Kid-Friendly Hiking Trails In The Smokies
Located just 1 hour from downtown Knoxville, the “Smokies” is our backyard national park. With opportunities for beautiful hikes, waterfalls, swimming holes, river tubing, caves, camping, biking, and even horseback riding, you can always find something the entire family will enjoy.
Although the park spans into North Carolina, this post shares our favorite family-friendly hikes found on the Tennessee side of the park. There are many, many more hikes but we have narrowed down our recommended hikes for kid-pleasing, shorter, easier walks in the woods!
The best way to escape the crowds and experience the Smokies is to hike its beautiful trails, not drive around in a car, stuck in traffic. Our favorite family hikes are not too long nor exhausting and typically have a highlighted feature such as a waterfall, creek, or historic cabin that the kids will enjoy.
Some hikes are even suitable for a jog stroller--not a regular stroller though, you will need the bigger wheels of a jog stroller. For a fun day out, combine your hike with a picnic and time playing in the rivers
*Tip: If we have out of town guests, we always take them on a hike to either Greenbrier School/Walker Sisters Cabin or take them on a walk along the beautiful Middle Prong Trail. See descriptions below. These two hikes are always crowd pleasers.
Getting Your Bearings- Map of the Smokies
Map courtesy of NPS. Click for full version.
Depending on where you’re coming from in Knoxville and your trail destination, you can enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park through the towns of Townsend, Gatlinburg, or the Wears Valley Entrance. Check Google Maps for your best bet from your location. If you have a choice, we recommend the Townsend entrance to avoid the traffic of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
*DON’T FORGET YOUR PARKING PASS!* As of March 2023, you will need a parking pass to park anywhere in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for more than 15 minutes. Parking passes can be bought online, at all Visitor Centers, and at a few other places, like the Townsend Visitor Center. Passes are $5 for the day, $15 for the week, and $40 for a year. They are not transferable either, meaning you will need one for each car you plan on driving into the park. The GSMNP website has lots of details and FAQ about the new parking passes. These new passes will help pay for some much needed maintenance throughout the park, including at rest areas and campgrounds.
Kid-Friendly Trails Close To Townsend, TN
Map courtesy of the NPS with my own additions
Chestnut Top Trail
8.6 MILES ROUNDTRIP (or shorter if you want)
Chestnut Top at the 2.5 mile mark
The Chestnut Top Trail is the closest hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Townsend. We like it because it minimizes driving time and gets you in the woods quickly. For its proximity to town, it’s a remarkably uncrowded trail.
Located right across the street from the popular “Townsend Y” swimming hole, this hike is an uphill climb with good winter views. With a 1500’ elevation gain, it’s probably more suitable for older kids but is doable if your pre-schooler is a go getter. The first mile is a steep ascent, but it gradually becomes a more manageable incline.
We usually hike about 2.5 miles up until it flattens out along the crest with views south to Thunderhead Mountain (a better view in fall and winter when the leaves are gone).
This is a good place to turn around or you can continue on until the trail ends at the intersection of Schoolhouse Gap for a total of 4.3 miles from the trailhead. Retrace your steps downhill to the Townsend Y for a total of 8.6 miles if you went the whole way.
PARKING: Park at the large Townsend Y parking lot and cross the road. Enter the trail at the split-rail fence. (50 minutes from downtown Knoxville)
Spruce Flat Falls Trail
2 MILES ROUNDTRIP
This moderate 2 mile roundtrip hike found on the grounds of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont leads to a beautiful cascading waterfall.
This waterfall receives fewer visitors than other falls in the Smokies and is one of the closer trailheads to the Townsend entrance to the park. The trail is steep and rocky in some sections but doable for most kids. This is one of our family’s go to hikes for a quick morning or afternoon out.
PARKING: Park next to the Tremont Institute Bookstore and walk up the road towards the Tremont complex. Look for signs for the “Falls Trail.” You can always ask for trailhead directions from the Institute’s Bookstore/Gift Shop located on the left after entering Tremont’s grounds. (1 hour from downtown Knoxville)
Middle Prong Trail
1 MILE ROUNDTRIP TO THE 35 FT WATERFALL (you can keep going for a longer hike)
Middle Prong
The trail, an old logging road, is an easy, flat, wide trail running alongside the Middle Prong of the Little River with views of small cascades and a roaring waterfall. We like this trail because you can walk for as long or short as you’d like and retrace your steps back to the car whenever you’re ready.
