Best Easy Day Hikes covers 22 hikes in the Smokies, including "Quiet Walkways," self-guided nature trails, and recommendations based on best views, nature lovers, history hikes, waterfalls, etc.

National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map for the Smoky Mountains

Day and Overnight Hikes: Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Includes 13 day loops, 10 overnight loop hikes and recommendations based on solitude, winter, easiest, wildlife and most scenic hikes.

Directory of Hiking Trails in the Smokies by Difficulty Rating

Hiking in the Smokies can be quite challenging, and hiking any trail above your fitness level can make for a less than enjoyable day while out on the trail. Below is a list of trails based on a difficulty rating, and ranked from easiest to hardest hikes. This list is intended to help hikers find a trail that's best suited towards their abilities. By clicking on any trail name you'll find more detailed information, including trail descriptions, directions, key features, photographs, elevation profiles and maps.

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. Please click here for a more detailed explanation of difficulty ratings while hiking in the Smokies.

R/T on the table heading below stands for total round trip mileage.

To get a general idea on the location of any hiking trail, please check out our park map page.

Trail	Location	Trail Features	R/T Miles	Elevation Gain	Difficulty Rating
Spruce-Fir Trail	Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome	Spruce-Fir Forest	0.4	25	0.40
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	Historical / Stream	3.0	70	3.14
Little Brier Gap	Elkmont	Walker Sisters Place	2.6	285	3.17
Grotto Falls	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Waterfalls	2.6	585	3.77
Goldmine Loop	Cherokee / Deep Creek	Lake Views / Historical	3.1	460	4.02
Schoolhouse Gap	Cades Cove / Townsend	Quiet Forest Hike / Wildflowers	3.8	513	4.83
Baskins Creek Falls	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Waterfalls	3.0	953	4.91
Big Creek / Mouse Creek Falls	Big Creek	Waterfalls	4.0	580	5.16
Flat Creek Falls	Balsam Mountain	Waterfalls	4.0	600	5.20
Andrews Bald	Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome	Panoramic Views	3.5	899	5.30
Porters Creek Trail	Greenbrier / Cosby	Waterfalls / Stream / Flowers / Historical / Old Growth Forest	4.0	699	5.40
Abrams Falls	Cades Cove / Townsend	Waterfalls	5.0	340	5.68
Little River Trail	Elkmont	Stream / Wildflowers / Historical	4.9	412	5.72
Deep Creek Loop	Cherokee / Deep Creek	Waterfalls / Wildflowers	4.6	579	5.76
Meigs Mountain Trail	Elkmont	Quiet Forest Hike	4.6	661	5.92
Mingus Creek	Cherokee / Deep Creek	Historical	4.5	748	6.00
Kephart Prong Trail	Cherokee / Deep Creek	Stream / Historical	4.2	955	6.11
Hen Wallow Falls	Greenbrier / Cosby	Waterfalls	4.4	900	6.20
Rough Fork Trail	Balsam Mountain	Quiet Forest Hike	5.2	600	6.40
Alum Cave	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Views / Interesting Geological Features	4.4	1125	6.65
Huskey Gap (Newfound Gap Rd)	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Quiet Forest Hike	4.2	1240	6.68
Chimney Tops	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Panoramic Views	4.0	1350	6.70
Kanati Fork Trail	Cherokee / Deep Creek	Wildflowers	4.0	1495	6.99
Cucumber Gap Loop	Elkmont	Stream / Wildflowers / Historical	5.6	830	7.26
Grapeyard Ridge Trail (Greenbrier)	Greenbrier / Cosby	Historical / Injun Creek steam engine wreck	5.8	980	7.76
Deep Creek Headwaters	Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome	Stream	5.0	1480	7.96
West Prong Trail	Cades Cove / Townsend	Quiet Forest Hike / Stream	5.4	1375	8.15
Curry Mountain Trail	Elkmont	Quiet Forest Hike	6.4	1164	8.73
Rainbow Falls	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Waterfalls	5.4	1685	8.77
Sugarland Mtn Trail (lower)	Elkmont	Quiet Forest Hike	6.0	1500	9.00
Jump Off, The	Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome	Panoramic Views	6.5	1275	9.05
Bullhead Trail	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Views / Interesting Geological Features	5.9	1607	9.11
