Hiking
Abrams Falls Trail. This 5-mile round-trip trail is one of the most popular in the Smokies, in part due to the trailhead location near stop no. 10 on the loop road in Cades Cove, which gets more than 2 million visitors a year. Beginning at the wooden bridge over Abrams Creek, the trail first goes along a pleasant course through rhododendron. It becomes somewhat steep at a couple of points, especially near Arbutus Ridge. The path then leads above Abrams Falls and down to Wilson Creek. Though only about 20 feet high, the falls are beautiful, with a large volume of water and a broad pool below. It is dangerous to climb or swim near the falls, or jump from them, and many people have been injured by trying to do so. Cades Cove Loop Rd., Townsend, Tennessee, 37882. www.nps.gov/grsm.
Appalachian Trail at Newfound Gap. For those who want to say they hiked part of the Applachian Trail (www.nps.gov/appa), which runs some 72 miles through the Great Smokies, this section is a great place to start; it's easy to get to and not too steep. Park in the Newfound Gap Overlook parking lot and cross the road to the trail. From Newfound Gap to Indian Gap the trail goes 1.7 miles through spruce-fir high-elevation forest, and in late spring and summer there are quite a few wildflowers. The total round-trip distance is 3.4 miles. Appalachian Trail, U.S. 441 (Newfound Gap Rd.), Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. www.nps.gov/grsm.
Chimney Tops Trail. Pant, wheeze, and gasp. This is a fairly short yet steep trail that will take a lot out of you, but it gives back a lot, too. The payoff for the difficult climb is one of the best views in the Smokies. In places the trail has loose rock (hiking poles are recommended), and the elevation gain is 1,350 feet. Some sections have steep stairs. The trail was closed for about a year due to damage from a major fire in late 2016. As a result of the fire, the area around the pinnacles became unsafe, so you can no longer climb to the peak, and a new observation deck was built roughly 1/4 mile from the summit, with views of Mt. LeConte and the pinnacles. The total distance round-trip is 3.6 miles. This trail is not recommended for small children. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 37738. www.nps.gov/grsm. Free.
Elkmont Nature Trail. This 1-mile loop is good for families, especially if you're camping at Elkmont. It passes by many of the remaining buildings in the Elkmont Historic District. Pick up a self-guided brochure (50¢) at the start of the trail. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, 37738. 865/436–1200; www.nps.gov/grsm.
Gatlinburg Trail. This is one of only two trails in the park where dogs and bicycles are permitted (the other one is Oconaluftee River Trail on the North Carolina side). Dogs must be on leashes. The 1.9-mile trail (one way), which starts at Sugarlands Visitor Center, follows the Little Pigeon River. Sugarlands Visitor Center, U.S. 441, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 37738. 865/436–1200; www.nps.gov/grsm.
Laurel Falls. This paved trail is fairly easy. It takes you past a series of cascades to a 60-foot waterfall and a stand of old-growth forest. The trail is extremely popular in summer and on weekends almost anytime (trolleys from Gatlinburg stop here), so don't expect solitude. The 1.3-mile paved trail to the falls is wheelchair accessible. Wooden posts mark every one-tenth of a mile, and the total round-trip hike is 2.6 miles. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 37738. www.nps.gov/grsm.
Little River Trail at Elkmont. This 5.1-mile loop (if Cucumber Gap and Jakes Creek trails are included) offers a little of everything—historical buildings, fly-fishing, a waterfall, and wildflowers. The first part of the trail wanders past remnants of old logging operations and cottages that were once the summer homes of wealthy Tennesseans. Huskey Branch Falls appears at about 2 miles. The Little River Trail passes the junction with three other trails, offering the possibility for even longer hikes—Cucumber Gap at 2.3 miles, Huskey Gap at 2.7 miles, and Goshen Prong Trail at 3.7 miles. The trail is normally open even in winter. At any point you can try your hand at fly-fishing for trout in the Little River, one of the best trout streams in the park (license required). Parking at the trailhead has been improved and expanded. This is the habitat of the synchronous fireflies, which put on their light show on late May and June evenings. Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 37738. www.nps.gov/grsm.
Sugarlands Valley Trail. The easiest trail in the park, it's only 0.25 miles one way, virtually level, and paved, so it's suitable for young children, strollers, and wheelchairs. A brochure available at the start (50¢) explains the numbered exhibits and features of the trail. U.S. 441 (Newfound Gap Rd.), Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 37738. www.nps.gov/grsm.
Trillium Gap Trail to Grotto Falls. Grotto Falls is the only waterfall in the park that you can walk behind. The Trillium Gap Trail, off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which leads to Grotto Falls, is primarily through a hemlock forest (many of the hemlocks have been killed by the hemlock woolly adelgid). Only 1.3 miles long, with an easy slope, this trail is suitable for novice hikers and is one of the most popular in the park. The total round-trip distance to Grotto Falls is 2.6 miles. Trillium Gap Trail continues on to LeConte Lodge. It is a horse trail, and llamas resupplying the lodge also use it. The Roaring Fork Motor Trail is closed in winter. Off Roaring Fork Motor Trail, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, 37738. www.nps.gov/grsm.
