20 Best Hikes in the Smokies – Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park

LOOKING FOR THE BEST HIKES IN THE SMOKIES?

You’ve landed on the right article! We’ve been traveling together since 2010 and have visited over 30 national parks. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States, and within a few minutes of driving through, it was easy for us to see why.

The East Coast national parks are beautiful. This national park is one of the best places because of the best hikes in the Smokies.

Rugged mountain peaks, cascading waterfalls, and lush vegetation paint a beautiful picture. The park is 500,000 acres spread through the Southern Appalachian range. Be on the lookout for animal life ranging from black bears to fireflies.

Best Hikes in the Smokies

1. Appalachian Trail

About 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail, one of the best hikes in the Smokies, runs through Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It starts at Fontana Dam and ends at Davenport Gap. We hiked from the Newfound Gap parking area. Hiking part of the trail is fun because you get to say that you’ve hiked part of the Appalachian Trail, one of the most famous trails in America.

You can hike for as long as your party wants before heading back. We didn’t like it quite as much as some of our other hikes because there isn’t a destination, but it is still worth some time to say you’ve spent some time on this 2,200-mile footpath.

However, if you’re looking for a long hiking trail in the park, this is one of the best hikes in the Smokies.

Newfound Gap

A great place to start hiking on the Appalachian Trail is Newfound Gap. This is a beautiful stop along U.S. Highway 411. It is the highest point along the road. The views are beautiful, and it is a really easy place to stop and enjoy the views.

You can straddle the North Carolina and Tennessee State Line and stroll down the Appalachian Trail. There is a large parking area and the Rockefeller Memorial. The memorial honors a donation from the Rockefeller Foundation that helped complete land acquisitions to make the park.

2. Cades Cove

Cades Cove is an 11-mile roadway that is open to hikers, bikers, and vehicles. If you’re looking to hike this road without automobile traffic, the road is open to bicycles and walkers on Wednesdays. You can also enjoy the road without vehicles on Saturdays from 8 am to 10 am.

This stretch will take you through beautiful landscapes and abundant wildlife. We saw deer, wild turkeys, and bears on a trip through Cades Cove. We watched the baby bears with their mom rustle through the grass. It was our first time spotting a bear in the wild.

If you do decide to drive, keep in mind that Cades Cove is a one-way drive and can get backed up. When there is wildlife, people will stop or drive very slow causing backups. If you’re short on time, you need to prepare for the possibility this drive has the potential to take a while. Because it is such a popular area of the park, it’s best to start your day here as early as possible.

About halfway through the drive, visit the Cades Cove Visitor Center for more information about Cades Cove and limited facilities. There are ranger-led programs as well as indoor and outdoor exhibits at the visitor center. This is one of the best trails in the Smoky Mountains.

3. Porters Creek Trail

• Length: 7 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,512 feet
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Moderate

This trail is a place for Great Smoky Mountains National Park hiking. The trail features Porters Creek, a historic cemetery and farm, and a waterfall. With plenty to see along the way, this is an entertaining and fun hike if you’re up for the seven-mile trek.

About half a mile into the trail, you will get to the old fountains and rock walls. These are remnants of an old settlement in the area. After about another quarter mile, you will get to the old cemetery. At the one-mile marker, there is a short turnoff leading to a historic farm site. There are old barns here as well as the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club Cabin.

The waterfall is about a mile past the hiking club cabin. If you’re looking to combine some history and nature, this is one of the best hikes in the Smoky Mountains.

4. Alum Cave Trail

• Length: 4.4 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,125 feet
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Hard

This trail starts at the Newfound Gap Road and will take you up to one of the coolest caves in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There is lots to see along the way like Arch Rock, Anakeesta Ridge, and Inspiration Point. You can also catch glimpses of the Eye of the Needle at the top of Little Duck Hawk Ridge.

The trailhead for this hike is the Alum Cave Trailhead. It is about 8.7 miles south of the Sugarlands Visitor Center on Newfound Gap Road. Parking at the trailhead does fill up so it’s a good idea to start early in the day if you’re hiking during the busy season.

This trail takes about 6 hours to hike.

5. Deep Creek Loop

• Length: 4.9 miles
• Elevation Gain: 895 feet
• Route Type: Loop
• Difficulty: Moderate

This is a gorgeous loop trail if you want to get out and enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains hiking trails. In the spring, this trail has lots of beautiful wildflowers and there is a nice waterfall to see along the way.