Sugarland Mtn Trail (upper)	Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome	Solitude / Views	7.0	1090	9.18
Twentymile Loop	Fontana Village	Stream	7.5	900	9.30
Smokemont Loop	Cherokee / Deep Creek	Stream / Wildflowers / Forest	6.5	1441	9.38
Balsam High Point	Balsam Mountain	Views	7.0	1217	9.43
Boogerman Loop	Cataloochee	Historical / Streams / / Old Growth Forest	7.4	1040	9.48
Mt. Sterling (Mt. Sterling Gap)	Big Creek	Panoramic Views	5.6	2000	9.60
Meigs Creek Trail	Elkmont	Quiet Forest Hike	7.0	1380	9.76
Albright Grove	Greenbrier / Cosby	Old Growth Forest / Wildflowers/ Historical	7.0	1500	10.00
Brushy Mountain (Trillium Gap)	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Views / Wildflowers / Falls	6.8	1745	10.29
Noland Divide	Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome	Views / Forest Diversity	7.2	1679	10.56
Middle Prong Trail	Cades Cove / Townsend	Waterfalls / History	8.3	1140	10.58
Fork Ridge Trail	Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome	Old Growth Spruce-Fir Forest / Wildflowers	8.0	1500	11.00
Lumber Ridge Trail	Cades Cove / Townsend	Quiet Forest Hike / Solitude	8.1	1524	11.15
Shuckstack Fire Tower	Fontana Village	Views / Wildflowers	7.0	2120	11.24
Cove Mountain	Elkmont	Waterfalls / Old Growth Forest	7.7	1776	11.25
Lonesome Pine Overlook	Cherokee / Deep Creek	Views	6.7	2300	11.30
Charlies Bunion	Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome	Panoramic Views	8.1	1640	11.38
Chestnut Top	Cades Cove / Townsend	Views / Wildflowers	8.6	1486	11.57
Ace Gap	Cades Cove / Townsend	Quiet Forest / Wildflowers	11.0	400	11.80
Rich Mountain Loop	Cades Cove / Townsend	Views / Wildflowers / Historical	8.5	1736	11.97
Old Settlers Trail (Maddron Bald)	Greenbrier / Cosby	Historical / Tyson McCarter Barn	8.8	1650	12.10
Huskey Gap (Little River Trail)	Elkmont	Stream / Wildflowers / Historical	10.0	1080	12.16
Cataloochee Divide	Cataloochee	Views / Historic / Wildflowers	10.0	1250	12.50
Ramsey Cascades	Greenbrier / Cosby	Waterfalls / Old Growth Forest	8.0	2375	12.75
Big Fork Ridge Loop	Cataloochee	Old Growth Forest / Historical	9.3	1800	12.90
Gregory Bald (Parson Branch)	Cades Cove / Townsend	Panoramic Views / Flame Azaleas / Old Growth Forest	8.8	2300	13.40
Silers Bald	Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome	Panoramic Views	9.3	2152	13.60
Chasteen Creek	Cherokee / Deep Creek	Stream / Waterfalls	10.0	2499	15.00
Newton Bald	Cherokee / Deep Creek	Quiet Forest Hike / Views	10.0	2800	15.60
Spence Field (via Lead Cove)	Cades Cove / Townsend	Panoramic Views / Mtn Laurel	9.4	3100	15.60
Spence Field (Anthony Creek)	Cades Cove / Townsend	Panoramic Views / Mtn Laurel	10.3	2842	15.98
Mt. LeConte (via Alum Cave)	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Panoramic Views / Geological	11.0	2763	16.53
Mt. Cammerer	Greenbrier / Cosby	Panoramic Views / Historical	12.0	2470	16.94
Gregory Bald (Gregory Ridge)	Cades Cove / Townsend	Panoramic Views / Flame Azaleas / Old Growth Forest	11.3	3020	17.34
Brushy Mountain (Greenbrier)	Greenbrier / Cosby	Views	11.7	3000	17.70
Hemphill Bald Loop	Balsam Mountain	Panoramic Views / Old Growth Forest	13.7	2170	18.04
Spence / Russell Field Loop	Cades Cove / Townsend	Panoramic Views / Mtn Laurel	13.3	3050	19.40
Mt. Sterling (via Baxter Creek)	Big Creek	Panoramic Views / Old Growth Forest	12.2	4200	20.60
Mt. LeConte (via Trillium Gap)	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Panoramic Views / Waterfalls	13.9	3401	20.70
Rocky Top / Thunderhead	Cades Cove / Townsend	Panoramic Views / Mtn Laurel	13.9	3665	21.23
Mt. LeConte (Boulevard Trail)	Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome	Panoramic Views / Old Growth Forest	15.6	3000	21.60
Mt. LeConte (Rainbow Falls)	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Panoramic Views / Waterfalls	13.8	3993	21.79
Mt. LeConte (via Bullhead)	Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte	Panoramic Views	14.4	3993	22.39
Benton MacKaye Trail	Great Smoky Mountains	Long Distance Hiking	n/a	n/a	n/a
Mountains-to-Sea Trail	Great Smoky Mountains	Long Distance Hiking	n/a	n/a	n/a
Appalachian Trail	Great Smoky Mountains	Long Distance Hiking	n/a	n/a	n/a