day hikes in Great Smokey Mtns NP?

01aCRViper · Joined: 25 Oct 2004 Posts: 53

i know it's going to be insanely crowded this summer, but it's the only time in the forseeable future i'll be in tennessee. are there any good 7-10 mile loop or out and back hikes off the main park road or something else a low car can get to? maybe a peak to bag, waterfalls, a cave, or something Embarassed

i'm going with a friend and his family on a summer vacation, and this will be the ONLY opportunity to do anything i'd find exciting Embarassed

don't worry about difficulty, as long as it doesn't require ropes i can do it

Koonsy · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 221

The alum cave trail is a good one and you can take that all the way to the summit ot Mount Le Conte which I think is the second highest mountain in Tennessee. It is around 11 miles round trip with a good elevation gain(2500 feet or so).

talusfinder · Joined: 10 Jul 2004 Posts: 93

Alum Cave is a great hike. Another possibility is to park at Newfound Gap, hitch a ride down to Alum Cave TH, hike up LeConte via Alum Cave trail, and return to Newfound Gap via the Boulevard and the Appalachian Trail. The Boulevard is a nice ridge hike, and if you're feeling up to it, head north for a mile or so on the AT to a great view. I'm not sure exactly how far it is roundtrip, but it would definitely be a long day. I did it back in 1999 or so, and remember being tired and needing a beer by the end of the day! A good short hike, but quite crowded, would be the chimney tops trail. I had enough time to hike this trail in the morning, and get married in the park in the afternoon! Enjoy, GSMNP is one of my favorite places to hike.

BobSmith · Joined: 22 Oct 2003 Posts: 1068

The possibilities of day hikes from the transmountain highway are vast. There are tons of options.

You can park at Newfound Gap and hike to Charlies Bunion. Or take The Boulevard to the summit of Le Conte. A shorter popular hike would be to the Chimney Tops.

Heading toward Cades Cove, there are many trailheads along that road, also.

Buy a map and take a look at the trailheads. The National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map for the GSMNP is a good one.

sshankle · Joined: 12 Nov 2001 Posts: 332

Check out my route page for Rainbow Falls trail. If you go up Rainbow Falls trail and come down the Trillium Gap Trail you gan bag the summit, see a 3 waterfalls (including the most impressive in the area), and gain over 4000'. Big day by eastern standards.

Route Page

GSMNP Trail Map

desainme · Joined: 19 Sep 2002 Posts: 5133

You could go to the Cosby campground and hike up Snake Den Mtn. or Inadu Knob. These are on Summitpost. You can also go to Newfound Gap Hike to Icewater Springs for a couple of miles and hang a right and go out on the Boulevard towards or onto Mt. Leconte. Cades Cove has a number of trails leading from it- for instance up to Spence Field.

e-doc · Joined: 08 May 2005 Posts: 845

The suggestions made are good but they will be crowded in summer, especially Alum Cave, Blvd, and Bunion. I guess it depends on your planned route to the park. For less crowds

1) Luftee Knob on Balsam Mt trail. 6 miles RT, some views from top. About 0.2 mile bushwhack (thick and steep) access on east side of park, off Balsam Mt road

2) Big Cataloochee on Balsam Mt and Mt Sterling Ridge trails. Also 6 miles and about 0.75 mile bushwhack (easy)

3) Mt Sterling and tower with great views. 5 miles RT from Mt Sterling Gap. Access from east side of park, near Big Creek

4) Mt Cammerer, from Cosby to Low Gap 12 miles RT. Also tower and great views. On NW side of park

5) Spence Field and Thunderhead (more great views). 9.4 miles RT out of Cades Cove.
SW side of park

6) Shuckstack from Fontana Dam SE side of park another tower and views, 7.4 miles RT

7) Gregory Bald 11.6 miles RT. Out of Twenty Mile RS southern side of park

BobSmith · Joined: 22 Oct 2003 Posts: 1068

Yeah, Mount Sterling is a must if you want a grandstand view of the eastern half of the park. Technically, it's a bit of a cheat since you have to climb the old fire tower. But the view is spectacular.

With over 800 miles of trails, a great hike in the GSMNP is not a problem.

I'm leaving for the park in the morning. Saturday I'm going to finally find the Sag Branch Poplar tree (the world's largest). Then Sunday I plan on a very, very long hike (20 miles or so) to bag some peaks I haven't hiked up since I was 16 years old (32 years ago!).

Mark Doiron · Joined: 11 Aug 2005 Posts: 545

Okay, you already know it'll be crowded (unless you're as fortunate as my son and I a couple years back when the whole park was closed by an FBI manhunt!). Anyway, you can park just below Clingman's Dome (paved highway to near the top), then hike out and back along the AT, or make a loop of some of the other trails. You can camp in the AT shelters (in fact, you have no choice on that part of the AT). Stop at the Visitor Center Backcountry Permit station. Tell the Ranger there what you want to do. He'll help you make the necessary reservations in the trail shelters. Enjoy!

mark d.

mlandau3 · Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 58

The SB6K pages indicate 6 miles one way to both Luftee Knob and Big Cataloochee (from Pin Oak Gap). E-doc, from where are you starting for the 6 mi RT?

e-doc · Joined: 08 May 2005 Posts: 845

Tri-Corner. You take a helicopter in (but you can't land as its a NP; so you'll have to repel or jump.) OOPS I know its longer. I must have had a brain fart. Its 6.8 miles from Pin-Oak to Luftee summit Wink