Newfound Gap Road at Hiking In National Parks

As the primary roadway through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Newfound Gap Road (U.S. Highway 441), is the hub of activity in the national park. Both of the largest visitors centers are on either end of the highway, near Gatlinburg (Sugarlands) and just out of Cherokee, North Carolina (Oconaluftee), as are most of the most popular hiking trails in the park. Newfound Gap, about midway into the park, is home to the Rockefeller Memorial, from which Franklin Roosevelt dedicated the national park in 1940. The gap is also crossed by the Appalachian Trail, which crosses alongside the memorial and over the highway towards Clingmans Dome.

Alum Cave Bluff Trail: The most popular of the five trails that lead to the summit of Mount Le Conte and the LeConte Lodge, the Alum Cave Bluff Trail has two parking areas which are both filled and spilt over onto the roadside. Most of the people hiking the trail do so for the unique rock formations at Arch Rock, just 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) in the trail, and Alum Cave Bluff, about a mile further along. From about the 2 mile point onward, the trail is one of (if not the single most) scenic trails in the national park, which, combined with its short length relative to the other Le Conte trails (5.0 miles [8 kilometers]), makes it also the favored trail for those heading to the Le Conte massif.

Chimney Tops Trail: Another of the very popular Newfound Gap Road trails, the Chimney Tops Trail owes much of its popularity to its short length and notoriously panoramic summit. The length, only 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometers), however, makes for a very steep hike–so much so that many would-be hikers do not reach the summit. Once at the top, signs erected by the National Park Service remind hikers to exercise caution, not to stray beyond the peaks of the Chimney Tops, as the fame and treachery of the Chimney Tops’ summit has led to numerous injuries of often careless enthusiasts.

The Boulevard Trail: Though only 5.3 miles (8.5 kilometers) in length, The Boulevard Trail is accessibly only by trail; the closest and most common point of entry being along the Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap, the total hike to Mount Le Conte and the LeConte Lodge amounts to 8 miles (12.9 kilometers). The Boulevard is the highest path to Le Conte: it is the only Le Conte trail that begins above 4,000 feet (1,219 meters), and nowhere along the route does the elevation fall below 5,500 feet (1,676 meters). In addition, The Boulevard is the only trail to pass alongside High Top, the Le Conte’s highest peak.

Appalachian Trail - Newfound Gap to Charlie’s Bunion: This popular dayhike leading from Newfound Gap comprises a four mile (6.4 kilometer) portion of the Appalachian Trail to Charlie’s Bunion, from which expansive views are afforded into the surrounding mountains.