Great Smoky Mountains Hiking and Backpacking Trips

Appalachian Trail: Davenport Gap to Max Patch Road

Submitted by: Backpacker Magazine
This 18.7-mile weekend trip starts with a 2,700-foot climb up Snowbird Mountain then descends and climbs again to Max Patch, an old homestead and logging camp.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Hemphill Bald Loop

Submitted by: Backpacker Magazine
This 13.1-mile loop is classic Smokies: free-flowing creeks, wide valley views, and hardwood forests peppered with long-abandoned homesites.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Alum Cave to Greenbrier Cove

Submitted by: Backpacker Magazine
Trek into the past on this 6-day route linking a rock arch, 5,000-foot balds, old settler homesites, and 100-year-old cemeteries.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Noland Divide to Newton Bald

BACKPACKER Review
This 16-miler packs big vertical change and diverse landscapes (from grassy campsites to mountain summits) into a two-night trip.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Snake Den Ridge Trail

BACKPACKER Review
Rising 2,500-plus feet over 4.6 miles, this strenuous trail zigzags through hemlock and rhododendron to a pair of exposed ridges with long Appalachian views.

Appalachian Trail: Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap

BACKPACKER Review
This 30.3-miler in the Great Smokies leads to picturesque panoramas including Charles Bunion, a popular 5,736-foot bald.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Charlies Bunion Loop

Get away for a night or three on this 12.8-mile lasso loop that delivers you to the high reaches of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Charlies Bunion Loop

Get away for a night or three on this 12.8-mile lasso loop that delivers you to the high reaches of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Tricorner Loop

A peak bagger's dream, this 31-mile Smokies backpack loops across forested ridgelines, offering the opportunity to tag eight 6,000-foot summits along the way.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Tricorner Loop

A peak bagger's dream, this 31-mile Smokies backpack loops across forested ridgelines, offering the opportunity to tag eight 6,000-foot summits along the way.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Charlies Bunion Loop

Get away for a night or three on this 12.8-mile lasso loop that delivers you to the high reaches of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Alum Cave to Greenbrier Cove

Trek into the past on this 6-day route linking a rock arch, 5,000-foot balds, old settler homesites, and 100-year-old cemeteries.

National Parks: Great Smoky Mountains

BACKPACKER Review
For guaranteed solitude in the park's southwest reaches, explore this quiet loop during the off-season.

Going to Extremes

BACKPACKER Review
Can you ever really have too much of a good thing? Once you've seen the biggest tree, largest glacier, and deepest canyon, nothing else compares.

Get Higher: Best Firetower Hikes

BACKPACKER Review
For sheltered scenery high above the trees, there's no better place than a fire tower. Try one of these editor-approved hikes to backcountry rooms with a view.

Rip & Go: Thunderhead Loop

BACKPACKER Review
Hike from forest floor to a rocky ridge linking twin summits in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Rip & Go: Big Creek Loop

BACKPACKER Review
Hike from a wildlife-choked river valley to soaring mountain views.

Readers' Choice: Appalachians

BACKPACKER Review
Your favorite parks, weekend getaways, peak ascents, campsites, and more in the Appalachians.

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Photos + Videos

Packing for a Backcountry Ski Day Kristin Hostetter shows you the essential gear, and how to pack it, for a day of backcountry skiing.	Adjust Your Pack Straps on the Trail Maximize your pack's comfort with a few easy, on-trail strap adjustments.

What makes a backpacker a backpacker? It's not the garage full of gear or piles of guidebooks--it's the experiences, from thru-hiking a long trail to pushing your personal envelope to inspiring a child's love of wilderness. Here we present BACKPACKER's new Life List: 10 experiences to add to your tick-listnow--and the key skills you need to nail them.