With around 850 miles of trail at the bottom of the driveway, the hardest part is choosing. Here are our favorites, grouped by effort — from flat riverside strolls to lung-busting climbs with a view worth every step. Distances are round-trip, and drive times are from the cabin.
Before any hike: wear real shoes, carry water and a layer (mountain weather flips fast), tell someone your plan, and expect spotty cell service on the trail. Check the weather and the park's trail conditions first.
Almost every trailhead needs a Park It Forward parking tag — print yours at the cabin before you go. Details on The National Park.
Easy & family-friendly
Metcalf Bottoms → Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse — short & easy. A riverside picnic area and a historic 1880s schoolhouse and cabin; great with kids. (~15 min)
Gatlinburg Trail — ~3.8 mi · easy · wide gravel. One of the few trails that allows dogs and bikes; follows the river between Sugarlands and Gatlinburg. (~30 min)
Cataract Falls — ~1 mi · easy · flat. A sweet little waterfall right by the Sugarlands Visitor Center — the perfect leg-stretcher. (~25–30 min)
Moderate — our sweet spot
Grotto Falls (Trillium Gap) — ~2.6 mi · moderate · dirt. The only waterfall in the park you can walk behind. Via the Roaring Fork motor trail (closed in winter). (~35–40 min)
Spruce Flats Falls (Tremont) — ~2 mi · moderate · dirt. A local-favorite hidden waterfall behind the Tremont Institute that most tourists miss. (~30–35 min)
Porters Creek (Greenbrier) — ~4 mi · easy–moderate · dirt. Old-growth forest, stone walls, and a famous spring wildflower show. (~40 min)
Abrams Falls (Cades Cove) — ~5 mi · moderate · dirt. A powerful, wide waterfall off the Cades Cove loop. Do not swim — the currents are dangerous. (~50 min)
Andrews Bald (Forney Ridge, from Kuwohi) — ~3.6 mi · moderate · rocky. Starts at the park's highest parking and ends at a grassy mountaintop meadow with huge views. (~1 hr)
Rainbow Falls — ~5.4 mi · moderate–strenuous · rocky, ~1,600 ft gain. An 80-ft waterfall (with a real rainbow on sunny afternoons). (~35–40 min)
More ambitious — earn the view
Alum Cave Bluffs — ~4.4 mi · strenuous · rocky steps. Past Arch Rock and Inspiration Point to a huge dry bluff; one of the most scenic hikes in the park. Push on to Mount LeConte (~11 mi, very strenuous) if you're fit. (~40 min)
Charlies Bunion — ~8 mi · strenuous. Along the Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap to a dramatic rocky outcrop with knockout ridgeline views. (~45 min)
Chimney Tops — ~3.3 mi · strenuous, steep. Short but a real climb; the very top is closed since the 2016 fire, but the observation point still delivers. (~35 min)
Want the view without the hike?
Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome) — ~1 mi · steep but paved. The highest point in the park, with a 360° observation tower at the top. (~1 hr)
The Foothills Parkway — no hiking required: pull-offs with some of the best panoramas anywhere. (~15–20 min to the western end)
Heads-up — Laurel Falls is closed. The popular paved Laurel Falls trail is closed for a major rehabilitation and is expected to reopen in summer 2026. Check the latest before you count on it: park closures (NPS).
Heading out for the day? Ask us about our shared picnic basket and guest hiking sticks — perfect for a trail lunch at Metcalf Bottoms or a steady climb up Alum Cave. (We're putting these together for guests — check with us if they're ready for your dates.)
Bear country. Keep your distance (at least 150 ft), never feed or approach wildlife, and pack out everything you bring in. More on Wildlife & nature.
Not sure which to pick? Tell us your group, ages, and how far you want to go, and we'll point you to the perfect trail — and there are Smokies hiking guidebooks at the cabin (basement level); see Books & games.