Sight · Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A steep climb to the pinnacle view; the summit itself is closed.
Overview
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Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Great Smoky Mountains audio tourRecorded for this area
Chimney Tops Trailhead“Chimney Tops Trail is coming up, with a steep climb to a view of the twin rocky pinnacles. Give the three-and-a-half-mile round trip two to three hours, with plenty of stone and wooden steps.”
Plays on the road 0.8 mi from Chimney Tops Trail Viewpoint in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
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Guide
Chimney Tops Trail Viewpoint is a built observation point near the upper end of a steep hike, below the twin bare-rock pinnacles. The round trip is 3.5 miles; allow roughly two to three hours. Go for a hard climb and a distinctive view, not a summit scramble: the trail ends at the closed-area gate, and the pinnacles beyond it are off limits.
The trail starts on Newfound Gap Road, about seven miles from Sugarlands Visitor Center. Parking is limited and often fills, so consider the shuttle. A parking tag is required for stops longer than 15 minutes, and pets aren’t allowed on this trail. The nearest restroom is at Sugarlands Visitor Center, not at the trailhead.
The path follows Road Prong Creek and crosses several footbridges before Beech Flats. Above that, it climbs sharply: the last two-thirds of a mile gains about 730 feet over stone steps, roots, and rocks. The short mileage hides a real workout.
The observation point sits about a quarter-mile below the summits, with views of Mount LeConte and the twin Chimney Tops pinnacles. For a photo, frame the bare spire with the recovering slope around it; the rock and the regrowing forest make a much stronger picture together.
The November 2016 wildfire changed these slopes and left them vulnerable to erosion and other hazards. The trail reopened in 2017 to a newly built viewing point below the unsafe summit area. That’s still the endpoint: stop at the gate and enjoy the pinnacles from here.
Wildlife
1,569 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
900 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
13 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
142 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
26 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
42 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Smoky Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingChimney Tops Trail3.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.8 mi awayA steep stair climb ends at a view of the fire-scarred pinnacles.
ModerateCove Hardwood Nature Trail0.8 mi · 45 min · 1.1 mi awayA shady hardwood loop with 40 steps up front.
ChallengingMount Le Conte via Alum Cave Trail10 mi · 7 hr · 1.6 mi awayA creekside climb through rock passages to high mountain views.
ModerateAlum Cave Trail to Alum Cave Bluffs4.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.6 mi awayA forest climb to a 75-foot rock shelter and natural arch.
ChallengingRoad Prong Trail2.4 mi · 2 hr · 2.1 mi awayA rocky creek walk on the old Oconaluftee Turnpike
EasyBalsam Point Quiet Walkway0.4 mi · 30 min · 2.3 mi awayA short wooded loop with a rock-wall clearing and stream.
EasySpruce-Fir Nature Trail0.4 mi · 30 min · 2.4 mi awayA short, shaded loop through the Smokies' spruce-fir woods.
ModerateFork Ridge Trail5 mi · 3.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayA rocky descent from a high ridge into Deep Creek.
Picnic area · 1 mi awayChimneys Picnic AreaA shady lunch stop beside a cold, boulder-strewn river.
Scenic pullout · 1.2 mi awayChimney Tops OverlookStep out for the twin peaks without taking a hike.Sight · 2.1 mi awayAlum Cave BluffsA 4.6-mile Smokies hike ends beneath a 75-foot rock overhang.
Sight · 2.4 mi awayArch RockTake the stone steps right through a natural arch.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayRainbow FallsA steep Smokies climb to a waterfall named for its rainbows.
Scenic pullout · 2.7 mi awayLuftee OverlookA quick roadside pause for layered ridges and sunrise.
Sight · 2.7 mi awayCliff Tops ViewpointA wide LeConte panorama, best saved for sunset.
Lodging · 2.9 mi awayLeConte LodgeA historic hike-in lodge on Mount LeConte with family-style meals.Parkwolf’s Great Smoky Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
