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Directory of Trails by Difficulty Rating
Hiking in the Smokies can be challenging. Hiking a trail above your fitness level can make for a less than enjoyable day out on the trail. We have provided you with a list of trails sorted from easiest to hardest hikes based on a difficulty rating. Use this list to help you find a trail that's better suited to your abilities.
Difficulty Rating Defined: a difficulty rating of less than 5 is generally considered to be an easy hike. Between 5 and 10 is moderate and anything over 10 is considered to be strenuous. Click here for a more detailed explanation in difficulty ratings while hiking in the Smokies.
By clicking on the trail name, you can get more detailed information, including trail descriptions, directions, pictures and maps. At this point, however, only a handfull of trails have been posted. Over the next several weeks I will be adding the rest of these trails. Stay tuned.
R/T on the table heading below stands for round trip.
To get a general idea on the location of a trail, check out our park map.
| Trail | Location | Trail Features | R/T Miles | Elevation Gain |
Difficulty Rating | ||||||
| Spuce Fir Trail | Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome | Spruce-Fir Forest | 0.5 | 20 | 0.54 | ||||||
| Toms Branch Falls | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Waterfalls | 0.6 | 47 | 0.69 | ||||||
| Juney Whank Falls | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Waterfalls | 0.5 | 194 | 0.89 | ||||||
| Indian Creek Falls | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Waterfalls | 1.9 | 150 | 2.20 | ||||||
| Laurel Falls | Elkmont | Waterfalls | 2.3 | 314 | 2.93 | ||||||
| Oconaluftee River Trail | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Stream | 3.0 | 70 | 3.14 | ||||||
| Grotto Falls | Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte | Waterfalls | 3.0 | 570 | 4.14 | ||||||
| Baskins Creek Falls | Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte | Waterfalls | 3.0 | 953 | 4.91 | ||||||
| Andrews Bald | Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome | Panoramic Views | 4.0 | 500 | 5.00 | ||||||
| Big Creek / Mouse Creek Falls | Big Creek | Waterfalls | 4.0 | 580 | 5.16 | ||||||
| Flat Creek Falls | Balsam Mountain | Waterfalls | 4.0 | 600 | 5.20 | ||||||
| Porters Creek Trail | Greenbrier / Cosby | Waterfalls / Stream / Flowers / Historical / Old Growth Forest | 4.0 | 699 | 5.40 | ||||||
| Hen Wallow Falls | Greenbrier / Cosby | Waterfalls | 4.4 | 520 | 5.44 | ||||||
| Schoolhouse Gap | Cades Cove / Townsend | Quiet Forest Hike / Wildflowers | 4.0 | 740 | 5.48 | ||||||
| Miegs Mountain Trail | Elkmont | Quiet Forest Hike | 5.0 | 300 | 5.60 | ||||||
| Kephart Prong | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Stream / Wildflowers | 4.0 | 830 | 5.66 | ||||||
| Abrams Falls | Cades Cove / Townsend | Waterfalls | 5.0 | 340 | 5.68 | ||||||
| Deep Creek Loop | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Waterfalls / Wildflowers | 4.6 | 579 | 5.76 | ||||||
| Mingus Creek | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Historical | 4.5 | 748 | 6.00 | ||||||
| Cucumber Gap Loop | Elkmont | Stream / Wildflowers / Historical | 5.0 | 700 | 6.40 | ||||||
| Rough Fork Trail | Balsam Mountain | Quiet Forest Hike | 5.2 | 600 | 6.40 | ||||||
| Chimney Tops | Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte | Panoramic Views | 4.0 | 1350 | 6.70 | ||||||
| Husky Gap (Newfound Gap Rd) | Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte | Quiet Forest Hike | 4.5 | 1240 | 6.98 | ||||||
| Little River Trail | Elkmont | Stream / Wildflowers / Historical | 6.0 | 500 | 7.00 | ||||||
| West Prong | Cades Cove / Townsend | Quiet Forest Hike / Historical | 5.4 | 900 | 7.20 | ||||||
| Sugerland Mtn Trail (lower) | Elkmont | Quiet Forest Hike | 6.0 | 800 | 7.60 | ||||||
| Alum Cave | Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte | Views / Interesting Geological Features | 5.0 | 1400 | 7.80 | ||||||
| Deep Creek Headwaters | Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome | Stream | 5.0 | 1480 | 7.96 | ||||||
| Sugerland Mtn Trail | Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome | Panoramic Views | 6.0 | 1200 | 8.40 | ||||||
| AT - The Jump-Off | Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome | Panoramic Views | 6.5 | 990 | 8.48 | ||||||
| Smokemont Loop | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Stream / Wildflowers / Forest | 6.0 | 1260 | 8.52 | ||||||
| Curry Mountain | Elkmont | Quiet Forest Hike | 6.6 | 1000 | 8.60 | ||||||
| Miegs Creek | Elkmont | Stream | 7.0 | 800 | 8.60 | ||||||
| Husky Gap (Little River Trail) | Elkmont | Stream / Wildflowers / Historical | 7.0 | 860 | 8.72 | ||||||
| Rainbow Falls | Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte | Waterfalls | 5.4 | 1685 | 8.77 | ||||||
| Boogerman Loop | Cataloochee | Historical / Streams / Flowers / Old Growth Forest | 7.4 | 850 | 9.10 | ||||||
| Bullhead | Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte | Views / Interesting Geological Features | 5.9 | 1607 | 9.11 | ||||||
| Twentymile Loop | Fontana Village | Stream | 7.5 | 900 | 9.30 | ||||||
| Balsam High Point | Balsam Mountain | Views | 7.0 | 1217 | 9.43 | ||||||
| Mt. Sterling | Big Creek | Views | 5.6 | 2000 | 9.60 | ||||||
| Charles Bunion | Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome | Panoramic Views | 8.0 | 980 | 9.96 | ||||||
| Albright Grove | Greenbrier / Cosby | Old Growth Forest / Wildflowers / Historical | 7.0 | 1500 | 10.00 | ||||||
| Kanati Fork Trail | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Wildflowers | 5.8 | 2200 | 10.20 | ||||||
| Lumber Ridge | Cades Cove / Townsend | Views | 8.0 | 1150 | |||||||