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Best Easy Hikes in the Smokies

Trail guide

Best Easy Hikes in the Smokies

13 curated picks · verified 2026-05-28

Easy hikes in the Smokies have a credibility problem. The label gets applied to anything under 4 miles, so a first-time hiker can end up halfway up a ridge on a trail that was "easy" by someone else's standards. The 13 trails on this list are genuinely approachable: short distances, modest elevation gain, and surfaces that don't require hiking poles or technical footwear.

A few practical things to know before you go:

  • Park-It-Forward tag required for most trailheads inside GSMNP. Tags cost $5/day and must be displayed on your dashboard; purchase at recreation.gov before arriving. During peak season, some high-demand trailheads also require a separate timed entry reservation — check the park's website when planning Laurel Falls or Deep Creek visits.
  • Two trails here allow dogs and bikes: the Oconaluftee River Trail and the Gatlinburg Trail. This is a notable exception; GSMNP prohibits both on all other hiking trails, including the fully paved Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail.
  • Not all 13 are inside the national park. Mingo Falls sits on Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian (EBCI) lands within the Qualla Boundary; Chimney Rock is a North Carolina state park with its own admission fee; Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and Wayah Bald are both in the Nantahala National Forest, with free parking and no reservation system.

Summer weekends at trailheads like Laurel Falls and Deep Creek bring substantial crowds. Arriving before 9am or after 4pm consistently improves the experience. Spring wildflowers peak roughly mid-March through early May at lower elevations, with the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail a particular standout. Fall color at the elevation range covered here, mostly below 4,000 feet, typically peaks in the last two weeks of October.

The list runs shortest to longest, which is useful when working around a specific time window or hiking with young children. Distance alone doesn't tell the whole story: Mingo Falls packs a 120-foot waterfall into half a mile, while the Deep Creek Loop links three separate falls across 2.4 miles of gentle bottomland. Each listing notes the feature that makes the trip worth it.

  1. 1

    Mingo Falls Trail (Qualla Boundary / EBCI Lands)

    0.5 mi · easy · 150 ft gain

    0.5-mile out-and-back, easy, 150 ft gain hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  2. 2

    Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail

    0.5 mi · easy

    Located just outside Gatlinburg, adjacent to the Sugarlands Visitor Center, this 0.5-mile (0.8 km) paved loop trail is a prime example of park accessibility.
  3. 3

    Wayah Bald Tower Trail

    0.5 mi · easy

    0.5-mile out-and-back, easy hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Highlights: Historic stone fire tower, 360-degree views (including GSMNP on clear days).
  4. 4

    Cove Hardwood Nature Trail

    0.75 mi · easy

    A short, accessible loop famous for its diverse wildflower displays.
  5. 5

    Foothills Parkway Trails (various sections, e.g., Look Rock)

    1 mi · easy · 100 ft gain

    1-mile out-and-back, easy, 100 ft gain hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  6. Chimney Rock State Park Trails 6

    Chimney Rock State Park Trails

    1.4 mi · easy

    1.4-mile out-and-back, easy hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Highlights: Chimney Rock, Hickory Nut Falls (404-foot waterfall).
  7. Ocoee Whitewater Center Trails 7

    Ocoee Whitewater Center Trails

    1.5 mi · easy

    Ocoee Whitewater Center Trails — Various loops (e.g., Bear Paw Loop 1.5 miles, Chestnut Mountain Loop 2.5 miles) trail, Easy to Moderate.
  8. Indian Creek Trail (Deep Creek) 8

    Indian Creek Trail (Deep Creek)

    1.6 mi · easy

    1.6-mile out-and-back, easy hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Highlights: Indian Creek Falls, old homesites.
  9. Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest Trails 9

    Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest Trails

    2.2 mi · easy

    2.2-mile loop, easy hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Highlights: Old-growth forest with massive poplars and hemlocks, designated wilderness area.
  10. 10

    Deep Creek Loop (Three Waterfalls Trail)

    2.4 mi · easy · 200 ft gain

    Deep Creek Loop (Three Waterfalls Trail) — 2.4 miles (loop combining Deep Creek, Indian Creek, and Juney Whank Trails) trail, Easy to Moderate.
  11. Laurel Falls Trail 11

    Laurel Falls Trail

    2.6 mi · easy · 300 ft gain

    2.6-mile out-and-back, easy, 300 ft gain hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  12. Oconaluftee River Trail 12

    Oconaluftee River Trail

    3 mi · easy

    Situated on the North Carolina side of the park, near Cherokee, this 1.5-mile (2.4 km) one-way trail also allows dogs and bicycles.
  13. Gatlinburg Trail 13

    Gatlinburg Trail

    3.8 mi · easy

    This 1.9-mile (3.1 km) one-way trail connects the town of Gatlinburg directly to the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

Best Easy Hikes in the Smokies: FAQ

Do I need a parking pass or reservation to hike these trails?
Most trailheads inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park require a Park-It-Forward parking tag, purchased at recreation.gov before you arrive ($5/day). During peak season — roughly May through October — some high-traffic trailheads additionally require a timed entry reservation; check the park's current reservation page when planning visits to Laurel Falls or Deep Creek specifically. For trailheads outside GSMNP: Mingo Falls has its own parking area on EBCI land (no tag required), Chimney Rock State Park charges a separate admission fee, and Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and Wayah Bald in the Nantahala National Forest are free with no reservation system.
Which of these trails allow dogs?
Two: the Oconaluftee River Trail and the Gatlinburg Trail. Both allow leashed dogs and bicycles, which is rare inside GSMNP. All other trails on this list are off-limits to dogs per park rules — this applies even to paved, fully accessible trails like the Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail.
When is the best time of year to hike easy trails in the Smokies?
Spring (mid-March through early May) is the strongest season for wildflowers, particularly at the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail and along Deep Creek. Fall color at the lower elevations these trails cover typically peaks in the last two weeks of October. Summer is the most crowded period; late June through August sees peak traffic at accessible trailheads. Winter is the least-visited season, and short hikes like Mingo Falls and Sugarlands Valley stay accessible most of the season, though some park roads close during heavy snowfall.
Are any of these trails paved or suitable for strollers and wheelchairs?
The Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail is fully paved and designed to ADA accessibility standards — it's the most accessible option on this list. The Oconaluftee River Trail and Gatlinburg Trail both have compact, relatively flat surfaces appropriate for strollers. Indian Creek Trail follows an old road grade with minimal technical terrain and works well for young children. All other trails on the list involve some combination of rooted paths, rocky sections, or uneven surfaces that require standard trail footwear.
The trails are labeled "easy" — but how steep are they really?
The highest elevation gain on any trail here is 300 feet over 2.6 miles (Laurel Falls). Most are well under that: Foothills Parkway Look Rock is 100 feet of gain, Mingo Falls is 150 feet, the Deep Creek Loop is around 200 feet. None involve scrambling or sustained steep grades. The two trails labeled "easy to moderate" — Deep Creek Loop and Ocoee Whitewater Center — earn that qualifier from root and rock sections underfoot, not from elevation.

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