Appalachian Trail

The Smoky Mountain portion of the Appalachian Trail is one of the trail’s most scenic and challenging sections, extending 68 miles from Fontana Dam to Davenport Gap along the ridge line of the Smokies for nearly the entire length of Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Its highest elevation, 6,643 feet, is at Clingman’s Dome, and it can also be accessed in the park at Newfound Gap. Proposed in 1921 and completed in 1937, the Appalachian Trail stretches from Maine to Georgia, traverses 14 states, 8 national forests, and 2 national parks, crosses 15 major rivers, and takes four to six months to travel in full, a challenge completed annually by about 100 hikers.

North Carolina · United States