From a distance Hooper Bald is a fairly nondescript mountain, located on the Cherohala Skyway in far western North Carolina on the Tennessee border. A short distance to the north is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. What makes Hooper Bald special are the many R. calendulaceum that grow up here at about 1650m elevation. The range of variation is extremely high and there are many individuals with especially large flowers. Pictures in this gallery are from two subsequent days.
