage”-like route
through the back of the cave, we headed back down the manway. 
Jean and Ed in Quilliams Cave.
Just
below Courthouse Rock, we heard the voices of another party but did not see
them. We missed the end of the bypass trail at the crossing of Road Turn Branch.
Probably this junction is much clearer in winter. But we did spot the short
side trail to a viewpoint and small waterfall. Total distance for the hike was
about 3.6 miles. 
Ed and I at small falls on Road Turn Branch.
