The Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses over 800 square miles of Tennessee and North Carolina and is the most visited national park in the United States logging over 11.3 million visitors in 2017. The region offers many hiking trails with a wide range of skill levels. In Great Smoky Mountains Hiking Part 1, we covered Cucumber Gap Loop, Appalachian Trail at Newfound Gap, Abrams Falls from Cades Cove, Alum Cave Bluff Trail, and the Laurel Falls Trail. Popular trail parking lots can be crazy busy, but by arriving before 8 AM we had no problems parking and thus avoided crowded trails. We used Johnny Molloy’s “Top Trails Great Smoky Mountains National Parks: 50 Must-Do Hikes for Everyone” to guide our trail selection. This post includes Clingmans Dome, Andrews Bald, Goldmine Loop Trail, Grapeyard Ridge, Ramsey Cascades, and Mount Sterling via Mount Sterling Gap trails.
Clingmans Dome Trail
Clingmans Dome, the “Top of Old Smoky”, is the tallest point in the Great Smoky Mountains at 6,643 feet elevation. A “dome” in the Smoky Mountains is a rounded mountain or ridge top. Clingmans Dome is the third highest summit east of the Mississippi River (behind the Black Mountain’s Mounts Mitchell and Craig in North Carolina) and sits on the boundary line of Tennessee and North Carolina. From the trailhead, this paved 1 mile roundtrip trail climbs 330 feet to the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower with its 45 foot circular viewing deck.
View from the Clingmans Dome Parking Lot
Clingmans Dome Observation Tower provides 360° views
Despite its southeastern location, the environment of Clingmans Dome more closely resembles that of an eastern Canadian spruce-fir forest. This is one of the few areas in the world where Frasier fir trees grow wild, though few mature Fraser firs remain thanks to a non-native insect called the balsam wooly adelgid who injects a poison into a host tree as it feeds on its sap. Another common tree is the red spruce. Both trees are colloquially referred to as “balsams”. Other trees to look for on the dome include American mountain ash, which only grows above 5,000 feet, and pin cherry. The dome is also home to the uncommon thornless blackberry bush.
View from the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower
View from the Clingmans Dome Observation Tower
The paved Clingmans Dome Trail
The trailhead is accessed from the Clingmans Dome parking lot at the end of Clingmans Dome Road reached by traveling south on Newfound Gap Road (Rte 441) for 13.1 miles from the Sugarland Visitor Center and is just south of Newfound Gap. Clingmans Dome Road closes for winter on December 1 and is usually open April 1. The road also closes based on weather conditions. Snow can occur as late as May and as early as October. We combined this trail with the Andrews Bald Trail.
Andrews Bald Trail
The trail to Andrews Bald also leaves from the Clingmans Dome parking lot (see above) and we hiked to the bald after climbing to the Clingman Dome Observation Tower. This moderate 3.6 mile out and back hike travels to the grassy field of Andrews Bald. Molloy lists this trail as having 150 feet of elevation change, but we wonder if this is a typo and it should have been listed as 1,150 feet, as we both registered 900 feet change from the bald back up to the parking lot and there was also 200-300 feet of elevation gain on the way to the bald.
View along Andrews Bald Trail
This trail travels down to Andrews Bald over a combination of wooden steps, rock steps, and rock/dirt surfaces. It travels downhill for most of the first 1.1 miles, then there is an uphill section before ending with an additional downhill section that spills out into the open space of the Bald at 1.8 miles. The immediate area receives about 90 inches of rain per year and the trail has been built with many water bars to accommodate run-off.
Steps built with wood along Andrews Bald Trail
Rock steps along the trail
Another section of Andrews Bald Trail
Some sections included a wooden boardwalk about 12″ wide
We hiked this trail on April 6th and were delighted to have some light snow flurries for our return trip back up to the parking lot. We had the trail to ourselves until after we reached Andrews Bald. We met about 7 other hiking groups of 2-8 people during our return trip.
Andrews Bald opens up after the forested trail
View from Andrews Bald
Snow flurries along the Andrews Bald Trail
Goldmine Loop Trail
The Goldmine Loop Trail gains 680 feet of elevation during its easy-to-moderate 3.2 mile journey through forests, past a finger of Fontana Lake and an old homesite before hiking on a section of the Road to Nowhere and through its 0.2 mile tunnel. This trail is located in the south-central section of the park. To access this trail, from the intersection of US 19 and US 441 in Cherokee, North Carolina, travel east on US 19 for 10 miles to Bryson City and turn right just after the Swain County Courthouse onto Everett Street which will eventually become Lakeview Drive and end at your trailhead 8.8 miles after turning at the courthouse.
The beginning of the loop trail heads up a drainage
A rhododendron tunnel along the trail
At the trailhead you will be able to see the tunnel and could start the loop in that direction. We opted to travel the loop in a counter-clockwise direction. To find our start, stand with your back to the parking area and the tunnel to your right and then turn and walk along the road to your left for a short distance until you see the trail entering the forest at a trail sign on the right side of the road. The trail climbs up a drainage through mountain laurel and rhododendron before reaching a gap at 0.3 miles. Continue on to the junction at 0.4 miles where we turned left onto Goldmine Loop and traveled a ridge among pine, oak and hickory. The trail then descends to a Fontana Lake finger by 1.3 miles. Along the lower parts of the route you will be traveling through beech, black birch, tulip trees, and rhododendron.