This hike starts at the Deep Creek Trailhead and follows the Deep Creek upstream. Tom Branch Falls, an 80-foot waterfall, is a short walk from the trailhead. You can then continue to the Indian Creek Falls.

At the Indian Creek Trail junction, you will want to turn right which will take you on the loop portion of this hike. There are some other trail intersections on this hike so it’s a good idea to have a map with you to make sure you stay on the loop back to the trailhead.

If you want to detour to see another waterfall, you can take a 1.2-mile detour to Juney Whank Falls, an 80-foot waterfall.

Best Hikes in the Smokies – Waterfalls

6. Spruce Flats Falls

• Length: 1.8 miles
• Elevation Gain: 413 feet
• Route Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Moderate

Spruce Flat Falls was one of our favorite Great Smoky Mountains waterfalls and it is one of the popular hikes in the park. It is an easy to moderate hike that is not as well known, making it a quieter trail. When we got to the parking area, there was only one other car in the parking lot.

There are a few tricky hiking spots because of the narrowness of the trail and some drop-offs. Along the trail, you will see plenty of ferns, wildlife, and deciduous trees.

The parking for the trailhead is at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. After parking, follow the gravel trail towards the dorms and keep an eye out for the trail signs to your left.

7. Laurel Falls Trail

• Length: 2.4 miles
• Elevation Gain: 396 feet
• Route Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Easy

This is one of the best Great Smoky Mountains National Park Hiking Trails. Laurel Falls is an 80-foot waterfall that is surrounded by a river area that is fun to play in.

It is considered to be the most popular waterfall trail in the park. During the busy months, it is not unusual to have 1,500+ hikers a day visiting Laurel Falls.

Once you get to the falls, there is a concrete bridge that lets you get to the other side of the falls. We spent some time on the other side of the falls and then let the kids play in the river just downstream from the falls.

The trail to Laurel Falls is paved but in sections, it is pretty broken up. If you’re bringing a stroller, it would be best to try to carry it through these spots. I would bring a child carrier over a stroller if you can. I would not consider it to be a stroller-friendly trail because of the damage.

This is one of our favorite Great Smoky Mountains waterfalls and well worth the hike. Another beautiful waterfall to hike to in Eastern Tennessee is Ozone Falls.

8. Ramsey Cascades

• Length: 8.1 miles
• Elevation Gain: 2,150 feet
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Hard

If you are looking for a Great Smoky Mountains National Park hiking trail that can double as a workout, Ramsey Cascades is a great waterfall hike. It is a moderately strenuous hike with most of the elevation gain being in the final ascent to the waterfall.

Ramsey Cascades is the tallest waterfall in the park and is one of the best hikes in the Smokies. This is a popular waterfall hike so expect to share the trail with fellow hikers, especially during the peak summer and fall foliage seasons.

Along with the waterfall, this trail will take you by one of the largest old-growth forests in the Smoky Mountains. Some of the biggest trees in the park are along this trail, some of which are over 140 feet tall. There is also a fun footbridge that crosses the Ramsey part of the Little Pigeon River.

At the park, you can enjoy watching the water cascading down about 100 feet. There are several layers and small pools to enjoy.

9. Grotto Falls

• Length: 2.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 544 feet
• Route Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Moderate

On our last afternoon in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we set out to hike to Grotto Falls. It was a perfect way to end our time in the park. It is a beautiful trail and one that our entire family enjoyed.

The hike into the waterfall is mostly uphill but my four-year-old twins hiked it without too much complaint. This was one of the best hikes in the Smokies for our family.

We loved this waterfall because you can go behind the waterfall to get to the other side. It is the only Great Smoky Mountains National Park that you can go behind. My kids had so much fun playing in the water, finding salamanders (remember to not touch them!), and exploring the area.

10. Mingo Falls

• Length: 0.3 miles
• Elevation Gain: 98 feet
• Route Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Moderate

Mingo Falls is just outside the park on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. It is 120 feet tall and is one of the most spectacular Great Smoky Mountains National Park waterfalls.

The hike to the falls has 161 steep steps to the viewing bridge that crosses directly in front of the falls. The steps can be slippery in the rain so be careful.

