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. After the visit I hiked up to the neighboring Huckleberry Knob, where only a few R. calendulaceum grow.
