Parking
Use the Elkmont Nature Trailhead lot on Elkmont Road. Pass Elkmont Campground and continue about 0.3 mile to the marked trailhead parking; the lot is small. A park parking tag is required for vehicles parked longer than 15 minutes.
Overview
About Elkmont Nature Trail
Why go
- Two footbridges give the short loop a clear creekside focus.
- The old rail grade and wooded return add variety to an easy walk.
Heads up
- Rooted, uneven tread makes this less smooth than the short distance implies.
- The payoff is the creek and forest, not a summit or broad view.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Great Smoky Mountains map
Full mapElevation2,158–2,258 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active Great Smoky Mountains alerts
- ClosureHurricane Helene trail damage and backcountry restrictionsHurricane Helene damage has restricted backcountry trail access; avoid damaged crossings and observe trail-specific limits.Official details
- CautionBear-related trail, campsite, and road restrictionsBear activity has closed trails, a shelter, and campsites and restricted pedestrian access on Cherokee Orchard Road; stay out of closed areas and follow vehicle-only rules.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide
Your drive to Elkmont Nature 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
Elkmont Campground and Nature Trail0:00 / 0:34
“Up ahead is Elkmont Campground and the nearby nature trail. For a short break in the woods, use the nature trail's own small lot.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Elkmont Historic District and Daisy Town
- The Blue Ghost's Long Glow
- Laurel Falls Trailhead
- Maloney Point
- 200 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, 137 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 Elkmont Nature Trail
A short loop by Mids BranchElkmont Nature Trail is a full 0.72-mile loop from its own small parking area on Elkmont Road.
Elkmont Nature Trail is a full 0.72-mile loop from its own small parking area on Elkmont Road. The first leg follows Mids Branch over two footbridges; the return climbs a wooded slope and comes back on switchbacks. Allow about 30 minutes. It suits a short creek walk near Elkmont Campground, not a summit view or a cabin tour.
The creekside legThe trail starts toward the stream, crosses a footbridge, then follows an old logging rail…
The trail starts toward the stream, crosses a footbridge, then follows an old logging rail grade beside the water. Another bridge crosses Mids Branch about 0.3 mile into the loop. White-arrow markers and numbered posts help keep the route clear. The tread is native dirt, with roots and uneven patches rather than a smooth surface.
The way backAfter the second crossing, the route leaves the creek and climbs through pine and mountain…
After the second crossing, the route leaves the creek and climbs through pine and mountain laurel before short switchbacks return to the lot. The climb is modest overall, but the footing is rougher than the easy distance suggests. The loop ends in the forest; there is no summit or large overlook.
Elkmont beyond the trailThis route follows part of Elkmont’s logging-era landscape.
This route follows part of Elkmont’s logging-era landscape. The wider area changed from family farms to a logging community and later a summer retreat for the Appalachian Club and Wonderland Hotel. The preserved cabins and chimneys are on other walks in the historic district, not on this creek loop. Dogs aren’t allowed on this trail. A park parking tag is required for a vehicle parked longer than 15 minutes.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Great Smoky Mountains
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.
