Best Moderate Difficulty Day Hikes in the Smoky Mountains

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As I road trip around America’s national parks looking for scenic hiking trails, I often don’t have the time for a strenuous multi-day backpacking trip. Still, I am an avid and frequent hiker and I am not looking for extra easy trails that will only take up an hour or less of my time. These moderate difficulty day hikes in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains area of Tennessee and North Carolina will get your heart pumping and make you feel rewarded for your effort. Where I’ve included trails on the easier side of the spectrum, it’s because I thought the views were worth prioritizing.

I will use the phrase “Blue Ridge” more than “Smoky Mountains” because the Smoky Mountains are a smaller subset within the Blue Ridge Mountains. Some of these day hikes are actually in the Shining Rock Wilderness or other wilderness areas, rather than the Smokies.

There is no loose scree, rock scrambling, or route-finding involved on these trails. There are a few very mild stretches of exposure that shouldn’t worry those with fear of heights, and there is some elevation change to test your lungs. Don’t discount a mountain range just because it tops out at ~6500ft elevation, especially when a route ascends rapidly from a trailhead at ~2000ft! There are very rugged summits in the area if you are looking to level up to something more strenuous, but these are the best day hiking trails for a moderate difficulty introduction to hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

*Remember to check National Park or National Forest websites as well as trail report websites like AllTrails for updates on the current conditions and possible trail closures.

*Looking for a longer overnight backpacking excursion? Not comfortable solo hiking in the Smoky Mountains, or prefer all the logistics to be taken care of for you? Wildland Trekking offers guided hiking tours in the Smoky Mountains and Shining Rock Wilderness.

Charlie’s Bunion and The Jump-Off (Smoky Mountains NP)

Distance: 8 miles out-and-back.
Trailhead: Newfound Gap is paved and has a ton of parking space, but will get very busy in the afternoon with tourists doing the scenic drive.
Fees: None. There is no park entrance fee to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
AllTrails // NPS

Charlie’s Bunion was the very first day hike I did in the Smoky Mountains and the one I’d heard the most about. It lived up to the hype! To reach the Bunion you’ll take the Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap (the state line between Tennessee and North Carolina) out-and-back. This route gave me an a heaping dose of quintessential Smoky Mountains terrain, with thick forest, rocky, rooty trails, plenty of trickling water sources, and views of soft rolling blue hills forming a tapestry with the clouds. You’ll pass by an Appalachian Trail hut and maybe meet some thru-hikers. Once you reach the Bunion, the view is expansive on a clear day; it honestly spoiled me against less rewarding hikes. You can shimmy up the rocky outcropping of “the Bunion” for a good perch from which to drool over the mountains. 

As you return, don’t forget to take the fork in the trail to detour to The Jump-Off too (you’ll understand why it’s called that when you arrive). From here you get a totally different perspective and can even see the Bunion in the distance if you look carefully.

This trail is moderately difficult because it does have some elevation change and longer overall mileage, but it’s not too steep and there’s not much exposure or technicality. Regardless of difficulty level, I think it’s one of the best day hikes in the Smoky Mountains for the impressive views.

Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte (Smoky Mountains NP)

Distance: 11 miles out-and-back.
Trailhead: There is a lot of parking space at the paved Alum Cave Trailhead, which also has a second spillover lot, but both of them fill up by the afternoon.
Fees: None. There is no park entrance fee to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
AllTrails // NPS

Mount LeConte may rival Charlie’s Bunion as the most famous hiking destination in the Smoky Mountains. There are multiple ways to reach Mount LeConte. The most popular is Alum Cave Trail, which is the one I chose. You can also take Trillium Gap which is the trail the llamas use to bring supplies to and from the cabins at LeConte Lodge. There is also Boulevard Trail, Rainbow Falls Trail, Bullhead Trail, and Brushy Mountain Trail. 

