Smokemont Loop Hike Map (click to enlarge)

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See the Smokemont Region web page for an interactive location map.

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Length: 6.1-mile loop
Time: 3.5 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate

The Smokemont Loop Hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is made up of two trails: the Smokemont Loop Trail and the Bradley Fork Trail. Do not be fooled by the word “loop” in the name Smokemont Loop Trail because it does not form a loop by itself—the loop is made by combining it with the Bradley Fork Trail. There are a number of trails within he park with similar nomenclature and none of them form loops on their own either.

There are two places to start the hike, both at the Smokemont Campground. I started at the far end of the campground’s D section, which is a good place to start if you are camping because you can walk from your campsite. There are also a half dozen parking spaces for non-campers (there is no gate, so anyone can enter the campground). From here you will be starting out on the Bradley Fork Trail and hiking in the counterclockwise direction.

Trailhead for the Bradley Fork Trail at the D section of the Smokemont Campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

You can also start the hike near the RV dump station, which is located close to the campground entrance. From here you begin on the Smokemont Loop Trail in the clockwise direction. There are over a dozen parking spaces farther down the road from the dump station, so this is probably the best starting point for non-campers. Keep in mind that my trail review is written in reference to a counterclockwise hike starting at Bradley Fork, but you are free to travel in either direction. It won’t make much difference, difficulty-wise, which way you go.

BRADLEY FORK TRAIL

The Bradley Fork Trail, which is nothing more than an old dirt road, runs for 1.75 miles of the loop’s 6-mile distance. The trail is relatively flat, and any hills are moderate in difficulty and very short. Most climbs last no more than one minute before coming to a crest and returning to level ground. The terrain is mostly smooth with only a few rough areas populated by head-size rocks sticking out of the dirt.

The scenery is fantastic as the trail follows Bradley Fork, a small creek that flows into the larger Oconaluftee River near the campground entrance. In most cases you have good views of it, and there are many side paths that people have beaten down to the riverbank. It is always pleasing to hike with the sound of flowing water nearby, and since it had rained rather heavily the day before, the creek was roaring during my hike.

Good views of the Bradley Fork from the Bradley Fork Trail in the Smokemont region of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Bradley Fork in the Smokemont region of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

At the 1.25-mile mark is the intersection with the Chasten Creek Trail. Stay left to remain on Bradley Fork. The intersection is well marked.

A half mile farther is the intersection with the Smokemont Loop Trail. The Bradley Fork Trail keeps on following the river, but it is here that you will take a left and cross over Bradley Fork on what I call an Indiana Jones bridge—bad guys could be on one end trying to tip it sideways to knock you off as you attempt to escape across a chasm. This type of bridge is used at many river crossings in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and they are by far the coolest bridges I have come across. However, they aren’t for the faint of heart or for those who are afraid of heights, and regardless of your fears, you can get pretty dizzy by looking down at the rushing water under your feet. There are two such bridges on this hike.

The Bradley Fork Trail crosses the Bradley Fork via an Indiana Jones bridge, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Bradley Fork as seen from a bridge crossing on the Bradley Fork Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

SMOKEMONT LOOP TRAIL

The Smokemont Loop Trail is an actual hiking trail, as compared to the road-like Bradley Fork Trail. The path is narrow and often covered with tree roots and rocks, so keep an eye on the trail and watch your step. As soon as you cross the river the trail begins a very long, gradual ascent that climbs nearly 1,000 feet over the next two miles, with only a few minor stretches of level ground after the one-mile point. I’ve been on trails that have climbed 100 feet in less than a tenth of a mile—that’s steep—so this climb is only moderate in difficulty. It’s the continuous ascent that wears on you most, for all told, you will be walking uphill for about one hour.

Typical terrain of the Smokemont Loop Trail in the Smokemont region of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

At the 3.5-mile mark on the overall hike you finally reach the peak of the mountain and begin heading back down the other side. As with the climb, the descent is long and gradual and ends after two miles, which means the peak is exactly in the middle of the 4-mile Smokemont Loop Trail. Thus, it makes no difference which way you do the hike—clockwise or counterclockwise—because it’s two miles up and two miles down either way.

As mentioned earlier, the trail has a rough surface populated by tree roots. When wet, even with hiking boots on, stepping on one is like stepping on a banana peel. I slipped and slid at least two dozen times on the way down. In the fall the trail will also be littered with acorns and covered with leaves, so you not only have banana peels to deal with, but also marbles, neither of which you can see due to the leaves. Hiking poles are highly recommended.

Eventually you will come out on an unmarked road, which is the campground road near the entrance. To get back to the starting point at the section D campsites, take a left. If you don’t know your way around the campground, just stay on the road closest to Bradley Fork. It is a .6-mile walk back through the campground. This is not included in any of the trail distances given by the National Park Service, but it is included in the 6.1-mile distance that I give for the hike. This explains any discrepancies.

CONCLUSION

The long climb up and down the Smokemont Loop Trail is rewarded with nothing but sweat. You begin in the forest and end in the forest, with nothing but forest in between. For those who simply like to hike in nature, or who just want exercise, this is not a problem. However, for those who want a hike with another purpose, such as a nice view or a waterfall or a historical structure waiting at the end, I suggest skipping the Smokemont Loop Trail and just hike out-and-back on the Bradley Fork Trail where you get excellent views of a scenic river for the entire hike. And don’t forget to cross the Indiana Jones bridge for thrills.

Indiana Jones bridge over the Bradley Fork, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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