All junctions were well marked
The trail follows a ridge
Fontana Lake’s finger was low on water
Down at almost lake level, the trail turns right and away from the lake across/through some water areas involving rock hopping and/or use of boardwalks. At 2.2 miles you will encounter a lonely chimney, a remnant of an old homesite. The trail then climbs uphill with a vengeance to 2.5 miles where you reach another junction and turn right onto Lakeshore Trail. Follow Lakeshore Trail to the terminus of the Road-to-Nowhere and eventually the tunnel. We were able to see just well enough to go through the 0.2 mile tunnel, but a light source would be required in less sunny times.
A lone chimney along Goldmine Loop
Goldmine Loop Trail travels through a tunnel
Grapeyard Ridge Trail
Located in the Greenbriar region of the park, the moderate Grapeyard Ridge Trail travels along Rhododendron Creek on the lower reaches of Mount Le Conte. The out and back trail travels 6.4 miles with 850 feet elevation gain and passes a side trip to a pioneer cemetery, old homesites, and an old wrecked steam engine tractor. This trail continues past the steam engine tractor for those seeking a longer or through hike. There are several stream crossings along the trail. The trail travels through mixed woodlands of sweet gum, holly, maple, and pine.
A side trail leads to a pioneer cemetery
At 2.1 miles the trail leaves Rhododendron Creek and climbs to James Gap. Rhododendron, mountain laurel, moss and galax flank the trail. The wrecked steam engine tractor from the era before the park was formed, gave the name to Injun Creek, the watershed you descend from at James Gap. A mapmaker in 1931 thought the creek was to be named “Injun” after the region’s Cherokee Native Americans, but it was supposed to be “Engine” creek due to the final resting location of the wrecked tractor.
Grapeyard Ridge Trail
Rhododendron Creek
The steam engine that landed in the creek
To reach the trailhead head on route 321 from Gatlinburg for 6.1 miles to the Greenbriar Road. Turn right onto Greenbriar and travel 3.1 miles to the intersection with the Ramsey Prong Road which would be a left turn across a bridge. Park just before the bridge and the Grapeyard Ridge Trail leaves from the right side (not the creek side) of the road.
Grapeyard Ridge Trail travels the lower reaches of Mount Le Conte
Ramsey Cascades Trail
Also located in the Greenbriar section of Smoky National Park, the Ramsey Cascades Trail is a moderate-to-difficult 8 mile out and back with 2,250 feet elevation gain. The trail head is located at the end of Ramsey Prong Road off of Greenbriar Road (see Grapeyard Ridge Trail above). There are several one lane bridges along the route, watch for oncoming traffic. This trail travels to a waterfall along an old auto road and through old growth forest.
One of several single lane bridges on Ramsey Prong Road
From the parking lot head upstream and then cross the creek
Ramsey Prong
From the trailhead the trail crosses the creek by a footbridge before heading slowly (at first) uphill. The beginning of the trail is an old road until you reach the old auto turnaround at 1.5 miles. From here the trail becomes more of a primitive hiking trail and climbs more steeply. At 2.1 miles there is a crossing of Ramsey Prong on a footbridge. At 2.5 miles there are large tulip trees on each side of the trail that stand sentry. Take in the old growth forest around you. There’s another log bridge crossing of Ramsey Prong at 3.0 miles. There is a final crossing of a tributary via rock-hopping just before the falls which are located at 4.0 miles. Turn around and return to the trailhead.
A section of the old auto road
Moss covered boulders along the trail
Ramsey Cascades Trail requires attention to avoid tripping on tree roots and rocks
One of the log footbridges on Ramsey Cascades trail
Ramsey Cascades Trail travels through old growth forest
Parts of the trail climb with a vengeance
The trail climbs through old growth forest
Ramsey Cascades
Mount Sterling via Mount Sterling Gap
This moderate-to-strenuous 5.4 mile out-and-back trail gains 1,950 feet from Mount Sterling Gap to the top of Mount Sterling located at 5,842 feet elevation. For those who make the ascent and climb the fire tower, scenic 360° views of the Smoky Mountains are the reward. This trail is on the eastern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is reached by a gravel road (Old NC 284) that runs from the Deep Creek area to the Cataloochee area. The trailhead is located at Sterling Gap.
The trail to Mount Sterling begins by climbing through hardwood forest
From the trailhead at Sterling Gap, unlike many of the roller coaster trails in this region, this trail climbs almost the entire way to the top with very few flat or down hill sections for respite. The trailhead is signed and heads west from the road. At 0.5 miles the junction with Long Bunk Trail is reached. The trail climbs through hardwoods including oaks, beech, and birch with mountain laurel and rhododendron filling in below. The trail climbs along with a power line on some of the switchbacks. Above 4,800 feet you reach spruce-fir forests found only at the higher elevations of the Smoky Mountains.
The junctions were well marked
Another section of trail
The trail surface starts fairly smooth but soon gets very rocky and has sections with tree roots that require attention to foot placement. At 1.8 miles water often seeps across the trail and the power line runs overhead across the trail. At 2.3 miles there’s a junction with Sterling Ridge Trail which heads to the left. Turn right instead to head to the summit and fire tower which you will reach at about 2.7 miles. Climbing the tower allows for the expansive scenic views otherwise blocked by the trees of the summit. After you take in the scenery and have a rest, the return trip is all downhill.
A rocky section of trail climbing through spruce-fir forest
The Mount Sterling Fire Tower located on the summit
A view from the Mount Sterling fire tower
Another view from the fire tower
We spent two weeks staying in our RV at the River Plantation RV Resort in Sevierville, Tennessee and an additional week near Asheville, North Carolina at Mama Gertie’s Hideaway Campground. There are RV parks inside of the national park, but the longest RV they will accommodate is a 40′ RV. There are numerous private RV parks located in almost every access town of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
