by Julie Dodd
Trails Forever Hikes offer you the opportunity to explore popular trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, learn more about the park, and support trail restoration.
The hikes are led by trained Friends of the Smokies volunteers who share insights about the park’s history, ecology, and park projects supported by Friends of the Smokies.
The hikes are held on second Tuesday and fourth Wednesday of the month, from March through November (with a couple of exceptions).
Hikes on Tuesdays are more challenging and are seven miles or more. Hikes on Wednesdays (and one on Saturday, April 4) are moderate beginner-friendly hikes.
Each hike begins at 9 a.m. and is limited to no more than 25 participants. You must register for hikes in advance.
Trails Forever Hikes raise funds for Friends of the Smokies’ Trails Forever program. The Trails Forever program has paid for the restoration of seven trails in the park. The current project is the restoration of Bullhead Trail.
Registration is $25 per hike, with multiple-hike package rates available. If you sign up for six or more hikes, you will receive a Trails Forever Hikes 2026 T-shirt.
The first two hikes of the year are completed. You can register for the 17 hikes from April through November.
Schedule of 2026 Trails Forever Hikes
March 10, Tuesday – Smokemont Loop
8 miles | ~1,700 ft elevation gain
wildflowers, waterfall, creek views, one-way loop
Nearest Town: Cherokee, NC
Hike Leader: Danny Bernstein
[Photo at top of post is of Smokemont Loop hike in 2023]
March 25, Wednesday – Old Sugarlands Trail – SOLD OUT
5.8 miles | ~700 ft elevation gain
wildflowers, historic structures, out & back
Nearest Town: Gatlinburg, TN
Hike Leader: Missy Kane & Ed Fleming
April 4, Saturday – Big Creek Trail
5 miles | ~700 ft elevation gain
wildflowers, out & back, family friendly
Nearest Town: Waterville, NC
Hike Leader: Mike Knies
April 14, Tuesday – Little Cataloochee Trail
8 miles | ~2,600 ft elevation gain
wildflowers, out & back, historic structures
Nearest Town: Waynesville, NC
Hike Leader: Mike Knies
April 22, Wednesday – Ace Gap Trail
4.6 miles | ~800 ft elevation gain
wildflowers, out & back
Nearest Town: Townsend, TN
Hike Leader: Sam Curtis
May 12, Tuesday – Sugarland Mountain Trail
11 miles | ~900 ft elevation gain
shuttle, one-way, high elevation views
Nearest Town: Gatlinburg, TN
Hike Leader: Steve Pierce
May 27, Wednesday – Husky Gap to Element
6.5 miles | ~1,500 ft elevation gain
shuttle, one-way, historic structures
Nearest Town: Gatlinburg, TN
Hike Leader: Ed Fleming
June 9, Tuesday – Abrams Falls from Abrams Creek Campground
10 miles | ~1,500 ft elevation gain
out & back, waterfall, creek views
Nearest Town: Townsend, TN
Hike Leader: Missy Kane
June 24, Wednesday – Andrews Bald & Kuwohi
4.6 miles | ~1,100 ft elevation gain
Trails Forever project, out & back, high elevation views, Appalachian bald
Nearest Town: Gatlinburg, TN & Cherokee, NC
Hike Leader: George and Nancy Dailey
July 14, Tuesday – Cataloochee Divide Trail
9.2 miles | ~1,600 ft elevation gain
high elevation views, Appalachian Highlands Learning Center, out & back
Nearest Town: Waynesville, NC
Hike Leader: Kevin Fitzgerald
July 22, Wednesday – Chimney Tops from Appalachian Trail
6.4 miles | ~2,900 ft elevation gain
creek crossing, Trails Forever project, high elevation views
Nearest Town: Gatlinburg, TN & Cherokee, NC
Hike Leader: Beth Ransom
August 11, Tuesday – Lakeshore Loop
8.1 miles | ~1,600 ft elevation gain
one-way loop, overnight opportunity in Bryson City
Nearest Town: Bryson City, NC
Hike Leader: Lynda Doucette
August 12, Wednesday – Goldmine Loop
4 miles | ~775 ft elevation gain
one-way loop, lake views
Nearest Town: Bryson City, NC
Hike Leader: Kevin Fitzgerald
September 8, Tuesday – Twentymile Loop
7.8 miles | ~1,400 ft elevation gain
one-way loop, creek views
Nearest Town: Fontana Village, NC
Hike Leader: Steve Winchester
September 23, Wednesday – Walker Sisters Cabin
3.6 miles | 300 ft elevation gain
self organized shuttle, historic structures
Nearest Town: Townsend, TN
Hike Leader: Sam Curtis
October 13, Tuesday – Anthony Creek Trail
12 miles | ~3,000 ft elevation gain
out & back, high elevation views, Cades Cove
Nearest Town: Townsend, TN
Hike Leader: Dolly McLean
October 28, Wednesday – School House Gap and Chestnut Top Trails
4.2 miles | ~1000 ft elevation gain
out & back
Nearest Town: Townsend, TN
Hike Leader: Sam Curtis
November 10, Tuesday – Rich Mountain Loop
8 miles | ~1,800 ft elevation gain
one-way loop, Cades Cove
Nearest Town: Townsend, TN
Hike Leader: Steve Pierce
November 18, Wednesday – Mingus Creek
5 miles | ~800 ft elevation gain
out-and back, cemeteries, potluck to celebrate completion of Trails Forever 2026
Nearest Town: Cherokee, NC
Hike Leader: Danny Bernstein
Learn more about the hikes and register on the Trails Forever Hikes webpage.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out by emailing olivia@friendsofthesmokies.org.
GSMNP Parking Tags
Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Park it Forward program requires visitors to buy and display a valid parking tag for any vehicle parking for more than 15 minutes. Participants of the Trails Forever Hikes are responsible for obtaining a parking tag prior to attending a hike.
Annual passes are available through Smokies Life at smokieslife.org/product/annual-parking-tag/ while daily and weekly passes are available at recreation.gov. Read more about the Park it Forward program at https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/fees.htm.
Trails Forever restoration projects
Since the Trails Forever program launched in 2012, the Friends of the Smokies Trails Forever Crew has restored Abrams Falls Trail, Alum Cave Trail, Chimney Tops Trail, Forney Ridge Trail, Rainbow Falls Trail, Ramsey Cascades Trail and Trillium Gap Trail. Bullhead Trail is the current restoration project. You can learn about each trail restoration project by clicking on the links.
Friends of the Smokies is the official nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Through private donations, fundraising events, and specialty license plates in North Carolina and Tennessee, Friends of the Smokies raises money to fund needed projects and programs in the national park that would otherwise go unfunded.
Learn more about how to get a Friends of the Smokies license plate at BearPlate.org. You can make a direct tax-deductible donation at our website. We also are grateful for those who pitch in at our donation boxes throughout the park. Every gift makes a significant difference.
Sign up to receive our monthly e-newsletter and email updates at friendsofthesmokies.org/stay-in-touch/
Special Thanks to our 2026 Trails Forever Sponsors!
