Loop Hikes In The Great Smoky Mountains ( GSMNP )

Tennessee Side Loop Hikes

Cucumber Gap / Little River Trail
Trailhead: Elkmont
Length: 5.6 miles
Trail Features: Historic Elkmont cottages, wildflowers, hike along stream

Finley Cane / Bote Mountain / Lead Cove
Trailhead: Laurel Creek Road (about 5.5 miles from the Townsend "Y"
Length: 7 miles
Trail Features: Quiet walk in woods, old homestead sites and sporadic views of surrounding mountains



Rich Mountain Loop
Trailhead: Main Cades Cove parking area
Length: 8.5 miles
Trail Features: John Oliver cabin, wildflowers, sporadic views of Cades Cove and Tuckaleechee Cove

Deep Creek/Indian Creek/Deep Creek Loop Trailhead: Deep Creek
Length: 4.6 miles
Trail Features: Waterfalls and wildflowers

Mt. Cammerer Fire Tower

Smokemont Loop Trail / Bradley Fork
Trailhead: Smokemont Campground
Length: 6.2 miles
Trail Features: Wildflowers and a walk along the Bradley Fork

Russell Field / Spence Field
Trailhead: Anthony Creek Trailhead in the Cades Cove Picnic Area Length: 13.3 miles
Trail Features: Panoramic views from Spence Field, abundant mountain laurel

Wet Bottom / Cooper Road / Hatcher Mountain / Abrams Falls
Trailhead: Cades Cove Visitor Center
Length: 13.4 miles
Trail Features: Abrams Falls, solitude (other than the section to the falls)

Rainbow Falls / Mt. LeConte / Bullhead
Trailhead: Cherokee Orchard Loop
Length: 14.1 miles
Trail Features: Spectacular views from the summit of Mt. LeConte, Rainbow Falls highest falls in park

Lower Mt. Cammerer /Appalachian Trail / Low Gap
Trailhead: Cosby Campground
Length: 15.5 miles
Trail Features: Spectacular views, Historic Mt. Cammerer Fire Tower


North Carolina Side Loop Hikes

Goldmine Loop Trail
Trailhead: Lakeshore Drive Tunnel
Length: 3.8 miles
Trail Features: Fontana Lake, remains of an old home site
Twentymile Trail / Twentymile Loop / Wolf Ridge
Trailhead: Twentmile (west of Fontana Village)
Length: 7.6 miles
Trail Features: Mountain streams and a small waterfall

Caldwell Fork / Boogerman Trail
Trailhead: Cataloochee Campground
Length: 7.4 miles
Trail Features: Old growth forest, picturesque streams and falls, and the remains of early settler's home sites

Shuckstack Fire Tower

Cooper Creek / Deeplow Gap / Thomas Divide / Mingus Creek
Trailhead: Cooper Creek Trailhead (north of Ela, NC)
Length: 11.1 miles
Trail Features: Waterfalls and sporadic views of surrounding mountains

Appalachian Trail / Shuckstack / Lost Cove / Lakeshore Trail
Trailhead: Fontana Dam
Length: 12 miles
Trail Features: Shuckstack Fire Tower, spectacular views of Fontana Lake, remnants of old home sites

Hemphill Bald / Caldwell Fork / Rough Fork
Trailhead: Polls Gap (near Balsam Mountain Campground)
Length: 13.7 miles
Trail Features: Outstanding views of the Cataloochee Valley