Best Hiking Trails in the Smokies

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The best hiking trails in the Smokies range from a paved half-mile to a rugged eight-mile ridge walk. Alum Cave to Mount LeConte and Charlies Bunion reward the effort with the biggest views. Abrams Falls and the Kuwohi tower walk work better for a half day with kids. Every distance and elevation figure below comes straight from the National Park Service’s own trail pages.

I have hiked most of these trails more than once, usually on trips that also cover a few days elsewhere in the park. Alum Cave is the one I steer friends toward first. The payoff at Arch Rock and the bluffs comes before the legs give out. Charlies Bunion is the ridge walk I keep coming back to for the view alone. Laurel Falls, which normally makes every list like this, is sitting out this round — more on that below.

Best Hiking Trails in the Smokies

Every one of these trailheads requires the park’s paid parking tag. Several fill their lots by mid-morning, and a couple fill before sunrise on a busy weekend. The table below pulls distance and elevation directly from the National Park Service’s own trail pages, so you can plan before you drive up rather than guess in the parking lot.

Trail	Distance (RT)	Elevation / difficulty	Parking reality
Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte	10 miles	Steep and rocky the whole way, per NPS	Small lot, fills by 8 a.m.
Chimney Tops Overlook	3.5 miles	Steep inclines, stairs, roots	Full most mornings
Laurel Falls	2.6 miles	Paved, gentle grade — CLOSED for rehab	N/A until reopening
Abrams Falls	5 miles	Rolling, roots and rocks	Cades Cove Loop, fills midday
Andrews Bald	3.6 miles	Strenuous climb on the return	Shares the Kuwohi lot
Charlies Bunion	8 miles	Many steep sections, exposed ridge	Newfound Gap Overlook, fills early
Rainbow Falls	5.6 miles	About 1,500 ft. of gain, per NPS	Two small lots, both fill fast
Kuwohi Tower Walk	1 mile	Paved but very steep	The park’s tightest lot, by far

Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte

This is the pick if you only do one long hike in the Smokies. It runs 10 miles round trip to LeConte Lodge near the summit. The National Park Service describes it as steep and rocky with stairs and bridges the entire way. Winter ice can make traction devices necessary on the upper stretch.

The trailhead lot on Newfound Gap Road is small. It is famous for filling before 8 a.m. in season. Arch Rock and Alum Cave Bluffs make good turnaround points short of the summit, and both come before the steepest stretch.

Chimney Tops Trail

The current Chimney Tops hike runs 3.5 miles round trip to an overlook. It no longer reaches the exposed rock pinnacles hikers used to scramble up. The Park Service closed that scramble after the 2016 wildfire, and it remains off-limits. This is now a steep climb to a view, not a summit walk.

Stairs, roots, and rock steps make up most of the elevation gain. It is a shorter outing than Alum Cave. That makes it a reasonable half-day trail when the bigger climbs feel like too much.

Easy Hiking Trails in the Smokies

Laurel Falls is normally the easiest, most crowded trail in the park — a paved 2.6-mile round trip to an 80-foot waterfall. It is closed for a major rehabilitation project. The Park Service now expects it to reopen sometime in 2027, later than the original plan.

Skip driving to this trailhead until an official reopening date is posted. Abrams Falls and Rainbow Falls, both open, are the better waterfall picks for now.

Abrams Falls Trail

Abrams Falls runs 5 miles round trip from Cades Cove Loop Road, per the National Park Service. It ends at a wide, 25-foot waterfall with a deep pool at the base. The trail rolls through rhododendron and hemlock forest with occasional roots and rocks, but nothing as steep as Alum Cave.

Park at the Abrams Falls Trailhead about halfway around the one-way Cades Cove Loop Road. It fills by midday, especially on the loop’s vehicle-free Wednesdays.

Andrews Bald Trail

Andrews Bald is a 3.6-mile round trip on the Forney Ridge Trail. It leaves from the same parking area as the Kuwohi tower. The Park Service notes a wide, graveled descent through spruce-fir forest, then a relatively strenuous climb back up.

The payoff is a grassy summit meadow with an open mountain view instead of trees. That is rare at this elevation in the Smokies. Go early; the lot is the same one everyone uses for the tower walk.

Charlies Bunion Trail

Charlies Bunion is 8 miles round trip on the Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap. It ends at a rock outcrop with one of the widest views in the park. The Park Service describes many steep sections with roots and rocks as the trail narrows past Mount Ambler and Masa Knob.

This is the longest trail on this list and the one I’d call the best ridge walk in the park. The exposed final approach is not for anyone uneasy with heights, but the view earns the mileage.

Hiking Trails in the Smokies with Waterfalls

Rainbow Falls runs 5.6 miles round trip from Cherokee Orchard Road. It climbs roughly 1,500 feet from the trailhead to the falls, according to the National Park Service. The trail is well maintained but steep and rocky the closer you get to the water.

Both the upper and lower trailhead lots crowd out early. There are pit toilets at the trailhead, but nothing along the route. This is the falls hike to pick if Abrams Falls feels too easy.

Kuwohi Trail

The walk to the Kuwohi observation tower is the shortest trail here: 1 mile round trip on a paved path. The Park Service describes it as very steep. Kuwohi is the park’s highest point at 6,643 feet, and Kuwohi Road closes to cars for the winter season.

The parking lot is small, and it is the most crowded one in the park for its size. We cover the road schedule, the tower itself, and how to beat the crowds in our full Kuwohi guide.

Hiking Trails in the Smokies by Difficulty

If you are choosing by what the day needs, not a ranked list, here is how I would split these eight trails by difficulty and purpose.

• With kids: Abrams Falls or the Kuwohi tower walk. Both are short enough for younger legs, and Abrams Falls has a real payoff at the end.
• Half day: Chimney Tops Overlook. It is done in a few hours and still delivers a real climb and a view.
• Sunrise: Alum Cave to Mount LeConte, started well before dawn so you are near the top as the light comes up over the ridgeline.
• Waterfalls: Rainbow Falls if Abrams Falls already feels too easy; it is the steeper of the two currently open options.

Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.

Hiking All the Trails in the Smokies

Every trailhead on this list requires the park’s parking tag: $5 for a day, $15 for a week, or $40 for the year, per the National Park Service. We cover where to buy it in our parking tag guide.

These eight are a starting point, not the whole park. The Smokies hold more than 800 miles of maintained trail, and black bears use every one of them, not just the backcountry routes. Store food properly at any trailhead picnic area and give a bear you spot plenty of room; do not approach for a photo.

Hiking in the Smoky Mountains

What is the hardest hike in the Smoky Mountains?

Among the trails here, Charlies Bunion and the Alum Cave route to Mount LeConte are the toughest. Both run long distances over steep, rocky terrain, and Charlies Bunion adds an exposed ridge near the end.

Is it safe to hike in the Smoky Mountains?

Yes, with normal trail precautions. Carry more water than you think you need, and watch your footing on wet rock near the waterfalls. Check the forecast before an exposed ridge hike like Charlies Bunion, where weather changes fast.

Do you need a permit to hike in the Smoky Mountains?

No day-hiking permit is required for these trails. Every vehicle parked more than 15 minutes needs the park’s paid parking tag instead. Overnight backcountry camping does require its own separate permit.

How many miles of trails are in the Smoky Mountains?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park maintains more than 800 miles of trails, per the National Park Service. That total includes the stretch of the Appalachian Trail that runs along the state-line ridge past Charlies Bunion.

Published September 25, 2026.