Hike Smokemont Nature Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The foot log bridges over Bradley Fork can be slippery when wet — take your time crossing, especially after rain when moss builds up on the wooden surfaces.
Black bears are active throughout the Smokemont area year-round. Keep food secured and maintain distance if you spot one — this corridor between the campground and the creek is a known travel route.
Trail Details
- 1
Hit the trail before 8 AM to get the best birding and avoid campground foot traffic — Smokemont fills up fast in summer and the loop gets steady use from campers on morning strolls.
- 2
A parking tag is required even for this short hike if you're not camping at Smokemont — buy one online in advance through the NPS site, because there's no kiosk at the trailhead and rangers do check.
- 3
Wildflower seekers should time a visit for mid-April through early May when trillium, bloodroot, and violets carpet the forest floor along Bradley Fork — the north-facing slopes here bloom a week or two later than lower-elevation trails near Gatlinburg.
Photos
NPS