11. Abrams Falls Trail

• Length: 5.2 miles
• Elevation Gain: 675 feet
• Route: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Moderate

One of the best Smoky Mountain hikes is the Abrams Falls Trail. This is a very popular hike and found on the Cades Cove Loop. For the most part, the trail follows Abrams Creek with beautiful pine-oak trees and hemlock.

After you’ve hiked for about two and a half miles, there is a short spur on the left side of the trail which goes to Abrams Falls. After a short walk, you’ll reach a large sandy area where you can see the waterfall.

The waterfall is about 20 feet tall but has a large volume of water going over the falls. As with all waterfalls, it’s a good idea to be very cautious if climbing over the rocks. It is not recommended to swim here because of the cold water and strong currents created by the falls.

This is a popular hike as is the Cades Cove loop drive. It’s a good idea to start this hike as early as you can to avoid the traffic jams that can occur along Cades Cove.

Best Hikes in the Smokies – Beautiful Views

12. Clingmans Dome

• Length: 1.2 miles
• Elevation Gain: 331 feet
• Route Type: Out & Back
• Difficulty: Moderate

Clingmans Dome is the highest point in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is one of the best hikes in the Smokies. The views from 6,643 feet are unbeatable. Although it is only half a mile from the Clingmans Dome parking lot, it is very steep.

It is paved but it would be difficult to bring a stroller because of the grade. At the end of the hike, there is an observation tower that has unbeatable 360 views of the Smokies. There is a steep half-mile walk to the top of the tower. On a clear day, you can see for up to 100 miles.

If you are hiking Clingmans Dome, it is a good idea to bring some extra layers. It can be 10-20 degrees cooler than in the surrounding lower areas. It was one of our favorite places to go hiking in Smoky Mountain National Park because of the amazing view from the observation tower.

The Clingmans Dome Road is open from April to November.

Is the hike to Clingmans Dome hard?

The hike to Clingmans Dome is a moderate hike. It is short but steep. There are lots of benches to take a break if you need it. If you take your time, the hike is very doable. Our twins who were four at the time did this hike.  

13. Mt LeConte via the Alum Cave Trail

• Length: 11 miles
• Elevation Gain: 2763 feet
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Strenuous

If you’re looking for one of the best hikes in Smoky Mountain National Park, Mt LeConte is one of the classics. There are lots of trails to get to the top of Mt. LeConte but this section is going to talk about getting to the summit via the Alum Cave Trail.

The Alum Cave Trail is full of fun things to see along the way, making the 11-mile hike a lot more entertaining.

You will make your way past the Alum Cave Trail which we discussed earlier in this article. As you make your way past the cave, you will pass other beautiful landmarks like Gracie’s Pulpit and some narrow ledges. There are some places where there are some ledges next to large drop-offs.

Just after turning onto the Rainbow Falls Trail, you will get to the LeConte Lodge. The views here are beautiful. You can continue hiking for about another half mile to the official top of Mt. LeConte, also known as High Top.

At about 6,593 feet of elevation, there are beautiful views of the Smokies.

If you don’t want to make the trek back down, you can spend the night at the LeConte Lodge. Meals including dinner and breakfast are included in the nightly rate.

14. Mount Cammerer via Low Gap Trail

• Length: 11.9 miles
• Elevation Gain: 3,169 feet
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Hard

Climbing to the top of Mount Cammerer is one of the best hikes in the Smoky Mountains if you are seeking out amazing views. At the top of Mount Cammerer, there is a historic fire tower with amazing views of Tennessee and North Carolina.

This hike takes about six to eight hours to finish so you’ll want to get an early start. The trail, starting at the Cosby Campground, is an easy trail to follow making its way through the forest and creek.

The Low Gap Trail has a good majority of the elevation gain and the hike gets easier as you make your way onto the Appalachian Trail. At around the four-mile mark, the trail begins to level out and the beautiful views of the valley below start to appear. The last half-mile also has some large elevation gain and switchbacks.

15. Charlies Bunion via the Appalachian Trail

• Length: 8 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,886 feet
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Moderate

One of the best hikes in the Smokies is the Charlies Bunion trail. The trail has beautiful panoramic views of the national park, specifically the North Carolina Smokies, Mount LeConte, and Myrtle Point.

This trail starts at the Newfound Gap parking area where you will make your way down the Appalachian Trail. About half a mile into the hike, the trail will open up for some beautiful panoramic views.

