Hike the Chimney Tops
3.8 Miles
1487 Feet
Chillin, Photography, Hiking
Intermediate
Spring, Summer, Autumn
Out-and-Back
Scramble to the top of the peak for great summit views on this short steep, but fun hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The Chimney Top's 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 easy to see a hundred people taking in the view 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 and 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. But if you do, you won't regret the solitude or the view.
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations.
Nearby Lodging
Reviews
Overall rating:
S t a i r s
My husband and I did the trail in about 1.5 hours to get out and back, didn’t really know the extent of the stairs, but it was definitely worth it! The views are spectacular just note- if you have bad knees or feet, maybe another trail will be better 😬 not many flat parts to the 3.5ish miles. Either straight up or down
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 of us are pretty out of shape so the steep and constant uphill battle took us about 3 hours to get up but when we hit the top it was completely worth it! Breathtaking honestly. Also, because we took the majority of pictures on the way up it only took an hour to come back off. Definitely come see it!!
Beautiful Hike
This was a great hike that me and my dad did together. We passed over several waterfalls/rivers and climbed A LOT of stairs. The last trek of the trail that leads to the rock face is closed because of the fires. There are several trees that block that portion of the hike. But, there is a lookout of the "new" summit to sit and take in the beauty of the Smoky's.
