10 Fantastic Family Hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Looking for family-friendly hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

The National Park Service website is typically a go-to resource when I’m planning a trip to national parks, but unfortunately the website doesn’t provide much information on recommended trails in this national park.

With 900 miles of trails in the park, it’s incredibly time-consuming and overwhelming to select family-friendly trails on your own.

I have personally vetted many of the trails in this park so you don’t have to. I put together this list of family-friendly hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park so you can spend less time planning and more time exploring.

The list includes something for everyone. The trails range in difficulty from stroller-friendly hikes to “big kid” hikes. These trails also take hikers to a variety of scenery including waterfalls, overlooks, and rivers.

Ready to pick a trail? Here are 10 family-friendly hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

1. Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail

Distance: 0.5 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 19 feet

The Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail is the perfect trail for families with very young children.

It’s one of the shortest and easiest hikes in the park. Plus, the trail is paved and flat so children in strollers can join, too.

This short trail loops through an area that was previously cleared by people who lived on the land before it became a national park. The forest has grown back here, but hikers will still find remains of old buildings and walls for a glimpse at that time in history.

There are informational signs along the trail which make this hike an educational experience.

Several benches along the path provide opportunities to rest or just soak in the surrounding nature.

The Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail begins along the Newfound Gap Road about half a mile from the Sugarlands Visitor Center (the main entrance on the Tennessee side of the national park).

2. Elkmont Nature Trail

Distance: 0.8 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 95 feet

The Elkmont Nature Trail gives little kids an opportunity to preview the diversity of ecosystems that are protected in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The trail also makes for a great activity for families staying nearby at the popular Elkmont Campground.

Families who hike the Elkmont Nature Trail will witness a variety of habitat types. The path begins on a former logging route before winding around a wetland and then rising into a forest dominated by pine and oak. Make sure kids stay on the trail to avoid harming any endangered ecosystems.

The trail loops around the Mids Branch of the Little River. Children will delight in crossing over the river via two narrow footbridges along the way.

The Elkmont Nature Trail is on the Tennessee side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park so it’s not too far out of the way for visitors who are already seeing the park’s main highlights. There is a small parking lot at the trailhead for those who aren’t camping at Elkmont Campground.

3. Cataract Falls via Cove Mountain Trail

Distance: 1.1 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 29 feet

While there are several family-friendly trails that begin at the Sugarlands Visitor Center, the trail to Cataract Falls is the easiest of these trails.

This nearly flat section of the Cove Mountain Trail meanders along a creek until it arrives at a small waterfall. Note that the entire Cove Mountain Trail is 10 miles one way, so make sure to turn around after seeing Cataract Falls to return to the visitor center (or you’ll be in for a LONG hike).

It can be possible to use a stroller on this dirt and gravel trail, but not without some effort since there are a set of steps at one point on the trail.

Although the ease and convenient location make the hike to Cataract Falls an ideal choice for many families visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park, keep in mind that these factors also make it a busy hike.

4. Oconaluftee River Trail

Distance: 3.1 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 52 feet

The Oconaluftee River Trail starts at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, which is at the main entrance on the North Carolina side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

This trail is great for families with kids starting to build up distance but still needing an easy, flat trail. It’s also one of only two pet-friendly trails in the national park, making it an ideal hike for families with four-legged fur babies.

The Oconaluftee River Trail is about the journey, not the destination. The trail follows the Oconaluftee River until the path ends where the park meets the border of tribal lands owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Along the trail, signs share information on Cherokee culture.

Since the highlights of the trail appear throughout the hike, it’s easy for families to turn around at any point if three miles roundtrip is too long of a hike.

5. Gatlinburg Trail

Distance: 4 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 164 feet

If the Oconaluftee River Trail sounds appealing but you’d rather stay on the Tennessee side of the national park, consider hiking the Gatlinburg Trail.

Like the Oconaluftee River Trail, the Gatlinburg Trail also follows a river and ends at a road so families can turn around at any point if the trail is too long. And the Gatlinburg Trail is the second trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that allows dogs, making it an ideal choice for families who want to explore with their pets.

This trail begins at the Sugarlands Visitor Center and follows the west prong of the Little Pigeon River until it reaches Highway 441 in Gatlinburg, TN. Cars can be heard throughout the hike so don’t expect to feel completely secluded in the woods while hiking this trail.

Along the way, hikers will pass remains of several old homes like chimneys and other stone structures. The trail also includes one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the park when the trail crosses the river about half a mile from the Gatlinburg end.

