Ideas for Great Smokey Mountains

The Great Smokey Mountains National Park is is one of the jewels of the park system. It is the most bio-diverse ecosystem in the northern hemisphere anywhere north of the tropics themselves. More than 4,000 species of plants grow there. It has more tree species than found in the whole of Europe. It has 16 trees that are larger than any others of their kind on the earth. The west side of the park is the largest unsegmented area without roads in the eastern U.S. It contains the most remote parts of the Appalachia Trail.



Click for Large format PDF map of hiking trails



Click below for flights into Knoxville TN
From Msp
From PHX
From Cedar Rapids
From Rapid City


Gatlinburg TN (38 miles from Knoxvillle) offers quite a bit of lodging facilities. My only experience with Gatlinburg was driving through it in 1982, it was memorable as the most touristy place I have ever seen. Of course I was only 27 years old. Highway 441 from Sevierville to Gatlinburg follows an ancient Cherokee trail. Sevierville was a well known location along the major Native American trails that spanned the eastern states.

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Travel from the airport to lodging is very manageable. 38 miles from the airport to lodging in Gatlinburg.  An alternative to Gatlinburg is Townsend, which is closer to the Knoxville airport and is closer to the southern part of the park and areas such as Cades Cove.  

From the Gatlinburg area park entrance it is approximately another 9 miles to the trailheads for the hikes described below.

Now to the Park itself...

Trail idea #1
Trails.com says the 'must hike' (not really a hike) is from Newfound Gap to the Observation Tower on Clingmans Dome. The observation tower provides great views of the park. It is a .5 mile hike, but it is at the end of a seven mile spur. Be prepared for traffic.
Click here for Wikipedia page about Clingmans Dome




Trail idea #2
Hike To:
Mt. LeConte via Alum Cave Trail

There are two parking lots at the trailhead, but you must arrive early in the morning to get a parking spot. It is located 8.7 miles from the Natl Parks Sugarlands Visitor Center

At 6200 feet, Mt Lonte is the third highest mountain in Tennessee.
The most scenic, shortest and steepest trail to Mt LeConte is the Alum Cave Trail. 

Round-Trip Length: 10.1 miles
Elevation Change: +2,728' net gain
Skill Level: Moderately Strenuous





Links for Mt. LeConte: Alum Cave Trail:
www.gsmnp.com
www.leconte-lodge.com
wikipedia
localhikes.com
romanticasheville.com

The trail is often in mist
View from near to the top of the mountain.
Taken from Alum Cave
Taken from Cliff Tops



Trail Idea #3
Newfound Gap to Charlies Bunion (Appalachian Trail)
"Wow....only the perfect hike for the novice hiker and the weathered outdoorsman
From Backpacker.com


Perhaps one of the most scenic hikes in the Smokies 
Roundtrip Length:  8.1 miles     
Total Elevation Gain:  1640 feet     
Skill Level: strenuous



Myrtle Point Panaromic video:




Click here for a good photograph with an impressive view of the trail close to the Bunion



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View of Charlies Bunion viewing towards the northwest




Trail Idea #4
Clingmans Dome to Silers Bald


A 10 mile out-and-back easy hike along the Appalachian Trail with views of both Tennessee and North Carolina all along the way. 

Roundtrip Length: 9.88 miles     
Total Elevation Gain: 21 feet     
Skill Level: 5 (medium)


Trail Idea #5
Cucumber Gap Loop


A 5 mile out-and-back easy easy hike through an area with a mountain stream that tumbles over large boulders surrounded by hardwoods, followed by thick woods, in spring this trail is popular for its wildflowers. This trail gets its name from the cucumber Magnolia's in this area. Click here for the Wikipedia link for the "cucumber tree". 

Roundtrip Length: 5.6 Miles 
Total Elevation Gain: 830 Feet 
Skill Level: 7.26 (moderate)