Oliver Springs, Tennessee

One of the biggest perks of hiking Abrams Falls is the drive to get there. The trailhead is located approximately 5 miles into the scenic Cades Cove Loop. Cades Cove is an adventure in itself. Keep your eye out for black bears, deer and wild turkey. If you are taking the self guided auto tour, Ab...

This hike is a great, short hike for all ages. It shows the sandstone formation of the area very well and features a large cliff, an overhang, and a small stream at the bottom. The hike is only 0.4 of a mile total and has a small elevation change. It is probably the easiest hike in this area.  Th...

Hazard Cave is a gorgeous very large sandstone formation. The hike is located in Pickett State Park which is right next to Big South Fork National Recreation Area. This hike is the shortest option to get to Hazard Cave. If you are looking for a longer hike you can take the entire loop hike to get...

This trail is located in Pickett State Park which is a close neighbor to Big South Fork National Recreation Area. This is one of the many trailheads that connect to the Natural Bridge loop however, this trailhead is the closest to the natural bridge. From the road it is only a few hundred feet wa...

Hazard Cave and Natural Bridge Trail is a loop trail combining two of the major attractions of Pickett CCC Memorial State Park located near Jamestown, Tennessee. This hike is about two and a third miles, with 240 feet of elevation gain. It will take a little over an hour to complete the loop if y...

The Gregory Bald summit is indisputably picturesque – the 10-acre meadow at the top hosts magnificent azalea blooms in June, wild blueberries in August, and views of Cades Cove, Rich Mountain, Fontana Lake, Thunderhead Mountain, and Clingmans Dome, year-round. Start this hike at the Gregory Ridg...

Rock Creek Loop is a loop trail that takes you by a river located near Oneida, Tennessee.

Rocky Top is known to be the spot that inspired the famous fight song of the University of Tennessee, which is also an official song for the state of Tennessee.  The trailhead for this hike begins in the Cade’s Cove picnic area parking lot towards the back side. There are a few parking spots ri...

Start your hike at Anthony Creek Trailhead (elevation 1,800 ft), in the Cade’s Cove area. The trailhead is located at the far end of the day-use picnic area near Cade’s Cove campground. There are a few parking spots right at the trailhead, but note that the picnic area closes at dusk (a gate clos...

Whiteoak Sinks is an out-and-back trail that provides a good opportunity to view wildlife located near Townsend, Tennessee.

The foothills parkway runs parallel to the Great Smoky Mountains. It is approximately 30-miles in total. There are a few different places to get on to the parkway. There is one entrance near Fontana, Walland, Wears Valley, and Cosby. However Cosby is a smaller section and does not link to the oth...

To get to Spruce Flats Falls, you will want to drive down 2.2 miles down the scenic Tremont Road to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute and park in the visitor center parking area. You will then want to ascend up the gravel road past the sign that says restricted to unrestricted traffic (meaning ...

Parking available off of Little River Gorge Road (State Hwy. 73) at The Sinks/Meigs Creek Trailhead. The trail starts with winding elevation gain until it crests around 1 mile into the hike (notice pine trees at higher elevation). After the crest it starts descending towards Meigs Creek. While f...

There are a few options for getting to Citico Creek, you can either go up the windy gravel road from US 411 or get off of the Cherohala Skyway and go down the mountain past the Indian Boundary campground. The Citico Creek campground has about 5 or 6 spots but is rarely full because it is very sec...

Gregory Bald via Twentymile is a loop trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Robbinsville, North Carolina.

One of the best trails in the Smokies is the Middle Prong Trail. The trail passes three major waterfalls, in addition to numerous smaller falls, cataracts and cascades. Once you've parked, you'll start at the trail head and immediately see your first cascade. From the trailhead hikers will cro...