Hiking in the Smokies - There's a Trail for Everyone

By Robbin Dean

Typically, the phrase “Go take a hike” doesn’t exactly have a positive connotation. But when you’re visiting the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, you can be assured that it’s said only with the best of intentions.

That’s because hiking in the Smoky Mountains is one of the most popular activities for area visitors and residents alike. With some 150 official trails within the national park alone, there are plenty of ways to enjoy some of nature’s most beautiful scenery while getting some exercise in the process.

The good news about hiking in the Smokies is that there’s a trail for everyone, from novice to expert, whether you’re looking for a short, casual nature stroll on level terrain or a long, rigorous trek up a mighty peak. There are even paved trails that are handicapped-accessible and child-friendly. And along the way, features like waterfalls, historic structures, rolling meadows and unique geographic formations make for interesting viewing and photographing.

Here’s an overview of just a few of the hiking trails in the Smoky Mountains that you may want to consider when planning a trip to the region:

• Laurel Falls
This paved, 2.5-mile-long trail is one of the easiest and most popular hikes in the national park. Originating on Little River Road, less than four miles from Sugarlands Visitor Center, the trail leads hikers on an easy trek to a scenic 60-foot waterfall.

• Alum Cave Bluff
This site marks the approximate halfway point to the summit of Mt. LeConte, the third-highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains. The trailhead is 8.6 miles south of the visitor center on Newfound Gap Road, and the 2.5-mile, one-way hike is rated as moderate in difficulty. The bluff itself—a black slate formation that juts out nearly 25 yards from the mountainside—is a popular stopping point for hikers. Other notable features found along the trail are Arch Rock (a hollowed-out rock formation) and a wide scar formed by massive landslides. FYI, Alum Cave Trail is just one of several different paths leading to the top of Mt. LeConte, and it is generally considered the shortest but steepest way to the peak.

• Chimney Tops
These twin slate-rock pinnacles are an easily recognizable sight from Newfound Gap Road, towering some 1,300 feet above road level. This steep, four-mile hike is rated as strenuous, but as Great Smoky Mountains hiking trails go, the payoff is well worth the effort. Many nearby Smokies peaks are in plain view once you reach the top, including Mt. LeConte to the northeast, Mt. Mingus to the southeast and Sugarland Mountain to the west.

• Little Greenbrier School/Walker Sisters’ Cabin
At the other end of the difficulty spectrum is the trail to the Little Greenbrier School, which originates at the Metcalf Bottoms parking area on Little River Road. The school, one of the national park’s many historic structures, is just a little over a half-mile away, and if you go another mile beyond, following the Little Brier Gap Trail, you’ll reach another notable site, the Walker Sisters’ Cabin.

• Cades Cove Nature Trail
This easy trail can be found in the popular Cades Cove section of the national park, less than a mile past the visitor center. The two-mile loop offers up an abundance of native vegetation, and because it is one of the park’s best-kept secrets, it’s typically not as congested with other hikers as many of the more popular trails.