Charlies Bunion
| Trail Features: | Panoramic Views |  |
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| Trail Location: | Newfound Gap | ||||
| Roundtrip Length: | 8.1 Miles | ||||
| Total Elevation Gain: | 1640 Feet | ||||
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 405 Feet | ||||
| Highest Elevation: | 6122 Feet | ||||
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 11.38 (strenuous) | ||||
| Parking Lot Latitude | 35.61084 | ||||
| Parking Lot Longitude | -83.42509 | ||||
Directions to Trailhead:
From the Sugarlands Visitor Center near
Gatlinburg, drive 13
miles south on Newfound Gap Road to reach the Newfound Gap parking lot.
You'll be
hiking eastbound on the Appalachian Trail to reach Charlies Bunion.
From Cherokee, drive 20.2 miles north to
reach the Newfound
Gap parking lot.
Trail
Description:
The hike to Charlies Bunion, via the Appalachian Trail, begins from the Newfound Gap parking area. The steady climb over the course of the first two miles of this hike will quickly leave the crowds at Newfound Gap behind. For your effort during this portion of the trail you'll be rewarded often and early. Take a short break at roughly two-thirds of a mile to enjoy the grand views of the North Carolina Smokies to the south. Also, make sure to keep an eye out for the wide variety of wildflowers that bloom in this area as well.
Just before reaching the Sweat Heifer Creek Trail junction, roughly 1.7 miles from the trailhead, take in the outstanding views of Mount LeConte and Myrtle Point towards the northwest.
Throughout several portions of the hike you'll be traveling at elevations of around 6000 feet. Being at the highest point along this narrow ridge, with stunning views on either side of the trail, you'll feel like you're walking along the spine of the Appalachian Mountains.
At just over 2.7 miles the Boulevard
Trail to Mount LeConte
forks off to the left. Continue going straight here to reach Charlies
Bunion.
A quarter of a mile further down the trail you'll pass the Icewater Spring shelter, named after the nearby spring flowing from a pipe onto the Appalachian Trail. If thirsty, you'll need to treat this water first before drinking it.
Roughly 4 miles from the trailhead a short spur trail will fork off to the left and lead you to your destination.
Charlies Bunion is a rock outcropping that was originally known as Fodderstack. The current name was derived when Charlie Conner went hiking one day with Horace Kephart, one of the early proponents of a national park in the Smokies, and author of Our Southern Highlanders. When they paused for a rest on the rocks Conner took his boots and socks off, exposing a bunion that resembled the surrounding rocks. Looking at Conner's feet, Kephart remarked, "Charlie, I'm going to get this place put on a government map for you." And so he did.
Charlies Bunion offers spectacular views of the mountains to the north, Mt. Kephart and the Jump Off to the west, and Mount Guyot towards the east. Due to the extremely steep drop-offs you'll definitely want to watch you're footing around here.
If you still have the energy on the way back, take the relatively short side trail, near the Boulevard Trail junction, to visit the Jump Off. The stunning views from this outcropping are well worth the additional one-mile roundtrip.
