The Top 5 Best Hiking Trails In The Smoky Mountains For Amature Day Hikers

Planning a hiking trip to the stunning Smoky Mountains National Park?  With so many to choose from it can be hard to make up your mind which one to go for.  Hopefully, this post will make choosing a suitable Hiking Trail In The Smoky Mountains National Park to suit your experience and fitness level.

The top 5 list mentioned below will all be of easy to moderate difficulty level and can also be completed in 5 hours or less.

We will also link to the route map so you can bookmark this post and use it on your upcoming hiking trip for reference.

So let’s get started on our Top 5 Best Hiking Trails in the Smoky Mountains National Park For Amature Day Hikers
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The Top 5 Best Hiking Trails In The Great Smoky Mountains

1: Cucumber Gap and Little River Loop Trail

 

Cucumber Gap and Little River Loop Trail is a 9.0 kilometer heavily trafficked loop trail located near Gatlinburg, Tennessee that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Horses are also able to use this trail.

Length – 9.0 km

Elevation gain – 242 m

Route type – Loop

Difficulty – Moderate

Estimated Time To Complete: 3 hours

• Trails Users Tagged This Route With The Following:
  Kid-friendly
  Camping
  Hiking
  Horseback riding
  Nature trips
  Walking
  Running
  Forest
  Partially paved
  River Views
  Wildflowers
  Wildlife
  Blowdown
  No dogs

Cucumber Gap and Little River Loop Trail Route Map:

Route QR Code:

NOTE: As of May 2020, the road leading to the trailhead is closed due to COVID-19 concerns. Please check the park website for more information. A wonderful loop with two vastly different trips through the Smokies: one smooth and easy beside a river, and another that climbs through the woods and over streams.

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The Top 5 Best Hiking Trails In The Great Smoky Mountains

2: Rhododendron Creek Hiking Trail Loop

Rhododendron Creek Trail is a 11.1 kilometer moderately trafficked loop trail located near Gatlinburg, Tennessee that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking and is accessible year-round.

Length – 11.1km
Elevation gain – 364m
Route type – loop
Difficulty – Moderate
Estimated Time To Complete: 2hrs 47 mins

• Trails Users Tagged This Route With The Following:
  Backpacking
  Camping
  Hiking
  Forest
  River Views
  Waterfall
  Wildflowers
  Overgrown
  No dogs

Directions and Route map:

QR CODE:

NOTE: As of May 2020, the road to the trailhead is closed. This will add approximately a mile to your hike.

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The Top 5 Best Hiking Trails In The Great Smoky Mountains

3: Spruce Flats Falls via Lumber Ridge Loop Hiking Trail

Spruce Flats Falls via Lumber Ridge Loop is an 11.3 kilometer moderately trafficked loop trail located near Townsend, Tennessee that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, running, and nature trips and is best used from May until September.

Length – 11.3 km

Elevation gain – 460m

Route type – Loop

Difficulty – Moderate

Estimated Time To Complete: 3 hours 50 minutes

• Trails Users Tagged This Route With The Following:
  Hiking
  Nature trips
  Running
  Forest
  River Views
  Waterfall
  Wildflowers
  Wildlife
  Blowdown
  Bugs
  Overgrown
  Rocky
  No dogs
  

Directions and Route map:

QR CODE

 

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The Top 5 Best Hiking Trails In The Great Smoky Mountains

4: Cades Cove Loop Hiking Trail

Cades Cove Loop Road is a 16.9 kilometer heavily trafficked loop trail located near Townsend, Tennessee that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round.

Length – 16.9 km
Elevation gain – 224m
Route type – Loop
Difficulty – Moderate
Estimated Time To Complete: – 4hrs 14 mins

• Trails Users Tagged This Route With The Following:
  Wheelchair friendly
  Kid-friendly
  Stroller friendly
  Camping
  Road biking
  Scenic driving
  Walking
  Bird watching
  Paved
  Riverview
  Wild flowers
  Wildlife
  No dogs
  

Directions and Route map:

QR CODE:

 

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The Top 5 Best Hiking Trails In The Great Smoky Mountains

5: Rich Mountain Loop Hiking Trail

Rich Mountain Loop Trail is a great way to enjoy Cades Cove without the crowds. The trail starts at the beginning of the Loop Road, skirts the edge of some fields before reaching the John Oliver Cabin. It then climbs toward the crest of Rich Mountain then continues on to Indian Grave Gap Trail and Crooked Arm Ridge Trail. It’s a good place to see deer and the occasional black bear.

Length – 13.4 km
Elevation gain – 607m
Route type – Loop
Difficulty – Moderate
Estimated Time To Complete: 4hrs 41mins

• Trails Users Tagged This Route With The Following:
  Kid friendly
  Backpacking
  Camping
  Hiking
  Horseback riding
  Nature trips
  Walking
  Bird watching
  Running
  ForestViews
  Waterfall
  Wild flowers
  Wildlife
  Blowdown
  No dogs
  

Directions and Route map:

QR CODE

 

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Final words

The Top 5 Best Hiking Trails In The Smoky Mountains For Amature Day Hikers listed in today’s post have all been fully researched and curated from different sources, with all maps shared directly from the awesome alltrails website..

We will only ever list the best hiking trails if we know they have been fully vetted by experienced hikers, if not by ourselves then by others who have many years of experience hiking trails all over the USA.

Go on and have a wonderful and safe hiking trip in the awe-inspiring Great Smoky Mountains National park.

Thanks again for stopping by gogomountain.