First E-Book from the Bumbling Bushwhacker Cyber Imprint of GSMA
These hikes are for people, like me, who happily spend more time in the fast food drive-thru than they are prepared to spend outside their car. My next book will be “Hikes You Can Do From Inside Your Car.”
Part I Short Hikes
Balsam Mountain
Cades Cove
Cosby
Cove Hardwood
Elkmont
Fighting Creek
Noah “Bud” Ogle
Smokemont
Spruce-Fir
Sugarlands Valley
[the above are most of the self-guiding nature trails from end of the excellent book "Day Hikes of the Smokies"]
Oconaluftee River Trail
Gatlinburg Trail
Sugarlands Valley All-access Trail
Juney Whank Falls
Deep Creek and Indian Creek Trails to Indian Creek Falls
Part II Flat Hikes
Flat (Relatively) Hikes
Oconaluftee River Trail
Gatlinburg Trail
Sugarlands Valley All-access Trail
Little River Trail
Kephart Prong Trail
Old Sugarlands Trail to an old cemetery
Metcalf Bottoms Trail to Little Greenbrier School
Meigs Mountain Trail
Little Brier Gap Trail to the Walker Sisters’ house
Indian Creek Trail
Hannah Mountain Trail (Bob “The Wheel” Lockbaum says this trail is in the best shape of all the trails in the Park)
Flat Creek Trail
Finley Cane Trail
Cooper Road Trail
Lower Bradley Fork Trail
Bone Valley Trail
Big Creek Trail
Ace Gap Trail
Abrams Falls Trail
Hemphill Bald Trail (first 5 miles)
Appalachian Trail between Newfound Gap and Indian Gap
Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail to Sutton Ridge Overlook
Lower Deep Creek Trail
Lower Hazel Creek Trail (you have to take a boat across Fontana Lake to start it)
Lower Eagle Creek Trail (lake crossing required)
Mt. Sterling Ridge Trail (though the access trails are steep)
Certain sections of the Lakeshore Trail
8 Comments
These are all great hikes, just remember its always wise to have bottled water with you and a few snacks for along the way. Sugarlands Visitor Center offers a nifty water bottle holder called the Aquaclip that converts your bottled water into a canteen, they can be purchased for $3.00.
Are there 2 trails to Abrams Falls? When I used to hike to Abrams Falls, it was all downhill switchbacks down to the falls, and all uphill switchbacks on the way back to the parking area in Cades Cove.
A good thing to keep in mind for these hikes is that they really ARE NOT flat… There is some incline and if you are out of shape, you ARE going to get winded and do some sweating! With that said, it’s still one of the best things you can do for yourself and your family! I love them all!
This is my favorite place to visit. We will be there next month to stay a week – can hardly wait.
We hiked Abrahams Falls Trail this past summer and I definately wouldn’t really recommend it to people who are lazy or have small children. My husband and I had our two boys (ages 5 and 3) with us and I was a nervous wreck at some points. The trail is very rough with very few smooth parts. It was BEAUTIFUL don’t get me wrong we had a great time and we even saw a bear but I definately wouldn’t recommend it to people who have small children. I ended up carrying our 3 year old the majority of the time because it made me too nervous to just hold his hand. If your children are old enough that you can trust them to be careful then it would be fine.. and it is a BEAUTIFUL trail that ends in an awesome waterfall
Have you composed Hikes you can do from inside your car?…that’s what I am interested in!
I am interested in Hikes You Can Do From Your Car.
Sandra, I keep meaning to do that because those are the most popular types of hikes in the park (although most people won’t admit it). I know they are the kind I go on most often. : )