by Julie Dodd
The Trails Forever Crew, funded by your support of Friends of the Smokies, is hard at work restoring Bullhead Trail. The approximately six-mile Bullhead Trail is one of five trails leading to the top of Mount Le Conte in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The two-year restoration project began in May 2025. Work will continue until mid-November 2025, pause during the winter months, and is anticipated to continue in 2026 from spring until completion in late-fall.
The work improves the safety of the trail, reduces erosion, and makes the trail a more enjoyable hiking experience.
In addition to working on the Bullhead Trail this year, the Trails Forever Crew also will make improvements to the top sections of Rainbow Falls Trail, Alum Cave Trail, Trillium Gap Trail, and Boulevard Trail to improve drainage around the Mount Le Conte summit.
Bullhead Trail is closed to hikers from Monday through Thursday during restoration work. The trail remains open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays.
Friends’ funding of Bullhead Trail restoration
The Trails Forever Crew is a National Park Service crew funded by Friends of the Smokies that restores heavily-used trails in the park. Bullhead Trail is the eighth Trails Forever restoration project in the Smokies. Previous trail restorations include Abrams Falls, Alum Cave, Chimney Tops, Forney Ridge, Rainbow Falls, Ramsey Cascades, and Trillium Gap.
Friends of the Smokies established the Trails Forever program in 2012 with major support from special Pathfinder gifts.
“These trail restoration projects wouldn’t take place without the support of Friends of the Smokies,” said Trails Forever Crew supervisor Josh Shapiro.
“Friends provides funding for the National Park Service staff, the Conservation Corps crews, locust logs, tools and supplies. Friends also helps with volunteer recruitment,” he said.
Friends’ contribution of $643,000 for 2025 funds the seven-person Trails Forever Crew as well as the cost of equipment and materials, including hundreds of rot-resistant black locust logs.
Support for youth trail crew members
This year, Friends also will provide $180,000 to support 12 youth crew members from the American Conservation Experience (ACE) and the Southeast Conservation Corps (SECC) to work with the Trails Forever Crew.
“The Conservation Corps crew from ACE and SECC fill a critical need on Trails Forever projects. They provide a skilled labor force to help the Trails Forever Crew complete the restorations,” Shapiro said.
For the Bullhead Trail restoration, the Trails Forever Crew and the Conservation Corps (ACE and SECC crews) are divided into two groups. The group working the lower portion of the trail is the frontcountry crew. The group working the upper section of the trail is the backcountry crew.
The NPS crew working the upper section stays overnight in the Mount Le Conte NPS Bunkhouse. The backcountry members of the Conservation Corps stay in the Mount Le Conte Shelter.
Because the ACE crew members are based in Asheville, the Alum Cave trailhead is a closer commute. Alum Cave Trail also a 1.5-mile shorter hike to the top of Mount Le Conte and the shelter than Bullhead Trail. Using Alum Cave Trail, rather than Bullhead Trail, allows the ACE crew to get more work time on the upper portions of Bullhead Trail. The crew hikes up on Mondays and down on Thursdays.
Some of those conservation corps members are 18 to 24 years old and are potential future employees for the National Park Service.
“Youth trail crews provide great opportunities for youth to learn trail restoration skills and gain exposure to careers in public lands conservation,” said Shapiro. “Several members of Great Smoky Mountains National Park permanent trail crews began their park careers working for the conservation corps.”
Making trails safer for hikers
Bullhead Trail, like many other trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was built during the 1930s by members of the Civilian Conservation Crew (CCC) who lived in CCC camps in what is now the park.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park had about 650,000 visitors annually in the late 1930s.
In 2024, the park had 12.2 million visitors.
Thousands of visitors hike the park’s trails each year, with many visitors making their first-ever hike.
The Trails Forever Crew restores popular trails in the park to make the trails safer for hikers.
Restoration projects include building log and stone staircases so hikers don’t have to scramble over rocks or roots, which can cause injuries.
The crew uses rock along the trail for the construction of rock staircases. Locust logs are used to build trail structures, such as retaining walls and staircases. The Park Mule Team transports the locust logs to the different work sites along the trail.
The restored trails enable the park’s Search and Rescue teams to reach injured hikers more quickly and then safely transport them to medical care.
The Search and Rescue teams make 100 to 150 rescues each year. Friends of the Smokies helps fund search and rescue training, specialized equipment and safety gear.
Preserving natural resources
The restoration of each trail helps protect the natural resources.
For example, ‘water bars’ (see photo at top of story) are wood or rock structures built into staircases and sections of the trail that direct water off the trail to help reduce erosion. Rock and wood retaining walls also help prevent erosion.
Staircases are positioned to encourage hikers to stay on the trail rather than take shortcuts. These shortcuts, called “social trails,” cause erosion and damage plants and wildlife.
Sections of Bullhead Trail burned during the Gatlinburg Fires in 2016 will require special construction of structures to deal with erosion.
Volunteers assist with trail restoration
Volunteers also play a key part in the restoration work.
Volunteers join the NPS crew for Wednesday Workdays, from July 7 through Oct. 15. The volunteer hours are from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can learn more at the Friends webpage about volunteering.
“As with all the trail rehabilitation projects the Trails Forever Crew has worked on, volunteers have a very important role and their hard work is greatly appreciated,” Shapiro said.
Your can support Trails Forever restoration projects
The Trails Forever Crew has restored Ramsey Cascades Trail, Alum Cave Trail, Rainbow Falls Trail, Trillium Gap Trail, Abrams Falls Trail, Chimney Tops Trail and Forney Ridge Trail.
Your license plates and generous gifts support this restoration work. You can make a donation online to support Trails Forever.