Parking
The campground map labels Hiker Parking and separate Horse Trailer Parking near the south entrance, but it does not show which access serves this short segment. Check the current park map before starting.
Overview
About Cosby Horse Trail
Why go
- A brief walk beside Cosby Campground.
Heads up
- Parking, horse access and route connections need confirmation.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Great Smoky Mountains map
Full mapElevation2,388–2,543 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active Great Smoky Mountains alerts
- ClosureHurricane Helene backcountry trail closures and hazardsHurricane Helene damage has closed backcountry trails and left hazardous crossings; avoid closed routes and heed trail-specific restrictions.Official details
- CautionBear-related trail, road, shelter, and campsite restrictionsBear activity has closed trails, a shelter, and campsites and restricted pedestrian access on Cherokee Orchard Road; follow the vehicle restrictions and avoid closed areas.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide
Your drive to Cosby Horse Trail, narrated.
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 trailhead
Cosby Picnic Area and Hen Wallow Falls0:00 / 0:31
“Up ahead is Cosby Picnic Area, a shady place for lunch beside Cosby Creek. Bring your own picnic; the tables have charcoal grills. The picnic area is seasonal, generally spring through fall.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Nest That Can Stretch
- Apples for the Long Haul
- A Nut in the Bark
- A Woodpecker's Sap Wells
- 188 audio storiesacross Great Smoky Mountains’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Elk, Bald Eagle, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 197 trails, 100 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Cosby Horse Trail
The short walkThis entry follows a 0.
This entry follows a 0.25-mile point-to-point path that starts at the Cosby Horse Trail trailhead beside a campground road. The route is on native ground and climbs about 42 m (138 ft), making it steep for its short length. Allow around 10 minutes one way; turning back the same way makes about a 0.5-mile outing.
How it fits with other trail linesThe same name also appears on longer nearby portions.
The same name also appears on longer nearby portions. This entry follows only the short mapped path whose start matches the named trailhead. The campground map sketches a larger horse-trail system, but it is schematic and the available route lines do not show every connection. Do not treat this segment as a complete loop or assume it joins the longer route; check the current park map if you plan to continue beyond it.
Parking and accessThe campground map labels a Hiker Parking Area and separate Horse Trailer Parking near the…
The campground map labels a Hiker Parking Area and separate Horse Trailer Parking near the south entrance, but does not identify which access serves this short path. Confirm the lot and route before setting out. Pets are not allowed on this trail; service animals are permitted where visitors may go.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Great Smoky Mountains
1,566 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
899 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.
