Hiking the Great Smoky Mountains: Miles of Breathtaking Beauty

Last month we took a long weekend trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was a wonderful escape from our cooped-up reality. Read all about where we stayed and why it was PERFECT in the “quieter side” of the Smokies here! The main activity that we focused on was hiking and exploring the trails. My husband wanted to do a long hike, in fact, I had to convince him that a 15-mile hike was long enough! He chose the long day while I picked a few short trails to explore. Here is my recap of hiking the Great Smoky Mountains: Miles of Breathtaking Beauty!

Day 1 in the Great Smoky Mountains

Charlies Bunion via Kephart Loop

My husband picked this trail since it was labeled a “less crowded” way to see one of the popular lookouts. It is a 15(ish) mile back way to get to the Charlies Bunion lookout on the Appalachian Trail. It was labeled “Hard”. I figured I run farther than that, how hard can it be? We woke up early to get on the trail, though we probably should have gotten up earlier since we really didn’t start until 10 am. We had hydration packs, day packs with food, and plenty of extra water, we were ready! At least we thought…

The Good

Heading out from the trailhead there was plenty of parking and not too many other folks. This was perfect since we were very leery about being around anyone during these COVID times. We crossed a river five times in the first two miles. It was neat to walk across all the different bridges, plus the river was lovely. There were lots of flowers and greenery around. It was a wonderful first two miles!

Around mile two we reached a shelter set up for folks doing longer treks. This is where the trail “loops”. We took the trail to the left of the shelter. From there it’s a slow burn up to meet the Appalachian Trail. There were some waterfalls (SO pretty!), beautiful views from the side of the mountain, and lots of plants and trees. I am a runner (duh) and I thought that I was in good shape… Let me tell you, hiking uphill for miles uses muscles you do not use while running! By the time we reached the AT, I was SO happy to not be climbing UP like we had been for the past four or so miles. Whew!

The Bad

Once we were on the AT, the crowds got WAY thicker. We only came across three groups before we reached the AT, but there were plenty of people out once we hit that popular trail! It was beautiful, though I was definitely more stressed as we avoided folks as much as possible. There was another (bigger) shelter set up on the AT. They had bathrooms there (very primitive bathrooms), but honestly finding a spot in the woods is probably a better experience (if you know what I mean).

The Charlies Bunion lookout was a bit crowded but worth checking out. It felt like a secret garden as we walked the path to the lookout. Sweeping vistas make this a popular spot for tourists. We would have enjoyed it longer if there were fewer people there!

We headed back down the other side of the loop towards the first shelter, and ultimately the trailhead. It had been raining on and off during the hike, so by the time we went down the mountain the trail was muddy and slick. I found myself falling a few times and wishing I had trekking poles. It was frankly a scary hike back down as I kept slipping on the mud, and it didn’t help that my ankles were completely weak and fatigued. I learned why ankle support and trekking poles are useful for long and strenuous hikes!

The Ugly

Once we got back to the first shelter we took a seat and ate some trail mix. We chatted with a fellow hiker and enjoyed a moment of rest before the final few miles.

Those last miles weren’t pretty for me. I was in agony as my feet and ankles screamed with pain. It was different than the end of a marathon pain, the uneven ground and rocks felt like glass in my feet for the last few miles. Needless to say, I was DONE once we got back to the cabin. It goes to show you that hiking fitness is NOT the same as running fitness! It was a tough hike, but I’m glad I did it, AND now I know how to make my next long hike even BETTER! Though I barely survived the hike, it was an uncrowded trail (when not on the AT), and it was perfect for our social distancing goal!        

Day 2 in the Great Smoky Mountains

Quiet Walkways & Schoolhouse Gap Trail

After our strenuous hike the day before, we decided day 2 would be low key. We were both VERY sore and ready to ramble around mostly flat and even ground. We had seen the signs around the park for “quiet walkways” and decided that sounded about our speed.

Quiet Walkways

A quiet walkway is just that, a path created to enjoy your surroundings and experience nature using all your senses. They are not created to end up in a panoramic vista. We explored two different walkways. The first one we chose was cut short due to a fallen tree and path washout. The little bit we did see had a babbling brook and plenty of greenery. The second one we stopped for had a river running by it. It was picturesque and felt very private as we only saw a few other couples wandering around. The river was relaxing to sit by and touch the water. It felt like a tranquil escape. This was one of my favorite moments of the trip!  

Schoolhouse Gap Trail

Since it was still early in the day we decided to see if we could find Cades Cove. Since we had no cell service and were not sure where we were going, we just followed the park signs. Unfortunately, we had no clue how far away Cades Cove was, and after a long while of driving decided to just stop at the next trail and explore that. That trail happened to be Schoolhouse Gap Trail. The trail wasn’t long, so it seemed like a great option.

It was lush and green with a small brook running beside the path. We didn’t see anyone for a long while, then several groups passed us warning us that they had seen a bear up ahead. We continued on, but I was pretty afraid of running into a “bear friend” as my husband called it. Luckily we didn’t encounter the bear, though after we got back to our cabin and I researched the trail it appears that bears are often spotted there.

During our hike, we heard lots of thunder rumbling and decided to cut the hike a bit short. On our way back we got completely soaked. Like head to toe, jumped in a pool, soaked. This is when an emergency poncho in your day pack would come in VERY handy! Overall, it was an interesting hike, and I loved the flowers, greenery, and brook, but I probably wouldn’t do it again.     

Day 3 in the Great Smoky Mountains

Little Greenbrier School Trail

Right before we headed out of town, we decided to go stretch our legs one last time in the park. We stopped by the Little Greenbrier School Trail since it was close to our Airbnb. We were sore and exhausted from our trip, so we ended up only hiking around for a short amount of time. I wish we had made it up to the school though! The pictures I’ve seen online make this spot look really intriguing if you are a history buff! There’s always next time 😉

We’ve really only scratched the surface of this huge and beautiful National Park. The drive from where we live to the Smokies is not a long one, making this an easy getaway. I know we will be back many times to explore more trails, and next time I will be ready for them!

Are you interested in experiencing your own day hike adventure? Check out these day-hike essential items!

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