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Details
Distance
4.03 miles
Elevation Gain
1306 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Features
Forest
Wildflowers
Wildlife
Swimming Hole
Scenic
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About this place
Added by Mason Boring
Scramble to the top of the peak for great summit views on this short and steep, but fun hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Chimney Tops Trail is one of the most visited trails in the Smokies, which is why I recommend going up just before sunset to beat the crowd!
During the summer and fall months, it's common to see a hundred people taking in the views on the same trail, but if you scramble on out after hours, you can easily find yourself alone just in time to catch the sunset. Get to the trailhead an hour and a half or two hours before sunset to give yourself plenty of time to explore in the daylight.
Be very cautious on the out scramble. This isn't recommended for beginners. All who do this hikeĀ won't regret the solitude or the view.
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Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and be sure to follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly.
Community
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Caleb Fisher
3/16/2023
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Worth the hike. Winter months would be sketchy as we went in spring and it was snowy at the top but beautiful. Narnia like.
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Jared Beeler
9/15/2020
Gone but still great!
Although this mountain was damaged by the fire this hike is still one of the best and the toughest in the smokies and is still worth seeing.
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Leonard Temko
7/9/2020
Beautiful Walk
The scramble was damaged during the Gatlinburg Fire and remains closed. The overlook, about a 1/4 mile shy of the scramble, is still a ...
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Lucas Bremer
Club
6/25/2020
Recently ravaged by fire
Great trail and one of the icons of the park. Was damaged by the wildfires a couple of years ago. Use caution.
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Corey Payne
4/30/2019
Worth it!
You get halfway and you think, is this gonna be worth it? It is. I had hiked this when I was a kid and ...
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Emma Roberson
10/15/2018
S t a i r s
My husband and I did the trail in about 1.5 hours to get out and back, didnāt really know the extent of the stairs, ...
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Ashley Garner
1/28/2018
Awesome Day Hike
My 2 college friends and one of their moms and I took this hike yesterday and what a great time we had! A couple ...
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Aaron Brandon
11/6/2017
My Favorite Trail.
Really steep. Lots of breaks. Huge pay off!
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Anne Mendelke
10/11/2017
Re-opened!
We are planning to visit this weekend since they've reopened the trail as of the 06-Oct. http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/chimney.htm It looks beautiful!
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Sarah Levant
5/27/2017
The trail is temperarily closed
Due to a park fire late last year, this trail is temporarily closed. Check nps website for most up to date info. Another great ...
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Jess Fischer
11/11/2016
Straight Uphill Shot to the Summit
Okay so I loved this hike, the first mile is really gradual and easy hike. You hike along a beautiful river and cross a ...
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John Sides
9/4/2016
Moonlit hike
The last time we did this hike, we started just after sunset and hiked with headlamps. For the final scramble, it was bright enough ...
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George Black
6/29/2016
Fun Climb At The End
Go really early in the day or later in the evening to beat the crowd. We got there at 6:30am and only saw one ...
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Digital Jellyfish
6/20/2016
Great Experience
This was a very scenic hike and the view makes the scramble to the top worth it. The attached video documents the final scramble, ...
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Edward Day
6/12/2016
Great View
Pretty steep 2 miles on the way up. Scaling the rock feels a little sketchy, but if you take your time you'll be fine. ...
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Ashlyn Schaub
5/27/2016
Incredible! And Terrifying!
In love with this hike. You follow a beautiful river all the way up the mountain (until you're almost at the summit). The hike ...
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Sean Rouse
3/26/2016
Great Hike!
The hike and scramble to the top is definitely worth it for the view!
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Johnathan Duncan
3/9/2016
Done this one many times
This hike is absolutely amazing and I have completed it many times. Expect to scramble up some rocks towards the end and if you ...
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Nathan Szwarc
1/22/2016
A spectacular hike
A Smokies classic, always busy, but a must do
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Adria Vittitow
1/17/2016
Favorite Hike In The Smokies
This is one of my favorite hikes in the Smokies. It is fairly short so the large elevation gain is over a short stretch. ...
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Tiffany Trent
8/27/2015
Absolutely one of my favorite hikes and my go-to when taking my friends out. I'm a thrill seeker i suppose and the scramble at ...
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Sara Hunter
3/27/2015
This is not a good trail if you have any fear of heights. To get to the top where the view is, you ...
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Trent Sizemore
3/25/2015
I've made this hike twice, and it's nothing short of spectacular! Very dangerous at the end to get on the very top, but many ...
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