Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the country and the only major one without an entrance fee. That sounds great until you arrive at Laurel Falls on a summer Saturday and find it more crowded than a Target parking lot at Christmas.
The solution: avoid the five most-Instagrammed trails and hike the other 795 miles. Here's where to go.
1. Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte (10.8 miles round-trip)
The best hike in the park that isn't on every list. The first 2.3 miles to Alum Cave Bluffs are frequently visited, but the crowd thins to almost nothing above the bluffs on the way to LeConte. The arch formations along the ridgeline are genuinely spectacular. Elevation gain: 2,800 feet. Bring layers — the summit is often 20 degrees cooler than the valley.
2. Ramsey Cascades (8 miles round-trip)
The tallest waterfall in the park at 100 feet. The trail gains 2,100 feet through old-growth forest with trees up to 25 feet in circumference. No crowds because it's a 4-mile one-way hike rather than the 1-mile loops that dominate the tourism literature.
3. Gregory Bald via Parson Branch Road
A 12-mile round-trip that almost no one does because of the research required to find the right approach. Reward: an open heath bald at 4,950 feet with 360-degree views. In late June, it's covered in native azaleas in colors you've never seen in a garden.
4. Rich Mountain Loop (8.5 miles)
Starts and ends at the Cades Cove Loop Road trailhead. Passes through farmstead ruins from the 1800s and ridge forest with decent wildlife (black bear sightings are common in Cades Cove). Lighter crowds than the valley-floor trails.
5. Hen Wallow Falls via Gabes Mountain Trail (4.4 miles)
A moderate trail on the north side of the park that most visitors skip entirely. The waterfall at the end is 90 feet tall and accessible even for younger hikers. Wildflowers bloom from April through June along the entire trail.