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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. This list can be used 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, details for roughly half of all the hiking trails in this directory have been posted. The remainder of the trails in the Smokies will be adding as I hike each of them.
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 | ||||||
| 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 | Stream | 3.0 | 70 | 3.14 | ||||||
| Grotto Falls | Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte | Waterfalls | 3.0 | 570 | 4.14 | ||||||
| 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 Falls | 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 | ||||||
| Kephart Prong | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Stream / Wildflowers | 4.0 | 830 | 5.66 | ||||||
| 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 | ||||||
| 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 | ||||||
| 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 | ||||||
| Kanati Fork Trail | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Wildflowers | 4.0 | 1495 | 6.99 | ||||||
| West Prong | Cades Cove / Townsend | Quiet Forest Hike / Historical | 5.4 | 900 | 7.20 | ||||||
| Cucumber Gap Loop | Elkmont | Stream / Wildflowers / Historical | 5.6 | 830 | 7.26 | ||||||
| Sugerland Mtn Trail (lower) | Elkmont | Quiet Forest Hike | 6.0 | 800 | 7.60 | ||||||
| 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 | ||||||
| Smokemont Loop | Cherokee / Deep Creek | Stream / Wildflowers / Forest | 6.0 | 1260 | 8.52 | ||||||
| Curry Mountain | Elkmont | Quiet Forest Hike | 6.6 | 1000 | 8.60 | ||||||
| Meigs Creek | Elkmont | Stream | 7.0 | 800 | 8.60 | ||||||
| Rainbow Falls | Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte | Waterfalls | 5.4 | 1685 | 8.77 | ||||||
| AT - Jump Off | Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome | Panoramic Views | 6.5 | 1275 | 9.05 | ||||||
| Boogerman Loop | Cataloochee | Historical / Streams / Flowers / Old Growth Forest | 7.4 | 850 | 9.10 | ||||||
| Bullhead Trail | 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 | ||||||
| Albright Grove | Greenbrier / Cosby | Old Growth Forest / Wildflowers / Historical | 7.0 | 1500 | 10.00 | ||||||
| Lumber Ridge | Cades Cove / Townsend | Views | 8.0 | 1150 | 10.30 | ||||||
| Brushy Mountain | Gatlinburg / Mt. LeConte | Views / Wildflowers | 7.0 | 1680 | 10.36 | ||||||
| Noland Divide | Newfound Gap / Clingmans Dome | Views / Forest Diversity | 7.2 | 1679 | 10.56 | ||||||