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Directions to Trailhead:

From the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, drive 3.8 miles to the top of Fighting Creek Gap. The parking lot for the Laurel Falls / Cove Mountain trailhead will be on your right.

Trail Description:

With Laurel Falls just over a mile from the road, this trail is one of the most popular trails in the park. Finding parking during peak season can be a problem. If your destination is Cove Mountain, you may want to begin your hike early in the morning, on a weekday, or during the off-season. 

Due to this extreme popularity, the trail to Laurel Falls has been paved by the Park Service. 

After leaving the pavement, and the crowds, you’ll climb through a canopy of rhododendron for the next half-mile, or so. As you walk through this section of trail, the hum of Laurel Branch Creek can be heard cascading down the valley on your right. From time to time, you’ll have some decent views of the mountains to the south. Further up the trail you’ll also be able to see Mt. LeConte towards the southeast. Most of these views, however, will be obstructed once the summer foliage arrives.

The trail to Cove Mountain passes through an old growth forest. If you look closely, you’ll probably notice some very large trees on this trail.

At 2.8 miles, the Little Greenbrier Trail spurs off to the left. Continue straight to reach Cove Mountain.  

At 3.7 miles, you will dead end into the Cove Mountain Trail. Go left here for another 0.1 miles to reach the old fire tower. The tower is no longer used for monitoring fire situations. Instead, the Park Service has transformed it into an air quality monitoring station. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to climb the tower.