
Smith Spring is one of several springs along the base of the Eastern escarpment. There is no reliable water in the high country. When it rains, water quickly enters a series of cracks and joints in the limestone, later emerging in springs like this below the escarpment. The water from Smith Spring goes underground just a short way below the spring, later reemerging at Manzanita Spring.
At this point you have entered a lush riparian (streamside) woodland. This beautiful oasis is made possible by the water emerging from the spring. Because of this abundant water, trees can survive here that could not live in the open desert.
Look for tall, long-needled pines with orange-colored bark. These are Ponderosa Pines.
See if you can locate a tree with peeling red bark and green leaves (even in winter). This is the Texas Madrone. In the fall the Texas Madrone may have red berries on it, and in the spring look for white flowers.
Try to find a deciduous tree with small maple-like leaves. This will be much easier in the fall when the leaves have turned brilliant reds and oranges. This tree is the big-toothed maple.
At this point you have entered a lush riparian (streamside) woodland. This beautiful oasis is made possible by the water emerging from the spring. Because of this abundant water, trees can survive here that could not live in the open desert.
Look for tall, long-needled pines with orange-colored bark. These are Ponderosa Pines.
See if you can locate a tree with peeling red bark and green leaves (even in winter). This is the Texas Madrone. In the fall the Texas Madrone may have red berries on it, and in the spring look for white flowers.
Try to find a deciduous tree with small maple-like leaves. This will be much easier in the fall when the leaves have turned brilliant reds and oranges. This tree is the big-toothed maple.
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Itineraries across USA

Acadia

Arches National Park

Badlands

Big Bend

Biscayne

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison

Bryce Canyon

Canyonlands

Capitol Reef

Carlsbad Caverns

Channel Islands

Congaree

Crater Lake

Cuyahoga Valley

Death Valley

Dry Tortugas

Everglades

Gateway Arch

Glacier

Grand Canyon

Grand Teton

Great Basin

Great Smoky Mountains

Guadalupe Mountains

Haleakalā

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes

Hot Springs

Indiana Dunes

Isle Royale

Joshua Tree

Kenai Fjords

Kobuk Valley

Lassen Volcanic

Mammoth Cave

Mesa Verde

Mount Rainier

North Cascades

Olympic

Petrified Forest

Pinnacles

Rocky Mountain

Saguaro

Shenandoah

Theodore Roosevelt

Virgin Islands

Voyageurs

White Sands

Wind Cave

Yellowstone

Yosemite

Zion