Charlies Bunion is a rock ledge with beautiful views. There are some large drop-offs here, so you’ll want to watch your step. From the top, you can see Mt. Kephart, Jump Off, and Mount Guyot.

16. Chimney Tops Trail 

• Length: 4.4 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,346 feet
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Hard

Another one of the popular places to go hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is along the Chimney Tops Trail. There is a large observation deck at the summit with beautiful panoramic views for hikers.

This is a great trail for hiking but there is a lot of elevation gain in a short period of time. The first mile of the hike is pretty easy. The second half of the hike has about 960 feet of elevation gain in a mile.

BEST HIKES IN THE SMOKIES – EASY/FAMILY-FRIENDLY

17. ANDREWS BALD

• Length: 3.6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 875 feet
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Moderate

If you are looking for family-friendly or easy hiking in Smoky Mountains National Park, there are lots of great trails to pick from. You can easily combine this hike with Clingmans Dome.

Andrews Bald is a large grassy meadow with beautiful views of the Smoky Mountains. There are beautiful views of Fontana Lake as well. This is a great place to enjoy lunch during your hike.

The roads going to this trailhead, as well as Clingmans Dome, can be closed seasonally, so it’s a good idea to check the conditions before going out to hike Andrews Bald. 

18. GATLINBURG TRAIL

• Length: 3.9 miles
• Elevation Gain: 164 feet
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Easy

This is one of two trails where you can ride your bike and hike with your dogs, making it a very popular trail for hiking in the Smokies. It is a great place for hiking, mountain biking, and trail running. This trail is open year-round.

The path follows the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River, starting near the edge of town. There is some noise on this trail because it follows the Newfound Gap Road for the first bit of the trail.

You can also start this hike from the Sugarlands Visitor Center if you’d like. This is an easy hike, perfect for families with small children.

19. OCONALUFTEE RIVER TRAIL

• Length: 3.0 Miles
• Elevation Gain: 70 feet
• Route Type: Out and Back
• Difficulty: Easy

If you’re traveling with a pet be sure to check out the Oconaluftee River Trail. It is one of two walking paths in the Smokies where you can walk your dog and ride a bike.

You can explore the farm before getting back on the trail at the end of the museum. The hiking trail follows the Oconaluftee River. It is a great place to enjoy a relaxing walk along the beautiful river and trees like eastern hemlock, red maple, dogwood, and tulip trees.

If you are visiting during April, be sure to keep an eye out for the 40 different kinds of wildflowers that will be in bloom along the trail.

During the fall, this is a great place to see the fall foliage in the park.

OCONALUFTEE VISITOR CENTER AND MOUNTAIN FARM MUSEUM

The Oconaluftee Visitor Center is full of maps of the best hikes in the Smokies, guides, exhibits, and ranger lead programs. If you’re looking for ideas on things to do in the park and current conditions, this would be a great place to stop on your first day.

The Mountain Farm Museum is just behind the visitor center. The buildings, built-in 1900, were moved from their original locations to create this outdoor museum. You can explore the log houses, barns, apple houses, and blacksmith shops to learn about how people lived hundreds of years ago.

20. ELKMONT NATURE TRAIL

• Length: 0.8 miles
• Elevation Gain: 95 feet
• Route Type: Loop
• Difficulty: Easy

This is a quick and easy walk through the forest taking about 20 minutes to hike. This is a self-guided nature trail with lots of great information about the changing forest landscapes. There are 13 different stops throughout the hike that explain more about the human and ecological history of this area.

You can also buy an education brochure at the trailhead which has more valuable information about this area of Tennessee.

MAP OF BEST HIKES IN THE SMOKIES

OTHER THINGS TO DO IN SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

CHIMNEY TOPS PICNIC AREA

The Chimney Tops Picnic Area has 68 picnic sites with a heavy-duty grill and picnic table. Lots of the picnic areas are next to the river. There were families set up for the day playing in the river and enjoying good food.

There are bears in the area so be sure to clean up after yourself and leave garbage in bear-proof trash containers.

METCALF BOTTOMS PICNIC AREA

This is another area we enjoyed resting from our hikes and letting the kids get out and explore. There are 122 picnic sites. There are no fees for using the sites and they are first come first served. It is open year-round.

There are two picnic areas with Wear Cove Gap Road running down the middle.

