Best Hiking Trails in the Great Smoky Mountains
Great Smoky Mountain Insider’s Hiking Guide
With over 9 million visitors each year The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) is the most visited National Park in the country. These ancient mountains, some of the oldest in the world, continue to attract vacationers from all over the country and the world.
Many visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains may be also be surprised to learn that the Great Smoky Mountain is considered one of the most biodiverse places in the country with a wealth of flora and fauna (over 16,000 species of flowering plant and 66 species of mammal). The numerous types of ecosystems that house these plants and animals is encompassed all within this one park.
In fact the Great Smoky Mountains is so unique in that a hiker an experience three different climate zones all in one hike, replete with different flora and fauna in each zone. Therefore, visitors really have the opportunity to experience the beauty, natural wonders, and biodiversity of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park best through hiking.
Appalachian Cove forest on Baxter Creek Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park by Miguel.v – OWN WORK. Licensed underCC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
While many visitors come to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to experience the wonder of these majestic mountains and awe-inspiring setting, very few even scrape the surface of the numerous hiking trails that plunge up, into, and cross this immense park. Covering more than 521,000 acres the Great Smoky Mountains National Park features more than 800 miles of hiking trails, including nearly 71 miles of the famous Appalachian Trail.
In order to help guests to the area further enjoy and appreciate the astounding park, we’ve created the ultimate “Insider’s Hiking Guide” to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors can use this guide to choose from an array of outdoor experiences, whether it be viewing a waterfall or hiking to a mountain bald to experiencing a panoramic mountain vista, this guide has it all.
To create this hiking guide, we went straight to the most knowledgeable sources. We interviewed numerous local hiking experts, outdoor outfitter owners, guides and more. We probed these local hiking gurus to find their favorite hikes, vistas, and sacred spots located within these marvelous mountains. Here’s where the locals, longtime Smokies connoisseurs, and naturalists hike, escape and find their Zen.
We started by asking our experts why they love hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. So just to get you pumped up before you select and plan your hike, here’s what they had to say:
“I’ve hiked in national parks all over the country, but I really enjoy the variety of terrain here in the GSMNP. You can be in river valleys, ridge tops, everything in between, all in the same hike even. It’s pretty amazing!” Brad Dodson, member of the Smoky Mountain 900 Milers (a select group of Smoky Mountain hikers who have traversed every single trail in the park).
“One thing about hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is it’s pure hiking.[Because of the regulations for the park…] you aren’t going to encounter any ATVs, dogs, or mountain bikes. It’s really set aside and created just for hiking and that makes it different than many other area hiking options.” Ed McAlister, owner of River Mountain Sports in Knoxville.
“One of the key features of why we love the GSMNP is the diversity of the park. It seems like the park has something for everyone who visits. For hikers, you have numerous trails to hike. The trails take you to waterfalls, to tops of mountains, through old growth forests and through old homesteads…Nature lovers adore the park as well. The park is home to many different wildflowers and wildlife. Another reason we love hiking in the park is the peace of being outside in nature. The GSMNP is the most visited park in the US, so we see a lot of traffic. Barring some of the more popular trails, you can be on a trail and not run into another person. The sights and sounds of being in the park is why we continue to go back. Its just like John Muir said, ‘The Mountains are calling, I must go.” Ben Lethco Manager of Nantahala Outdoor Center-Gatlinburg.
“The Great Smoky Mountain National Park has beautiful views. It was settled by rugged, interesting, capable people. There are so many well documented examples of their culture, examples of a second growth forest and well marked trails. Not to mention its diverse and interesting flora and fauna.” Greg Rowe, co-owner of Little River Trading Company in Maryville.
“[I love hiking the GSMNP because of its]… unique lush vegetation. For the most part the trails are very well defined and marked with signs. The backpacking is made easy with well distinguished campgrounds, cable for hanging your food and pack, and an abundance water source. The wonderful history and stories of the trails.” Caroline Haynes, Store Manager for Blue Ridge Mountain Sports in Knoxville.