Cucumber Gap Loop - Hike Cucumber Gap Loop in the Smoky Mountains

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Cucumber Gap Loop
Trail Features:		Stream / Wildflowers / Historical
Trail Location:		Elkmont
Roundtrip Miles:		5.6 miles
Total Elevation Gain:		830 feet
Avg. Elev Gain / Mile:		296 feet
Highest Elevation:		3055 feet
Trail Difficulty Rating:		7.26 (moderate)
Parking Lot Latitude:		35.65365
Parking Lot Longitude:		-83.58018

Directions to Trailhead:

From the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, drive 4.9 miles on Little River Road to the Elkmont Campground turnoff on your left. After turning into Elkmont, drive 1.4 miles until you reach the campground. Instead of proceeding into the campground, you will need to turn left to reach the parking area for the Little River Trail. The parking lot for the Cucumber Gap Loop Trail (via the Little River Trail) will be 0.6 miles from the campground.

From the Townsend “Y” intersection near Cades Cove, the turnoff for the Elkmont Campground will be 12.6 miles away.

Trail Description:

The Cucumber Gap Loop trail can be accessed from the Little River trailhead or the Jakes Creek trailhead. For the purposes of this hike, we will begin from the Little River trailhead.

The Little River Trail is a gentle climb along an old gravel road, paralleling the river of the same name for the entire length of the trail. The river is a beautiful cascading stream with large boulders and several small waterfalls.

At the beginning of the trail you’ll pass by a couple of the old resort cottages of Elkmont. The cottages were built in the 1920s and were used as summer homes by the affluent from Knoxville. The homes are now in disrepair and are off limits to the public.

Along the early portions of the Little River Trail you’ll stroll past several patches of rhododendron. As we proceeded up river we noticed yellow trillium, dwarf cinquefoil, stonecrop and other wildflowers.

At roughly 2.2 miles, a small 20-foot waterfall tumbles into the Little River. The waterfall flows down the slope of the hill next to the trail before running underneath a footbridge.

At just under 2.5 miles you’ll reach the Cucumber Gap Trail Junction. To continue the loop, turn right onto Cucumber Gap Trail.

Shortly after turning onto the new trail, you’ll begin a steady climb. Over the course of the next mile, the trail climbs about 400 feet. This section of trail seemed to have an inordinate number of roots protruding out of the ground. There’s always two or three of these that seem to reach out and trip me while I’m hiking.

Without a cascading river next to you, this trail offers a quiet alternative to the Little River Trail. There isn’t anything of particular note about this trail, although we did see a fair amount of wildlife. We saw a large pileated woodpecker as well as a young doe that showed no fear as she approached us while taking a snack break. Further along, four wild turkeys crossed the trail about 20 yards in front of us.

At roughly 4.8 miles, you’ll reach the Jakes Creek Trail junction. Turn right here onto the gravel road. Proceed another 0.3 miles to reach the trailhead for the Jakes Creek Trail. To complete the loop and get back to your car, walk a half-mile down the paved road to the Little River Trailhead. As you walk down this road you’ll pass several more of the old dilapidated summer homes.