If you’re looking to explore the Smoky Mountain hiking trails from the Metcalf Bottom Picnic Area, we recommend Metcalf Bottoms Trail. The trailhead is on Wear Cove Gap Road just over the bridge. It is a short hike that will take you through the historic Little Greenbrier School as well as the famous Walker Sisters’ Cabin.

MINGUS MILL

Built in 1886, Mingus Mill uses a water-powered turbine instead of a water wheel to power the machinery. It was the largest mill in the Smokies, supporting about 200 families. It is one of the many historic structures from the park that has been saved.

There are a few demonstrations to see here. You won’t spend a lot of time here, but it is worth a quick stop if you’re interested in the history of Smoky Mountains National Park.

ROARING FORK NATURE TRAIL

The Roaring Fork Nature Trail is one of the most popular scenic drives in the park and off of this road you will find many of the Great Smoky Mountains hiking trails.

It is a 5.5-mile, one-way loop with many stops along the way. There are also historic log cabins, grist mills, scenic overlooks, and waterfalls. We also saw an abundance of wildlife on our drive. Bears were in the area as well as deer.

If you’re looking for a longer hike, head out on the Rainbow Falls Trail. It is a 5.4 miles roundtrip hike taking you to an 80-foot waterfall.

You can stroll through an authentic farmstead at the Noah “Bud” Ogle Place. As you are nearing the end of the trail, keep an eye out for Place of a Thousand Drips. It is a seasonal waterfall you can see from your car however you will get the best view if you park and walk back to see it. The water splits into hundreds of channels creating a spectacular waterfall.

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is closed during the winter.

ELK IN CHEROKEE

If your family loves to spot wildlife in the East Coast national parks, a visit to see the elk in Cherokee is well worth your time. Consider planning your hike to Mingo Falls and the Oconaluftee Visitor Center either very early in the morning or during the hour or two before sunset to give yourself the best chance of seeing the elk.

We found them in the large meadow next to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

TIPS FOR THE BEST HIKES IN THE SMOKIES

You can stop by anytime. There is no entrance fee or reservations required for the Smokies. Public campgrounds do book out sometimes six months to a year in advance so if you’re camping you may want to keep that in mind.

We stayed in an RV park near Gatlinburg and made our reservations two months in advance without any issues. If you’re staying in a hotel, be sure to book a Gatlinburg hotel with a pool so your kids can swim after a fun day of hiking.

Expect rain and quick changes in weather conditions. During our visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park we would have sunny skies and then 15 minutes later it would be a complete downpour.

The park gets 80 inches of rain a year on the mountaintops so don’t let a rainy forecast keep you from visiting. When exploring the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Hiking Trails be prepared for rain and you will be fine. Typically, we had to wait for about 20 minutes for the heavy rain to stop.

Be prepared. Great Smoky Mountains National Park has very limited services inside. You will want to bring in your food and water as well as emergency supplies. There are no storefronts in the park except for the two visitor centers. Make sure you have a full tank of gas.

THE BEST TIME TO VISIT THE SMOKIES

Each season brings different and unique opportunities to the Smokies. Summer is the most popular time to visit the Smokies because the weather is warming up which is better for hiking and camping. The summer is the busiest time in the park though. Smoky Mountain National Park is the most visited park in the United States so summer can get very busy.

If you are looking to avoid the busy season, Spring and Fall are great options.

In the Spring, the wildflowers in the park are amazing and are easily visible from the best hikes in the Smokies. By the end of March and April, the weather is starting to warm up and the flowers are in bloom. Late Spring is also an amazing time to see the Smoky Mountain waterfalls. The snowmelt makes large flows of water over the falls.

Fall is the second busiest season in the Smokies because of the fall foliage. The leaves start to charge in mid-September at the higher elevations. By October, the rest of the leaves have started changing. The fall foliage usually ends around mid-November as the winter temperatures start to come.

Conclusion: Best Hikes in the Smokies

We hope you have found this guide helpful in planning your visit to Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It is such a beautiful park because of all the best hikes in the Smokies and the beautiful views. We had a great time exploring the park and the different trails here. No matter what kind of trail you are looking for, you will find it in the Smokies.

If you enjoyed the Smokies, we recommend considering a trip to check out some of the Blue Ridge Parkway Waterfalls in North Carolina. They are a sight to see as well!

Let us know in the comments below if you have any other hikes you recommend in the park or have any questions about visiting the Smokies!

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