Hiking in
The Smoky Mountains
The Smoky Mountains offer a large variety of trails with specific skill levels for those who really want to get into the mountain wilderness, or those who just want to have a nature walk. There are 150 maintained hiking trails spread over 500,000 acres in Tennessee and North Carolina up to 800 miles of trails! These include the most popular 70-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail, offering a great way to enjoy plant and wildlife. About 550 miles of the park's hiking trails are open to horses.
Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains
Kephart Prong Trail:
Historic CCC camp remains, and Kephart camping shelter.
Trailhead: This trail is located on
the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park.
Distance: 4 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 805 ft
Hike Time: 2.5 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Trail Condition: OK, but a few difficult spots
Kephart
backpacking shelter
Abrams Falls Trail:
This trail is a 5 miles roundtrip rated easy.
Baskins Creek Falls
Big Creek
Deep Creek Loop
Falls Trail:
This is a 2 miles roundtrip
Gabes Mountain Trail:
This trail is 6.6 miles one way, rated moderate.
Grotto Falls
25' high
On Trillium Gap Trail at 1.3 miles from Grotto Falls parking lot on Roaring Fork Motor Trail. The trail to Grotto Falls climbs only 520 feet along the way, through virgin forest of hemlock, beeches, silverbells, and maples.
This trail is 12.8 miles round trip. Trail ends on top of Mt. Le Conte.
Henwallow Falls Trail:
This trail
is 4.4 miles roundtrip along a moderate.
Indian Flats Falls
Juney Whank Fallls
Laurel Falls Trail:
This trail is 2.6 miles round trip and is easy
Laurel Falls is one of the Park's most traveled. The trail divides the
waterfall in two. At the top, Laurel Branch bursts from a grove of
rhododendron, or "laurel" as it was called by early settlers, and falls
nearly 50 feet to collect in a pool perfect for soaking tired feet. The
falls continues on from that pool for about 35 feet before reaching the
bottom.
Rainbow Falls Trail :
This trail is 5.2 miles round trip and rated moderate.
Ramsay Cascades
Spruce Flats Falls
VIEWS
Andrews Bald Trail:
Bote Mountain Trail: This trail is 5.1 miles one way and is rated difficult
Bullhead Trail: This trail is a 12.6 miles round trip hike and is strenuous
Charlie’s Bunion Trail:
This 8 mile roundtrip hike is rated moderate
located on the Appalachian Trail, is a popular day
hike.
Meigs Mountain Trail:
This trail is 6.4 miles one way and is rated easy
Chimmey Tops Trail:
Clingmans Dome:
At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park's highest point. It is the highest point in
Tennessee, and the second highest point east of the Mississippi. Only North
Carolina's Mt. Mitchell (6,684 feet) rises higher. The Smoky Mountains
have
Jakes Creek/Blanket Mountain Trail: This trail is 4.1 miles one way and is rated moderate
Low Gap Trail: This trail is 5.4 miles one way and is rated moderate
Lower Mount Cammerer Trail: This trail is 7.4 miles one way and rated difficult
Maddron Bald Trail: This trail is 7 miles one way and is rated difficult.
Mount LeConte: Elevation 6,593
Sugarland Mountain Trail: This trail is 12.3 miles one way and is rated moderate
Wildflowers
Brushy Mountain Trail: This trail is 11.8 miles roundtrip and is rated moderate.
Cove Hardwood Nature Trail: This trail is a 0.8 of a mile loop,
Gregory Ridge Trail: This trail is 4.9 miles one way and is rated moderate
Little River: Cucumber Gap: Jakes Creek Loop: This trail is a 5.1 mile, one way loop, rated easy,
Porters Creek Trail: This trail is 3.7 miles one way and is rated easy.
Ramsay Cascade Trail: This trail is 8 miles roundtrip and rated moderate.
Russell Field Trail: This trail is 5 miles one way and is rated moderate with
Snake Den Ridge Trail: This trail is 5.3 miles one way and is rated
Sugarland Valley Nature Trail:
HISTORICAL SITES
Grape yard Ridge Trail: This trail is 7.6 miles one way and rated moderate
Old Settlers TRAIL:
This trail is 15.9 miles one way and rated moderate
Little
Greenbrier
School:
Little Greenbrier School near Metcalf Bottoms
in the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park
Little Greenbrier School, built in 1882. This log structure was used to
teach near-by families for over 50 years as well as a church for
Sunday meetings. Formal classes ended in 1935. "Miss Elsie" Burrell brought
back the spirit of Little Greenbrier in 1969 at the age of 65. Miss Elsie
thought children till the age of 95, about the Smoky Mountains.
Other Great hikes near the Smoky Mountains
Pets
Leashed pets are allowed in developed areas and along roads, but are not
allowed on park trails.
Caution is advised
in the backcountry. The park's
backcountry is managed as a natural area where the forces of nature
determine trail conditions. Please be prepared for swollen streams, bridge
washouts, downed trees, and trail erosion—particularly between December and
May due to the seasonal nature of the trail maintenance program.
Appalachian trail