Best trails in Tennessee

This trail begins with a mild incline along Alum Cave Creek and the Styx Branch. At 1.3 miles you will get to Arch Rock, one of the trail's prominent landmarks. The arch's interesting geological features were formed when wind and water eroded away the softer rock. The trail passes right under the natural arch making a great vantage point for photos. At the 2 mile mark you will arrive at Inspiration Point. From here, you will be rewarded with views of Little Duck Hawk Ridge and The Eye of the Needle, as well as Myrtle Point on Mt. LeConte. Past Alum Cave, at the peak of Mount LeConte is the LeConte Lodge where you can stay in one of the primitive cabins that are the only formal lodging in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. At the summit you can also purchase drinks and use the restroom. This is a popular trail, so you will likely be in the company of other hikers. You can continue to hike up to Myrtle Point following this route: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/tennessee/myrtle-point-and-mount-leconte-via-alum-cave-trailShow more

Due to the spectacular views and short length, this is one of the more popular hikes on Newfound Gap Road, but that doesn't mean it isn't steep! Users recommend to take this slowly, as the second mile is steeper than the first with almost 1000 feet of elevation gain in the last mile alone.Show more

This trail is quite a bit more difficult that it appears. It's easy to follow, but nearly constant incline with pretty rugged terrain. Lots of wildlife. Parking lot gets full early. The trail continues after the waterfall and is much less trafficked at that point, so feel free to continue your hike if you like.Show more

Dogs and pets are not permitted in Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Laurel Falls is one of the most popular destinations in the park and parking at the trailhead is limited. The area is especially busy on weekends year-round and on weekdays during summer. Laurel Branch and the 80-foot high Laurel Falls are named for mountain laurel, an evergreen shrub which blooms along the trail and near the falls in May. Though the trail is paved, the pavement is rough and broken so can be rough for wheelchairs and strollers in sections.Show more

NOTE: This trailhead is accessed by Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which is closed during the winter. If visiting in winter months, be prepared to park outside the closure and walk 2 miles to the trailhead. Please see the Roaring Fork webpage for more information: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/roaringfork.htm An easy to moderate hike that is popular with families. The highlight is Grotto Falls, under which the trail continues. Accessed via the Trillium Gap Trailhead, this is a cool, well-shaded hike with gentle elevation gains. The only difficulties are numerous rocks and roots that just require you to watch your step.Show more

Nice hike along the summit of the Smokies, with views of Charlies Bunion. Drive to and park at Newfound Gap. The trail to Charlies Bunion isn't marked, so follow signs for the Applachian Trail and Icewater Spring. Once you get to the Spring, keep on going for about 20 minutes to arrive at Charlies bunion. The trail starts off with a gradual ascent of about 300 feet in the first mile. For the most part, the trail is tree covered, but there are a few views on the way to the Ice Water Spring-AT shelter. The shelter is one of the nicer structures along the AT in North Carolina. It sleeps 12, but a permit and reservation are required through the Park Service. Some of the comments in the AT logbook note that elk have been seen in this area. The trail continues onto a side trail about a mile north of the shelter. This trail is well marked and goes left to Charlies Bunion. This is a large rock out cropping created years ago by a fire, rain and subsequent landslide.Show more

Abrams Fall is a popular waterfall with a 25 foot drop over a rocky cliff beside it. The trail is well maintained. It does have roots and rocks. The trail gets a lot of use. Expect other hikers. At certain times of the year, it will be extremely crowded. The park closes the Cades Cove Loop Road to motor vehicle traffic all day on Wednesdays between early May and late September of each year, to allow cyclists and pedestrians to enjoy the cove.Show more

Situated halfway between Nashville and Knoxville, the Virgin Falls Natural Area is a striking natural landscape. Visitors here find rolling forested hills, hidden creeks, waterfalls, and more. The area is named after Virgin Falls, an underground stream that emerges out of a cave, and then drops over a 100 foot cliff. The beautiful falls at the end make the hike worth it. The trail is about 9 miles round-trip, and can take anywhere between 5 - 8 hours. The trail is long and on the moderate side of difficult. Make sure to start early in the day so you have enough sunlight to make it out! If you'd like to make this into a backpacking trip, there is camping at Overlook Junction, Martha's Pretty Point, Virgin Falls, and Caney Fork. If you don't want to go all the way to the falls, there are some great points-of-interest along the way. Hikers will pass Big Branch Falls, Overlook Junction, Martha's Pretty Point, caves (unfortunately closed due to white nose syndrome), and a fun cable crossing.Show more

This trail is marked hard but note that most of the incline isn’t steep. This is definitely doable for the casual hiker or someone who doesn't hike normally and wants a really good workout.Show more