Parking
Park at Little River Trailhead by Elkmont. Follow Little River Trail 3.7 miles to the Goshen Prong junction; the route then runs one way to Double Spring Gap on the AT. Arrange a through-hike pickup or plan to retrace the full route.
Overview
About Goshen Prong Trail
Why go
- Old logging grades, an iron river bridge, and a long streamside climb.
- Cascades, pools, beech woods, and fern fields change the scenery.
Heads up
- The 11.15-mile route is one way; returning to Elkmont doubles it.
- Rocky, sometimes muddy footing and several creek crossings slow the upper miles.
Goshen Prong is an 11.15-mile, one-way backcountry route from Little River Trailhead near Elkmont to the Appalachian Trail at Double Spring Gap. The first 3.7 miles follow Little River Trail to the Goshen Prong junction; the named trail then climbs 7.45 miles to the AT. Allow about nine hours to the gap. The route rises roughly 3,500 feet overall, so this is a hard, full-day outing. Plan a through-hike pickup in advance. Turning around at Double Spring Gap makes the Elkmont trip about 22.3 miles.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Great Smoky Mountains map
Full mapElevation2,247–5,787 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 Goshen Prong 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 Historic District and Daisy Town0:00 / 0:32
“You're nearing Elkmont Historic District, where Daisy Town's restored summer cabins make an easy history stop. Look inside the restored cabins; the interiors give this former resort community its character.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Elkmont Campground and Nature Trail
- The Blue Ghost's Long Glow
- Laurel Falls Trailhead
- Maloney Point
- 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 Goshen Prong Trail
Start at Elkmont, finish on the ATPark at Little River Trailhead and follow Little River Trail into the backcountry.
Park at Little River Trailhead and follow Little River Trail into the backcountry. The route begins on a broad former logging grade and crosses Little River on an iron bridge. At the Goshen Prong junction, leave Little River Trail and follow the named trail south to its signed meeting with the AT at Double Spring Gap. That is a ridge junction, not a road. Kuwohi is about 1.9 miles east on the AT if you are arranging a pickup there; count that extra stretch and check road access before you commit.
Water and forestAbout a mile into Goshen Prong, you reach creek cascades and two waterfalls.
About a mile into Goshen Prong, you reach creek cascades and two waterfalls. The footing then gets rockier and can be muddy before easing among American beech trees and fern fields. Campsite 23 is a short spur, about 100 yards off the trail. Several more creek crossings come higher up, so wet ground can slow the route.
The upper climbThe trail threads through rhododendron, drops to pools on Goshen Prong, and passes a cave…
The trail threads through rhododendron, drops to pools on Goshen Prong, and passes a cave before the final mile. That last stretch is rocky as it climbs to the AT junction, where the sign and white blazes make the connection clear. There is no loop here: the AT continues in both directions, so know which way your ride or overnight plan lies before you set out.
Logging history in the treadThe old railroad grades and stone walls are reminders of the logging that happened before this…
The old railroad grades and stone walls are reminders of the logging that happened before this became a national park. Ferns and mosses fill the damp sections, and wildflowers are a seasonal feature in spring and early summer.
Pets and overnight campingDogs are not allowed on this backcountry trail.
Dogs are not allowed on this backcountry trail. If you plan to stay at campsite 23, Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires a backcountry permit and advance reservation.
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.