This is a great walk for family members young and old. It’s also suitable for a jog stroller if needed. Take note- this is a horse trail so watch your step.
Tip: After crossing the bridge at the trailhead, you have the option of continuing straight along the Middle Prong Trail or taking a short “walkway” trail to the right that leads to a bridge crossing where you’ll find a good swimming hole for the kids. If you want to skip the walk to the waterfall and swim instead, this is a good bet.
If you go straight after crossing the trailhead bridge, you’ll reach the 35 foot waterfall on the left side of the trail in about a half mile from the trailhead. Sit on the trailside bench and take in the view. We recommend walking past the bench and around the curve for even better views of the falls.
For a longer hike, you can continue past the falls and turn around at the sign for the Panther Creek Trail at mile 2.3. A short side trail at 2.1 miles leads to a rusty Cadillac leftover from the logging days in the 1920’s. It’s a really fun relic for the kids to see.
PARKING: Follow Tremont Road until it ends at the parking area to the trail. Note: The last few miles are gravel but suitable for any car. (1 hour 10 minutes from downtown Knoxville)
Backcountry Campsite 18 in the Smokies
4 MILES ROUNDTRIP
Campsite 18 Area
This easy, 4 mile roundtrip, gradual uphill hike through rhododendron forest leads to a magical place at backcountry campsite #18. It’s a nice wide trail for the family. Grab your hammocks and a picnic lunch and spend some time at the West Prong of the Little River. There are lots of boulders and logs around the stream to climb on or sit and relax.
From the trailhead on Laurel Creek Road, hike 1.2 miles to the intersection with the West Prong Trail. Turn left here and follow it 0.6 miles to campsite 18. Note: You can also start from a different trailhead near Tremont for a 5.4 mile roundtrip hike.
PARKING: From the Townsend Y, turn right on Laurel Creek Rd towards Cades Cove. The trailhead is 3.5 miles on the left. You can park in front of the trailhead if there’s a spot (only room for 1-2 cars here) or park at School House Gap parking lot 300 feet further up the road on the right.
Note if you park at Schoolhouse Gap, you will have to walk on the road to retrace your way to the trailhead. If you’re hesitant to do that, there’s plenty of parking at Tremont’s Bookstore to begin the hike from there. (1 hour from downtown Knoxville)
Greenbrier Schoolhouse and the Walker Sisters Cabin
4 MILES ROUNDTRIP
This easy 4 mile roundtrip hike brings you to a schoolhouse (built in 1882), and then continues on to the Walker Sisters cabin, which was built after the Civil War. You can enter the log structures and imagine mountain life from days of yore.
Start the 4 mile roundtrip trail from the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area. The trail begins behind a gated gravel road near the bridge crossing the river. Follow the trail for roughly one mile to reach the schoolhouse. The kids will have a good time standing up front and instructing their siblings (and you).
After visiting the school and taking turns being the teacher, you're now ready to continue 1 more mile to the Walker Sisters Cabin. To get to the homestead, take the Little Brier Gap Trail located at the end of the gravel road that runs behind the cemetery in front of the schoolhouse. This is a wide, fairly flat trail.
Our kids love this hike, because they get to explore inside the cabin.
PARKING: Park at Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area for a 4 mile roundtrip hike. To shorten the hike to 2.0 miles total, you can drive straight to Greenbrier Schoolhouse via Little Greenbrier Road (closed in the winter). The parking area is less than a half-mile up the narrow gravel road and is next to the historic Little Greenbrier School. (1 hour 10 minutes from downtown Knoxville)
Tip: Wears Valley is home to a lesser known entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that leads to the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area. However, you can still access the trailhead from the Townsend entrance.
See our complete description here: You Go Sister! My Family's Favorite Historic Site Hike in the Smokies.
Kid-Friendly Trails Near Cades Cove in the Smokies
Map courtesy of the NPS with my own additions
John Oliver Cabin in Cades Cove
2.8 MILES ROUNDTRIP
The John Oliver Cabin is lots of fun for the kids to explore inside and out
The John Oliver Cabin is located on Cades Cove Loop Road. Aside from biking the Cades Cove Loop Road, this short hike along the Rich Mountain Trail is the best way to avoid the loop traffic but still experience the beauty and peacefulness of Cades Cove.
The kids will love exploring the cabin, and the grounds make for a perfect place to picnic.
PARKING: Drive to Cades Cove but do not enter the loop or you will be stuck in your car for the next hour and a half! Park in the large lot located on the left just before reaching the one-way portion of the Cades Cove Loop Road or park at the picnic area or stables if no parking can be found.
