The hardest hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, by the numbers
Of the 315 trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our dataset, 89 (28 percent) rate strenuous or very strenuous on the gain-and-distance scale we use and run 3 to 30 miles with at least 1,500 ft of climb; these are the 25 with the highest rating.
Porters Creek Trail leads with 8,397 ft of gain over 29.6 miles, 284 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 36 percent.
Across the 25, gain runs from 2,947 to 10,562 ft and distance from 11.7 miles to 29.7 miles; the median gain is 5,695 ft and the median distance 18 miles.
11 of the 25 are point-to-point routes; the rest are out-and-back (2) or loop (7).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Porters Creek Trail | 29.6 | 8,397 | 284 | 36% | 2,115 to 6,478 | 705.1 | |
| 2 | Newton Bald Trail | 23.2 | 10,562 | 455 | 56% | 2,173 to 5,141 | 700.1 | |
| 3 | Lower Mount Cammerer Trail | 22 | 9,267 | 421 | 29% | 2,207 to 3,601 | 638.6 | |
| 4 | Gregory Bald Trail | 19.4 | 9,273 | 478 | 44% | 1,661 to 4,846 | 599.8 | |
| 5 | Great Smoky Mountains Peak LoopWest and Mountains | 26.6 | 6,507 | 245 | 31% | 3,442 to 6,581 | 588.4 | |
| 6 | Jakes Creek Trail | 29.7 | 5,695 | 192 | 39% | 2,136 to 5,959 | 581.6 | |
| 7 | Sugarland Mountain Trail | 18 | 8,493 | 472 | 45% | 1,750 to 3,160 | 552.9 | |
| 8 | Mingus Creek Trail | 17.1 | 8,597 | 503 | 46% | 2,069 to 5,136 | 542.2 | |
| 9 | Trillium Gap Trail | 19.6 | 6,616 | 338 | 73% | 2,496 to 5,982 | 509.3 | |
| 10 | Bullhead View Quiet Walkway | 17.4 | 6,871 | 395 | 63% | 1,610 to 4,490 | 489 | |
| 11 | Old Sugarlands Trail | 12.2 | 9,649 | 791 | 89% | 1,855 to 6,539 | 485.2 | |
| 12 | Jakes Creek AT LoopWest and Mountains | 24.5 | 4,600 | 188 | 20% | 2,309 to 5,746 | 474.8 | |
| 13 | Jenkins Ridge Trail | 23 | 4,553 | 198 | 59% | 2,088 to 5,388 | 457.6 | |
| 14 | Hatcher Mountain Trail | 14.3 | 7,132 | 499 | 56% | 1,142 to 2,425 | 451.6 | |
| 15 | Silers Bald LoopWest and Mountains | 19.6 | 4,326 | 221 | 40% | 2,408 to 6,533 | 411.8 | |
| 16 | Deep Creek to Newton's Bald LoopWest and Mountains | 22.2 | 3,693 | 166 | 22% | 1,833 to 4,956 | 404.9 | |
| 17 | Mount Sterling LoopWest and Mountains | 17.7 | 4,234 | 239 | 28% | 1,681 to 5,802 | 387.1 | |
| 18 | Lakeshore Trail - EastWest and Mountains | 24.4 | 2,947 | 121 | 26% | 1,720 to 2,313 | 379.2 | |
| 19 | Appalachian Trail | 11.8 | 5,848 | 496 | 49% | 3,725 to 5,441 | 371.5 | |
| 20 | Mount Le Conte LoopWest and Mountains | 16 | 3,960 | 248 | 26% | 2,590 to 6,549 | 356 | |
| 21 | Thomas Divide TrailWest and Mountains | 14 | 4,257 | 304 | 22% | 2,194 to 5,173 | 345.2 | |
| 22 | Old Settlers TrailWest and Mountains | 15.9 | 3,529 | 222 | 32% | 1,411 to 2,680 | 335 | |
| 23 | Noland Divide TrailWest and Mountains | 11.7 | 4,778 | 408 | 27% | 1,823 to 5,940 | 334.4 | |
| 24 | Charlies BunionWest and Mountains | 14.5 | 3,599 | 248 | 30% | 2,736 to 6,088 | 323.1 | |
| 25 | Hazel Creek TrailWest and Mountains | 15.6 | 3,260 | 209 | 26% | 1,683 to 4,905 | 318.9 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band strenuous (150 to 200) or very strenuous (200 and over), 3 to 30 miles, at least 1,500 ft of gain, ordered by rating desc, gain per mile desc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Great Smoky Mountains National Park" here means the 315 trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Porters Creek Trail.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.