The Great Smoky Mountains have some of the best hiking in the United States. Josh and I have been to the Smokies countless times over the years, and when our kids were barely old enough to walk we started sharing our love for this gorgeous area with them. And while we have admittedly hit some of the more touristy attractions in Pigeon Forge or on the Gatlinburg strip, our absolute favorite thing to do in the Smoky Mountains is hike. (As an aside, if you’ve visited Gatlinburg but not ventured out into the National Park, you are doing yourself a huge injustice. Just trust me. Get out and EXPLORE!)
If you’ve never been hiking in the Smokies or are just looking for some hidden gems you haven’t done in the past, this post covers our absolute favorite Smoky Mountain hikes that we recommend. There’s something for everyone regardless of your hiking past experience.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using a link. Please see my disclaimer for more details.
Hiking in the Smoky Mountains
In our opinion, getting out to explore the wilderness of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the best way to spend a trip to Gatlinburg. There are a wide variety of hiking trails available depending on how much time you want to spend and your family’s experience and activity level. They can range from easy nature trails to strenuous multi-day adventures.
For us, aside from a recent overnight hike up to LeConte Lodge and back, we’ve always chosen easy to moderate day hikes. Read on for a list of our absolute favorites and what you can expect!
Never hiked with your family? Not a problem! What better place than in a beautiful national park? Give yourself and your kids a little credit, pick an easy one to start, and I bet you’ll all love it!
By the way: If you plan to spend a lot of time hiking in the Smokies, I’d recommend the following two books. These are what we have used to find the best hikes with all sorts of information about what to expect so you know you’re picking the best hike for your family.
Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Family Hiking in the Smokies: Time Well Spent
Our Family Favorite Smoky Mountain Hikes
So without further ado, here are our favorite Smoky Mountain hikes that we think you and your family will love!
#9 – Noah “Bud” Ogle Nature Trail
Difficulty level: Easy
Distance: 0.75 mile loop
What you need to know: This is a great nature trail if you are just getting your feet wet (hopefully not literally) or have really young kids. If that describes your family, this would be one of my top recommendations. Of course, kids and adults of all ages will enjoy this nice little hike. Our boys especially loved all the little wooden foot bridges. When you get back to the parking lot, check out Bud Ogle’s restored cabin and barn!
#8 – Cove Hardwoods Nature Trail
Difficulty level: Easy
Distance: 1.0 mile lollipop loop
What you need to know: This is another nice little nature trail for families along a hillside. In the Spring, there is an abundance of wildflowers on this one.
#7 – Fighting Creek Nature Trail
Difficulty level: Easy
Distance: 0.75 mile lollipop loop
What you need to know: Yet another short, nice nature trail hike for beginners. The trail is easily accessible, as it starts from the popular Sugarlands Visitor Center. I highly recommend an easy, optional short side trip to Cataract Falls (pictured below) for this one.
#6 – Walker Sisters Home
Difficulty level: Moderate
Distance: 3.2 miles round-trip, out and back
What you need to know: The first section follows a gravel road and passes the old Little Greenbrier School and church building at around 3/4 mile, which our boys liked to visit.
The end of the 1.6 mile hike takes you to the Walker Sisters Homestead which includes a cabin and some other structures to explore. Head back out the same way you came in to complete the 3.2 miles.
#5 – Laurel Falls
Difficulty level: Moderate
Distance: 2.6 miles round-trip, out and back
What you need to know: This is a great paved hike to beautiful falls, which is probably why it’s the most popular hike in the park. Of course, that means the trail is very populated and finding parking can be a problem. Sturdy strollers should have no issue here, but we much prefer our hiking carrier. But again, if you’re looking for a secluded hike, this one is probably not for you.
#4 – Grotto Falls
Difficulty level: Moderate
Distance: 2.6 miles round-trip, out and back
What you need to know: This is one of our favorite hikes to a waterfall in the park, and while it’s a popular option, it’s not nearly as busy as Laurel Falls. The hike takes you to a beautiful waterfall, and the neat thing about this one is that the trail goes BEHIND the falls! A couple more cool things about this hike:
- Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail out of Gatlinburg is how you will access this hike, and that scenic drive is a sight to see in and of itself.
- Three days per week, a llama “train” delivers supplies to the remote LeConte Lodge. If you get to Grotto Falls early enough, you’ll be able to experience the llamas making their trek under Grotto Falls on their way up the mountain. We tried to do this once, but missed them by about 20 minutes 🙁
#3 – Abrams Falls
Difficulty level: Moderate
Distance: 5.0 miles round-trip, out and back
What you need to know: This hike is accessed within the 11-mile loop of Cades Cove. Cades Cove is a very popular one-way drive-thru loop within the park, and is a must-do regardless of whether or not you plan to hike.
And although Abrams Falls is the longest family hike that made our list, it’s still very busy and popular. If your family can tackle 5 miles, I’d highly recommend to put this one on your list.
#2 – Porters Creek to Fern Branch Falls
Difficulty level: Moderate
Distance: 3.6 miles round-trip, out and back
What you need to know: This is a great hike for spring wildflowers. Points of interest include a side trail to a historic farm site at the 1-mile mark, a long (and if I remember correctly high) footbridge crossing Porters Creek at 1.5 miles, and Fern Branch Falls at 1.8 miles which cascades down over mossy rocks.
Warning – hold on to those kiddos tight as you cross the footbridge. You’ll probably want to carry little ones. I remember even some adults deciding to turn back instead of braving the bridge over the rushing Porters Creek.
Also, getting to this one is a little off the beaten path, and the road to access is pretty narrow (at least it sure feels that way when you meet a car!).
#1 – Alum Cave Bluffs
Difficulty level: Moderate
Distance: 4.6 miles round-trip, out and back (or 2.8 miles round-trip if you turn around at Arch Rock)
What you need to know: This is hands down my favorite hike in the Smokies, and it does get pretty busy. I just love the footbridges, the view of a beautiful mountain creek as you hike up, the interesting geological feature known as Arch Rock, and then of course the cool bluff and it’s great views of the mountains. Our boys love climbing around on the large boulders in the creek.
I highly recommend this hike to families, which is why it made my #1 spot. If you don’t quite feel up to the steep 4.6 miles, you can turn around at Arch Rock and still have a great hike with a lot to explore and see; that portion of the trail is not as steep.
the last thing you need to know about Smoky Mountain Hikes
Do yourself and your family a favor and try one of these hikes when you visit the Smoky Mountains! We think it’s the best way to experience Tennessee’s beauty firsthand. I’ll bet you’ll want to keep coming back here again and again like us!
Looking for other great adventures for your family? Check out my other trip recommendations or adventures you can have at home!
Feel free to share this post with a family headed to the Smoky Mountains!
Comment below with your family’s favorite hikes in the Smokies!