LeConte Lodge is to the Great Smoky Mountains as Phantom Ranch is to the Grand Canyon – rustic accommodations for which reservations must be won in a competitive lottery. Like Phantom Ranch, though, you can also visit the lodge without having to actually stay there. Alum Cave Trail to LeConte is a perfectly doable Smoky Mountains day hike at about 11 miles out-and-back. I really enjoyed this route because there are multiple interesting viewpoints along the way which make for fun goalposts, like Arch Rock and Alum Cave. You’ll be surprised by peek-a-boo views of the mountains throughout the hike too. Once you reach LeConte Lodge, continue further to reach the actual summit of Mount LeConte and the Myrtle Point viewpoint. There is not much of a view from the lodge itself, so visiting Myrtle Point is a must. From there, you’ll be rewarded with a 360° panorama of the Smokies from above. 

I found this to be the hardest day hike on this list because of the steep ascent, but I may have just been running low on fuel. You can buy a sack lunch at LeConte Lodge, which rules. I was starting to drag after subsisting on protein bars and was revived by a well-timed bagel and cream cheese from the lodge.

Consider downloading a self-guided driving audio tour of Smoky Mountains National Park prior to your trip! Audio tours are also available for Cade’s Cove, the Blue Ridge Parkway, or you can get a combo tour of Cade’s Cove and the Smokies.

Looking Glass Rock (Pisgah National Forest)

Distance: 5.7 miles out-and-back.
Trailhead: The Looking Glass Rock Trailhead is a small pull-out on the side of a forest road with room for a handful of cars.
Fees: None, parking is free.
AllTrails // USFS

The Looking Glass Rock Trail in Pisgah National Forest is straightforward and easy to follow. I enjoyed the whole trail, but it’s mainly under forest cover and I wouldn’t recommend it as a top choice if not for the cool destination point you reach in the end. The rock is a massive sort-of-flat, sort-of-sloped area that’s perfectly situated for viewing the Blue Ridge Mountains from on high. It’s quite spiritual.

Because Looking Glass Rock is sloped, I was a little nervous about walking on it carelessly. I took baby steps and steadied myself with my trekking poles. The rock stretches over such a wide expanse that it’s probably near impossible to slip to your death if you keep closer to the forest side instead of testing your luck near the edge, but apparently it’s happened and they do have a foreboding “Caution: Cliff Edge” sign up. Luckily there are some good sittin’ rocks! Or, you do not have to venture out onto the rock itself if you don’t want to; stay back in the trees and peer out from there.

Tennent Mountain (Shining Rock Wilderness)

Distance: Choose your own adventure – most common is a 4.6 mile loop.
Trailhead: The Art Loeb and Black Balsam Knob Trailhead parking fills up very fast, so cars often spill out and park on the side of the road.
Fees: None, parking is free.
AllTrails // USFS

The Art Loeb trail provides a choose-your-own-adventure situation in the Shining Rock Wilderness. If you park at the Black Balsam Knob trailhead, you could hike just to Black Balsam Knob and back, or you could continue further to Tennent Mountain. Once you reach Tennent Mountain you could return back via Art Loeb, or you could make it a loop by taking Investor Gap (which is what I did, but it’s extremely boring because Investor Gap is a gravel driving road the entire way. I would have preferred the out-and-back). You could even continue past Tennent Mountain and go all the way to Shining Rock, then loop back on Investor Gap from there. Shining Rock is so named because of the white quartzite outcropping near the summit. A friend told me this is gorgeous at night when the moon glints off the quartzite. 

Another friend @hiking_bum explained that you can even connect Cold Mountain and Shining Rock. He said the connecting section is short but rugged and overgrown. 

Art Loeb to Black Balsam and Tennent Mountain is one of those trails that is rated “difficult” in some places and I just do not understand this. I would rate this like a 2 out of 10 on difficulty. It’s only if you add Shining Rock that you’re kicking it up a notch.