Families should note that the first half a mile or so of the trail requires walking on or right next to the road. Keep a good handle on small children for this stretch of the hike until entering the woods.

6. Fighting Creek Nature Trail

Distance: 1.4 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 124 feet

The Fighting Creek Nature Trail is another family-friendly trail for the many visitors who come to the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

This trail provides families with an opportunity to learn about both the plants and history in this area of the park. Signs along the trail identify tree species and describe what those trees were used for by residents who used to live on this land.

Hikers will also pass a log cabin where John Ownby, one of the area’s early settlers, used to live. Kids can enter the small one-room home and imagine what living here was like (or just enjoy the novelty of this unique landmark on the trail!).

The Fighting Creek Nature Trail does have more incline to it than some of the easiest hikes in the national park. Luckily, there are benches along the trail to rest on after climbing up these hills.

7. Metcalf Bottoms Trail

Distance: 1.5 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 187 feet

Most kids may not like going to school, but they’ll enjoy seeing the old school at the end of the Metcalf Bottoms Trail.

This trail starts at the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area. The picnic area is situated 20 minutes from both the Sugarlands Visitor Center and the town of Townsend, TN. This makes it conveniently located for most visitors who come to explore the park.

The trail starts out as a gravel path but later on has lots of roots, so make sure to wear good sturdy shoes. Hikers will cross multiple narrow bridges to walk over streams.

At the end of the trail is the historic Little Greenbrier school and a cemetery. The Little Greenbrier school is a one-room schoolhouse that was used for 50 years until the national park was created. On Tuesdays during peak season, rangers are available onsite to provide information about the school.

Hike the Metcalf Bottoms Trail in the morning to beat the afternoon crowds and then end with a picnic lunch back at Metcalf Bottoms picnic area.

8. Clingmans Dome Trail

Distance: 1.3 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 331 feet

The Clingmans Dome Trail is a must-do hike for families visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

This trail leads to the observation tower at Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the national park.

On a clear day, visitors can take in panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. But keep in mind that they aren’t called the Smoky Mountains for nothing. There’s a good chance that the views will be obscured by fog, so save this hike for a sunny day.

Some people may not think of this paved walking path as a hiking trail, but it certainly takes as much effort to reach the observation tower as any other kid-friendly hike. Plus, the paved path makes this a stroller-friendly hike for families with very young children.

Clingmans Dome is located in the center of the park near the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Keep in mind that Clingmans Dome is one of the most popular attractions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park so the parking lot will be packed.

9. Deep Creek Waterfall Loop

Distance: 2.4 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 426 feet

What’s better than seeing one of the famous Great Smoky Mountains National Park waterfalls? Seeing three waterfalls on one family-friendly hike!

The Deep Creek Waterfall Loop leads to Tom Branch Falls, Indian Creek Falls, and Juney whank Falls.

There are two ways to see all three waterfalls. One option is to hike the Deep Creek Trail to Indian Creek Falls and then take the Deep Creek Horse Trail to loop back to Juney Whank Falls. Alternatively, you could simply take the Deep Creek Trail to Indian Falls and then return the way you came and tack on the short loop to Juney Whank Falls.

Both routes are about two and a half miles long. Families who aren’t up for that much hiking yet could opt to choose one trail or the other for a family-friendly waterfall hike.

These three waterfalls are in the Deep Creek area on the North Carolina side of the park.

Note that this area does not connect directly to the main roads in Great Smoky Mountains National park. The Deep Creek area is about half an hour away from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center.

10. Grotto Falls via Trillium Gap Trail

Distance: 2.6 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 544 feet

The trail to Grotto Falls makes for another wonderful family-friendly waterfall hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The trailhead for Trillium Gap Trail is along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. This area of the national park is near the popular gateway town of Gatlinburg, TN.

The moderate hike to Grotto Falls makes for a great first “big kid” hike for children who are ready to start taking on more distance and elevation gain.

Grotto Falls is 25 feet tall. While there are bigger waterfalls in the national park, Grotto Falls is a family favorite because it’s the only waterfall in the park that you can walk behind.

Depending on when you hike to Grotto Falls, kids may also get the exciting opportunity to see llamas on the trail! On certain weekday mornings, a llama train carries supplies up to Le Conte Lodge using the Trillium Gap Trail.

Given the novelty of the waterfall and the llamas combined with the convenient access from Gatlinburg, the limited parking area does fill up quickly. Try to reach this trail early in the day.

Need more help planning your trip to the Smoky Mountains? Check out these related articles:

As always, enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Leave no trace on all of your adventures.