Tennessee Mountains > Appalachian Trail > Side Trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Side Trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Click here for a new window with a larger version of this map.

Side trails include all trails that branch directly from the AT and most of those that diverge from them.

Most of the trails are standard, 4-foot, graded paths; a few are narrower, graded foot trails; and other may be substandard. The trails may be good or quite rough in places, and they might be overgrown in summer. Due to curtailing of some trail maintenance, especially after storms, even some of the less-used "grade A" trails may be overgrown in summer.

Side Trails

1. Chestnut Branch Trail. Leaves AT 1.9 miles from Davenport Gap, leads south 2 miles to Big Creek Road near ranger station and campground.

2. Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail. Leaves AT 2.8 miles west of Davenport Gap; leads north 7.8 miles to public road at Cosby Campground.

3. Mt. Cammerer Trail. Leaves AT 5.2 miles west of Davenport Gap; leads northeast 0.6 mile along crest to Mt. Cammerer fire tower.

4. Low Gap Trail. Crosses AT at Low Gap; leads north 2.5 miles to Cosby Campground.

5. Camel Gap Trail. Leaves AT at Camel Gap; leads 10.1 miles to Big Creek Primitive Campground near Mt. Sterling village.

6. Snake Den Trail. Leaves AT 2.4 miles west of Camel Gap; leads 5.3 miles to Cosby Campground.

6-A. Maddron Bald Trail. Leaves Snake Den Trail (see above) 0.8 mile north of AT; crosses Maddron Bald and leads 7.2 miles to US 321.

7. Balsam Mountain Trail. Leaves AT at Tri-Corner Knob; leads 10.8 miles to Pin Oak Gap, where it intersects with Balsam Mountain Road.

7-A. Gunter Fork Trail. Leaves Balsam Mountain Trail (see above) 5.6 miles south of AT; leads left 5 miles to Walnut Bottoms.

7-B. Mt. Sterling Ridge Trail. Leaves Balsam Mountain Trail (see above) 6.5 miles south of AT; leads left 7.2 miles to NC 284 at Mt. Sterling Gap.

7-C. Beech Gap Trail. Leaves Balsam Mountain Trail (see above) 8.5 miles south of AT; leads right 3.5 miles to public road at Round Bottom on Straight Fork.

8. Hughes Ridge Trail. Leaves AT at Pecks Corner; leads south 12 miles to Smokemont Campground.

8-A. Bradley Fork Trail. Leaves Hughes Ridge Trail (see above) 2.2 miles south of AT; leads right via Taywa Creek and Bradley Fork to public road at Smokemont.

8-B. Enloe Creek Road. Leaves Hughes Ridge Trail (see above) 4.7 miles south of AT; leads left 3.6 miles to Hyatt Ridge Trail.

8-C. Chasteen Creek Trail. Leaves Hughes Ridge Trail (see above) 5 miles south of AT; leads right 5.5 miles via Chasteen Creek to public road at Smokemont.

9. Dry Sluice Gap Trail. Leaves AT at Dry Sluice Gap; leads south 3.8 miles to Cabin Flats Trail via Bradley Fork Trail to public road at Smokemont.

9-A. Grassy Branch Trail. Leaves Dry Sluice Gap Trail (see above) 1.8 miles south of AT; leads right 4.5 miles via Grassy Branch and Kephart Prong to US 441.

10. Boulevard Trail. Leaves AT at crest of AT on shoulder of Mt. Kephart; leads north 5.3 miles to Mt. LeConte.

10-A Jump-Off Trail. Leaves Boulevard Trail (see above) 0.1 mile north of AT. Leads right 0.8 mile to the Jump-Off, offering spectacular view into valleys of Porter Creek watershed.

10-B. Trillium Gap Trail. Leaves Mt. LeConte (see Boulevard Trail above). Leads 5 miles to public road at Cherokee Orchard.

10-C. Rainbow Falls Trail. Leaves Mt. LeConte (see Boulevard Trail above); leads 6.5 miles to public road at Cherokee Orchard.

11. Sweat Heifer Creek Trail. Leaves AT 1 mile west of crest of AT on shoulder of Mt. Kephart; leads south 5.7 miles via Sweat Heifer Creek and Kephart Prong to US 441.

12. Road Prong Trail. Leaves AT at Indian Gap; leads north 3.3 miles to US 441.

12-A. Chimneys Tops Trail. Leaves Road Prong Trail (see above) 3.4 miles north of AT; leads left about 1.1 miles to top of Chimneys.

13. Fork Ridge Trail. Leaves AT 0.8 mile east of Mt. Collins; leads south 14.7 miles to public road at Deep Creek Campground.

14. Sugarland Mountain Trail. Leaves AT 0.4 mile east of Mt. Collins; leads north 12.1 miles to Little River Road at Fighting Creek Gap.

14-A. Rough Creek Trail. Leaves Sugarland Mountain Trail (see above) about 4.8 miles from AT; leads left 5 miles to public road 1 mile south of Elkmont.