Cold Mountain (Shining Rock Wilderness)

Distance: 10 miles out-and-back.
Trailhead: The Art Loeb Trailhead at Camp Daniel Boone has ample parking space and no other people were parked there the morning I arrived. There were maybe 2 other cars when I returned.
Fees: None, parking is free.
AllTrails // USFS

This is the Cold Mountain of Nicole Kidman and Jude Law movie fame! Or if you’re more sophisticated than me, the book by Charles Frazier.

This 10 mile out-and-back trail via Art Loeb is located in the Shining Rock Wilderness in North Carolina. It’s plenty steep in some places and had me breathing hard, but I still would not give it the “difficult” rating that most websites assign. It’s a good workout but won’t knock you out and there is nothing technical or exposed involved. Most of the trail in under forest canopy with lush vegetation and creeks trickling through. You’ll have to wait until the summit to get a great wide panoramic view of the mountains. Once you’re there, keep an eye out for the official geographical summit plaque.

If you want to connect this to Shining Rock, you would split off at Deep Gap instead of continuing the last 1.5 miles to the Cold Mountain summit.

Grassy Ridge Bald (Roan Highlands)

Distance: 5 miles out-and-back.
Trailhead: The Carver’s Gap parking area is somewhat large and paved but it still fills up fast.
Fees: None, parking is free.
AllTrails // USFS

The Carver’s Gap trailhead near Roan Mountain is located in the Roan Highlands. From here you’ll take the Appalachian Trail to summit three “balds”, including Round Bald, Jane Bald, and finally Grassy Ridge Bald. 

This gentle out-and-back hike is a pure delight. It’s one of the easier Blue Ridge day hikes on this list because there is not much elevation change compared to something like Cold Mountain or LeConte, but I loved every minute of it. The entire stretch features non-stop views which change as you trace along the ridge. The day I was there, the scene also morphed as the wind and sun pushed the swirling fog around the mountains.

Definitely aim to get there early. I got to Carver’s Gap around 8:30am and had a fair amount of solitude, though there were already a couple of other hikers. That said, since the sun had barely risen it was also very misty in the morning. Fog obstructed the views at first. I remembered the saying “if you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes”, and I’m glad I had the patience. After waiting on a rock for awhile for the fog to clear, sweeping views over the highlands accompanied me for the rest of the hike. I guess I’m glad I didn’t arrive any earlier, but on the return hike back to my car the crowds were already pouring in.

Remember that the Smoky Mountains and surrounding areas are a cloud forest. I wrote about what to expect from the climate in my guide to the Smokies.

Hawksbill (Linville Gorge Wilderness)

Distance: 2.5 miles out-and-back.
Trailhead: The Hawksbill Mountain Trailhead is on a long unpaved road and only has enough room for a few cars.
Fees: None, parking is free.
AllTrails // USFS

Hawksbill Mountain Trail is the easiest and shortest day hike on this list. I might be pushing it with the “moderate” rating, but there is some uphill involved and a big payoff in terms of views! I really enjoyed looking out over the landscape from the endpoint. Hawksbill is in the Linville Gorge Wilderness in North Carolina, so you can pair this one alongside Table Rock and Linville Falls for a longer day.

I met a camper at Hawksbill who suggested hiking down into the gorge itself via something like the Rock Jock Trail, which I really wish I’d done. I did start to embark on that drive one afternoon, but the road was very rough and I was already exhausted from prior hikes, so I didn’t feel like flinging my truck over all those treacherous dips for 7 miles. I ended up turning back. If you do Rock Jock, you can also stop at Wiseman’s View on the way.

🏨 Find budget hostels in Asheville or search standard hotel options in Asheville, Gatlinburg, or Pigeon Forge.
🏕️ Find free or paid campsites near the Smoky Mountains.
✈️ Coming to Tennessee or North Carolina from further afield? Use an Airalo eSIM for affordable international cell data and don’t forget to protect your investment with travel insurance.

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