Great Smoky Mountains National Park is chock-full of biodiverse hiking trails that allow visitors to take in scenery unmatched in its beauty! Lace up your hiking boots, get the blood pumping and enjoy some of the best nature has to offer in the more than 800 square miles that make up the national park! Here are 5 Smoky Mountain hiking trails you have to try:
1. Gatlinburg Trail
This 3.8-mile, out-and-back trail is fit for beginners and hikers of all skill levels! Full of serenity, birds and butterflies, the trail winds along the West Prong Little Pigeon River, beginning at the Sugarlands Visitor Center and continuing to the city of Gatlinburg. It’ll take you roughly 45 minutes each direction and dogs (on a leash) are welcome!
2. Cataract Falls Trail
Perfect for families with kids, Cataract Falls Trail is a roughly mile-long route near Gatlinburg that is short and easy! The best part? It takes you straight to a waterfall (Cataract Falls)! Another Smoky Mountain hiking trail that begins at Sugarlands Visitor Center, this mostly flat trail can be completed in less than 30 minutes. Oh, and it’s less than 10 minutes from downtown Gatlinburg!
3. Clingmans Dome Trail
If you’re searching for scenic views, Clingmans Dome Trail has you covered! Peaking at 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, offering some of the most pristine 360-degree views in the park! Nestled on the Tennessee / North Carolina border, Clingmans Dome includes a man-made observation tower and visitors can see as far as 100 miles on a clear day. This roughly 1-mile round trip is paved but features a steep grade, climbing 332 feet in elevation, giving it a more moderate difficulty level.
4. Chimney Tops Trail
One of the most popular trails in the Smokies, Chimney Tops Trail spans 3.3 miles round trip and climbs 1,487 feet in elevation, taking visitors to panoramic views at the summit. The final mile of the ascent is challenging, requiring hikers to climb 960 feet — a rate of elevation gain similar to that of 14,000-foot mountains in Colorado! Chimney Tops is one of just a handful of mountains in the Smokies that has a bare-rock summit.
5. Ramsey Cascades Trail
Suitable for experienced hikers with an affinity for waterfalls, the Ramsey Cascades Trail is a strenuous, 8-mile round-trip hike that gains almost 2,200 feet in elevation! The trail passes through the largest old-growth forest remaining in the Smokies, featuring some of the largest trees in the park. The trail ends at Ramsey Cascades, the tallest waterfall in the Smokies, dropping about 100 feet over numerous tiers! Prepare for an all-day excursion, as a round-trip is expected to take 5-7 hours.
If daylight is running short after your trip to one of these Smoky Mountain hiking trails, why not stick around and watch the sun disappear over the horizon? Here are 5 of the best places to watch a sunset in the Smoky Mountains!