14-B. Huskey Gap Trail. Crosses Sugarland Mountain Trail (see above) about 9 miles from AT; leads left 2.1 miles to Little River Trail south of Elkmont. Leads right 2 miles to US 441.

15. Clingmans Dome Trail. Leaves AT at 7.9 miles, leads 50 yards to tower, and then it follows a paved path 0.5 mile downhill to Forney Ridge parking area at end of Clingmans Dome Road.

16. Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail. Leaves AT at 8.9 miles, leads 1 mile to Forney Ridge Trail, which begins at end of Clingmans Dome Road.

17. Forney Ridge Trail. Leaves Forney Ridge parking area and leads 11.5 miles to Fontana Lake.

17-A. Forney Creek Trail. Leaves Forney Ridge Trail (see above) 1 mile south of Forney Ridge parking area; leads 10.8 miles via Forney Creek to Fontana Lake.

17-B. Springhouse Branch Trail. Crosses Forney Ridge Trail (see above) 6.6 miles south of AT; leads left 3 miles to gravel road on Noland Creek, and right 4 miles via Bee Gum Branch to Forney Creek Trail.

18. Goshen Prong Trail. Leaves AT 0.8 mile east of Double Springs Gap; leads north 10 miles to public road 1 mile south of Elkmont.

19. Welch Ridge Trail. Leaves AT 0.2 mile east of Silers Bald; leads south 7.5 miles on crest of Welch Ridge to High Rocks.

19.A. Hazel Creek Trail. Leaves Welch Ridge Trail (see above) 1.5 miles south of AT; leads 14 miles via Hazel Creek and Lakeshore trails to Fontana Lake.

19-B. Jonas Creek Trail. Leaves Welch Ridge Trail (see above) 2.0 miles south of AT; leads left 4.5 miles to Forney Creek Trail.

19-C. Bear Creek Trail. Leaves Welch Ridge Trail (see above) 6.4 miles south of AT; leads left 6.8 miles to Fontana Lake.

20. Miry Ridge Trail. Leaves AT 0.1 mile west of Buckeye Gap; leads north 8.2 miles to public road at Elkmont.

20-A. Lynn Camp Prong Trail. Leaves Miry Ridge Trail (see above) 2.5 miles north of AT; leads left 2.4 miles to Middle Prong Trail above Tremont Ranger Station.

20-C. Panther Creek Trail. Leaves Miry Ridge Trail (see above) at Jakes Gap, 4.9 miles north of AT; leads left 2.2 miles to Middle Prong Trail above Tremont Ranger Station.

21. Greenbriar Ridge Trail. Leaves AT 0.2 mile east of Derrick Knob Shelter; leads north 8.3 miles via Middle Prong Trail above Tremont Ranger Station.

22. Jenkins Ridge Trail. Leaves AT at eastern end of Spence Field; leads 6 miles to Pickens Gap on Lakeshore Trail.

23. Bote Mountain Trail. Leaves AT near center of Spence Field; leads north 7.2 miles to Laurel Creek Road.

23-A. Anthony Creek Trail. Leaves Bote Mountain Trail (see above) 1.7 miles north of AT; leads left 3.2 miles to public road in eastern end of Cades Cove.

23-B. Lead Cove Trail. Leaves Bote Mountain Trail (see above) 2.9 miles and leads 1.8 miles to Laurel Creek Road.

23-C. Finley Cane Trail. Leaves Bote Mountain Trail (see above) 5.4 miles and leads 2.7 miles to Laurel Creek Road.

23-D. West Prong Trail. Leaves Bote Mountain Trail (see above) 6 miles north of AT; leads right 2.7 miles to public road on Middle Prong Little River above Tremont Ranger Station.

24. Eagle Creek Trail. Leaves AT near center of Spence Field; leads south 8 miles to Fontana Lake.

25. Russell Field Trail. Leaves AT at Russell Field; leads north 4.8 miles to public road in eastern end of Cades Cove.

26. Gregory Bald Trail. Leaves AT at Doe Knob; leads west 7.2 miles to Parson Branch Road between Cades Cove and US 129.

26-A. Long Hungry Ridge Trail. Leaves Gregory Bald Trail (see above) at Rich Gap (also known as Gant Lot); leads south 8 miles via Twenty-mile Trail to NC 28.

26-B. Gregory Ridge Trail. Leaves Gregory Bald Trail (see above) at Rich Gap; leads north 4.9 miles to Forge Creek Road in western end of Cades Cove.

26-C. Wolf Ridge Trail. Leaves Gregory Bald Trail (see above) 3.1 miles from AT; leads south 6.5 miles to Twenty-mile Trail about 0.7 mile from NC 27.

27. Twenty-mile Trail. Leaves AT at Sassafras Gap 0.5 mile north of Shuckstack firetower; leads right 5 miles to NC 28.

28. Lost Cove Trail. Leaves AT at Sassafras Gap; leads left 3.5 miles to Eagle Creek and Lakeshore Trail.

[ Previous Topic | Next Topic ]