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Best Loop Hikes in the Smokies

Trail guide

Best Loop Hikes in the Smokies

14 curated picks · verified 2026-05-28

Loop trails solve a logistics problem that point-to-points don't: no second car parked at a distant trailhead, no shuttle to coordinate around other people's schedules. You start and finish at the same spot, which makes cutting the day short easy if weather turns or someone's knees give out early.

The 14 picks here span about as wide a range as the Smokies region offers, from the 0.5-mile paved Sugarlands loop adjacent to the visitor center to the 30-mile Panthertown Valley network in the Nantahala National Forest. Three practical details to sort out before you go:

  • Not all of these are inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest and Panthertown Valley are in Nantahala NF; Ocoee Whitewater Center sits in Cherokee NF; House Mountain is a Tennessee state natural area. Each has its own rules on dogs, fires, and fees.
  • Park-It-Forward is a GSMNP-specific system. During peak season (roughly May through late October), trailheads like Deep Creek, Cades Cove, and Cataloochee can fill before 9 a.m. on weekends. Reservations cost $2/vehicle, open 30 days in advance at recreation.gov, and are worth booking as soon as the window opens for fall foliage weekends in October.
  • Cataloochee Valley also requires a separate vehicle reservation to enter the valley road during busy periods, through the same recreation.gov portal.

Wildflower season runs mid-March through late April, which makes shorter loops like Cove Hardwood Nature Trail and Deep Creek particularly good in spring. Fall color at lower elevations peaks around late October, with Cataloochee adding elk activity to the draw. Summer is the busiest season overall; for longer strenuous loops like Rich Mountain and Lower Mount Cammerer, a weekday start before 8 a.m. means you'll share the trail with far fewer people.

Balsam Mountain and Lower Mount Cammerer are both high-elevation routes with significant gain, and both can carry ice on north-facing slopes well into March. Check current trail conditions on the park's website before committing to either in late winter or early spring.

  1. 1

    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.
  2. 2

    Juney Whank Falls Trail (Deep Creek)

    0.6 mi · moderate · 200 ft gain

    0.6-mile loop, moderate, 200 ft gain hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  3. 3

    Cove Hardwood Nature Trail

    0.75 mi · easy

    A short, accessible loop famous for its diverse wildflower displays.
  4. Ocoee Whitewater Center Trails 4

    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.
  5. Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest Trails 5

    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.
  6. 6

    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.
  7. 7

    Caldwell Fork Trail (Cataloochee Valley)

    5.7 mi · moderate · 1,000 ft gain

    5.7-mile loop, moderate, 1,000 ft gain hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  8. 8

    Lower Mount Cammerer Trail

    5.7 mi · strenuous · 2,000 ft gain

    5.7-mile loop, strenuous, 2,000 ft gain hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  9. 9

    Twentymile Loop Trail

    5.7 mi · moderate · 1,000 ft gain

    5.7-mile loop, moderate, 1,000 ft gain hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  10. Balsam Mountain Trail 10

    Balsam Mountain Trail

    5.8 mi · strenuous · 1,300 ft gain

    5.8-mile loop, strenuous, 1,300 ft gain hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  11. House Mountain State Natural Area 11

    House Mountain State Natural Area

    6 mi · moderate · 1,000 ft gain

    6-mile loop, moderate, 1,000 ft gain hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  12. 12

    Boogerman Trail (Cataloochee Valley)

    7.1 mi · strenuous · 1,000 ft gain

    7.1-mile loop, strenuous, 1,000 ft gain hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  13. 13

    Rich Mountain Loop Trail (Cades Cove)

    8.5 mi · strenuous · 1,600 ft gain

    8.5-mile loop, strenuous, 1,600 ft gain hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  14. 14

    Panthertown Valley Trails (Nantahala National Forest)

    30 mi · moderate

    30-mile loop, moderate hiking trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Highlights: "Yosemite of the East, " numerous waterfalls (Schoolhouse Falls.

Best Loop Hikes in the Smokies: FAQ

Do I need a Park-It-Forward reservation for these trails?
Only for trailheads inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park during peak season. Reservations cost $2/vehicle, open 30 days in advance at recreation.gov, and apply to trailheads including Deep Creek, Cades Cove, and Cataloochee. Joyce Kilmer, Ocoee Whitewater Center, House Mountain, and Panthertown Valley are outside the national park and don't use the system. Fall foliage weekends in October are the hardest to book; reserve as early as the 30-day window allows.
Are dogs allowed on these trails?
Dogs are prohibited on most trails inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with very limited exceptions (the Gatlinburg Trail and Oconaluftee River Trail, neither of which appears on this list). That rules out dogs on Sugarlands, Juney Whank, Cove Hardwood, Deep Creek, Caldwell Fork, Lower Mount Cammerer, Twentymile, Balsam Mountain, Boogerman, and Rich Mountain. Joyce Kilmer and Panthertown are in Nantahala NF and allow leashed dogs; Ocoee Whitewater Center and House Mountain also generally permit leashed dogs. Confirm current rules at each non-park site before you go.
What's the best time of year for loop hikes in the Smokies?
Spring and fall are the two best seasons, for different reasons. Late March through late April is peak wildflower season at lower elevations; loops like Cove Hardwood and Deep Creek are at their best then. October brings peak fall color at lower elevations and elk activity at Cataloochee, though it's also the most competitive period for parking. Winter is the quietest time on the trails but adds weather risk at higher elevations, where ice can persist on north-facing slopes well into March.
Which trails work for families with young children?
Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail is the most accessible option: paved, flat, 0.5 miles, and wheelchair-friendly. Juney Whank Falls (0.6 miles, 200 ft gain) and Cove Hardwood Nature Trail (0.75 miles) are short enough for most kids, with a real payoff at each. The Deep Creek Loop (2.4 miles, three waterfalls) works well for slightly older or more active children. The strenuous entries — Rich Mountain (8.5 miles, 1,600 ft gain), Lower Mount Cammerer (5.7 miles, 2,000 ft gain), Boogerman, and Balsam Mountain — involve elevation and distance that should be matched to the child's actual fitness and experience, not the trail difficulty label alone.
Do any of these trails require permits for overnight camping?
Day hiking requires no permits on any trail listed here. If you want to camp overnight on trails inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park — Caldwell Fork, Twentymile Loop, or Lower Mount Cammerer, for example — a backcountry permit is required through recreation.gov. Panthertown Valley in Nantahala NF operates under different rules; dispersed camping is generally permitted in designated areas, but check current Nantahala NF regulations before planning an overnight trip there.

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