Sight · Great Smoky Mountains National Park
A rugged ridge walk ends at a cliff-edge panorama.
Overview
The Jumpoff is a cliff-edge overlook on the northeast side of Mount Kephart. Getting there means a substantial, rough hike from Newfound Gap: follow the Appalachian Trail, connect with the Boulevard Trail, then take the signed spur to the cliff. The rocky, root-crossed climb is real work, so save this for a day when you want the walk as much as the view. Online mileage estimates conflict; check the current trail map before setting out rather than counting on one number.
Parkwolf’s verdictA view worth working forMap
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 tourMore stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
From the open viewpoint, the panorama runs past Charlie’s Bunion and the Sawteeth toward Old Black, Mount Chapman and Mount Guyot. Low cloud can hide those distant ridges, so the view depends on conditions. For a photo with depth, include the rocky edge in the foreground and frame the layered mountains beyond it.
The overlook ends at an exposed drop with no guardrail. Stay back from the edge; this is a natural cliff, not a built viewing deck.
Mount Kephart is named for Horace Kephart, the writer who lived among Smokies settlers, wrote Our Southern Highlanders, and helped campaign for a national park. The view is a reminder that this landscape drew both hikers and advocates long before the park was established.
The Newfound Gap lot also serves popular hikes to Charlie’s Bunion and Mount Le Conte, and the park warns it can fill. Backcountry trail conditions can change with erosion, downed trees and washouts; check the park’s current trail cautions before you go.
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
ChallengingSweat Heifer Creek Trail3.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 2 mi awayA steep wooded creek climb to the Appalachian Trail.
ChallengingGrassy Branch Trail2.6 mi · 3 hr · 2 mi awayA hard switchback climb through grassy openings to Dry Sluice Gap.
ModerateCharlies Bunion via Appalachian Trail8 mi · 5 hr · 2.6 mi awayAn 8-mile Appalachian Trail out-and-back to an exposed Smokies outcrop
ModerateThe Jump Off Trail6.5 mi · 4 hr · 2.6 mi awayClimb a rough AT approach to a cliffside Smokies panorama
ChallengingMount Le Conte via Appalachian Trail and Boulevard Trail16.2 mi · 10 hr · 2.6 mi awayA demanding ridge traverse to Le Conte via the Appalachian Trail.
EasyBeech Flats Quiet Walkway1 mi · 45 min · 2.7 mi awayWalk a mossy old roadbed into the cool woods.
ChallengingDeep Creek Trail14.3 mi · 8 hr · 3 mi awayA long one-way descent from Newfound Gap Road to Deep Creek.
ModerateOld Deep Creek Quiet Walkway0.1 mi · 15 min · 3 mi awayA signed, steep forest path drops from Newfound Gap Road.Sight · 1 mi awayCharlies BunionEight miles through forest to a raw, rocky mountain perch.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayBen Morton OverlookA west-facing Smokies overlook with a seasonal sunset alignment.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayNewfound Gap OverlookA 5,046-foot pass, a state line, and a historic terrace.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayArch RockTake the stone steps right through a natural arch.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayMyrtle PointA serious hike earns one of Le Conte's best signed views.
Sight · 3 mi awayFern Branch FallsWaterfall, old homesteads and spring flowers make the four miles count.
Scenic pullout · 3 mi awaySwinging Bridges South OverlookLayered ridgelines from a short roadside pull-off.
Scenic pullout · 3.1 mi awayDeep Creek Valley OverlookA roadside viewpoint over Deep Creek ValleyParkwolf’s Great Smoky Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