The trailhead for the Rich Mountain Trail is located roughly 50 feet beyond the loop entrance on the right side of the road. (1 hour 10 minutes from downtown Knoxville)
Anthony Creek Trail
CAN BE A SHORT STROLL OR COMBINED WITH OTHER TRAILS FOR A BIG HIKE
Anthony Creek is a beautiful hike in the fall.
This is a great trail to combine with picnicking and playing in the creek at Cades Cove Picnic Area. It’s a picturesque, wide horse trail that is perfect for getting your wiggles out. We usually make it a short walk and hike as far as we’d like and return.
The trail passes a horse camp at 0.2 miles and crosses Anthony Creek at 0.6 miles. This could be a nice turnaround point or you can continue further to where the trail splits at 1.6 miles at the junction of the Russell Field Trail.
If you are looking for a long hike, you can take Russell Field Trail up to the Appalachian Trail or you can stay on Anthony Creek all the way to Bote Mountain Trail.
PARKING: Park at the Cades Cove Picnic Area (1 hour 10 minutes from downtown Knoxville)
Easy Hikes Near Sugarlands Visitor Center
Map courtesy of the NPS with my own additions
Little River Trail
5.5 LOOP OR AS LONG AS YOU WANT
Little River Trailhead
This hike is within walking distance of Elkmont Campground. This is another easy, flat hike along a pleasant river and suitable for a jog stroller if needed. You can complete a 5.5 mile loop using the Cucumber Gap trail to return or simply hike out and back. This is another good hike for swimming holes and playing in the water.
You will see the remnants of a few stone cottages (mostly chimneys) and one restored cabin near the beginning of the trail; these are former vacation homes from the early 20th century, before the Smokies became a national park. More cabins have been restored in nearby Daisy Town, just up the road to the right of the parking area. It is well worth a walk over to check out.
PARKING: Follow signs to Elkmont Campground but veer left before reaching the campground entrance. Follow the road to the parking area and look for the trailhead behind a gate. Two trails are located in this area. Make sure you are on the Little River Trail rather than Jake’s Creek Trail. The Little River Trail is the first parking area you come to, with Jakes Creek down the one- way road another 0.1 miles. (1 hour 15 minutes from downtown Knoxville)
Sugarlands Visitor Center
TWO EASY AND SHORT TRAILS
The Sugarlands Visitor Center is a great stop if you wish to get a Junior Ranger Badge. You can also watch a 20 minute film about the park, look at the animal and nature exhibits, or browse through the park literature.
You’ll find two easy trails here. The Nature Trail (1.2 mile loop) and Cataract Falls Trails- less than 1 mile roundtrip.
Both of these hikes are perfect for younger children. Short and easy with a walk to historic cabins or a 40 foot waterfall.
PARKING: Sugarlands Visitor Center (1 hour 7 minutes from downtown Knoxville)
Alum Cave Trail
5 MILES ROUNDTRIP
Alum Cave
Featuring unique geological formations such as Arch Rock and Alum Cave, this is the most challenging hike listed here but it is worth it. This beautiful hike follows a stream with several bridge crossings as it passes through pockets of rhododendron on the way up to Alum Cave.
This is one of the most popular hikes in the park, so plan to arrive early and on a weekday if at all possible. Spoiler Alert- It’s not actually a cave but more of an overhanging rock formation. Still impressive though.
* You can keep going on the Alum Cave Trail to Mt. LeConte (5.5 miles from the trailhead) for some epic views. This is a strenuous hike though, gaining 2763 feet, and should only be done by kids with experience hiking that long.
Tip: If you’re ever lucky enough to get reservations, another option would be to spend the night at LeConte Lodge after your uphill hike. This is an amazing experience that everyone in the area should try and do at least once.
See our detailed blog about Hiking Alum Cave Trail With Kids for more information.
PARKING: There is a sign for the hike and two large parking areas on the left as you approach on Newfound Gap Road. Arrive early to guarantee a parking spot. Like enjoy-the-sunrise-early, especially on a summer or holiday weekend. (1 hour 15 minutes from downtown Knoxville)
No Time To Plan Your Vacation to the Smokies?
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Elkmont is one of our go-to campgrounds in the Smokies because it has so many kid-friendly activities to do at or near the campground. Hiking, swimming, biking, fishing, history… there is even a ghost town on site to explore. These are our family’s top 10 favorite activities when we camp at Elkmont.