Parking
Use the Kuwohi summit parking area at the end of Kuwohi Road; the trail starts beside the visitor information center. Space is limited and can fill quickly. A park parking tag is required for stays longer than 15 minutes.
Overview
About Kuwohi Trail
Why go
- A paved, direct climb to the observation tower above the trees.
- A big summit payoff on a short hike.
Heads up
- Steep nearly all the way, despite the short distance.
- Limited parking and clouds can take away the summit view.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Great Smoky Mountains map
Full mapElevation6,276–6,631 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 Kuwohi 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
Kuwohi Observation Tower0:00 / 0:35
“You're approaching Kuwohi, the highest summit in the Smokies. The observation tower lifts you above the trees for a full circle of mountain ridges, if the clouds allow it.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Cones That Come Apart
- Kuwohi's Modern Tower
- Ice Made from Fog
- Spruce-Fir Nature Trail
- 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 Kuwohi Trail
A short climb with a real gradeKuwohi Trail is a steep paved out-and-back from the summit parking area to the observation…
Kuwohi Trail is a steep paved out-and-back from the summit parking area to the observation tower on the Smokies’ highest peak. The usual visitor figure is 1 mile round trip; following the mapped path works out to about 0.58 mile each way, or roughly 1.2 miles on foot. Allow about an hour with time at the tower. It’s a good way to reach the summit without taking on a long mountain hike, but the grade stays steep, so this isn’t a gentle stroll.
The path to the towerStart beside the visitor information center and follow the paved path uphill.
Start beside the visitor information center and follow the paved path uphill. The route is clear, with no junctions to choose between; benches along the climb give you places to pause. At the top, the tower’s rising ramp carries you above the spruce-fir canopy. You return the same way, so keep some care for the steep descent too.
A view with a Cherokee nameThe tower gives a broad view across the Smokies when the clouds lift.
The tower gives a broad view across the Smokies when the clouds lift. Fog can hide the ridgelines, so the panorama isn’t guaranteed. Kuwohi means “mulberry place” in Cherokee. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians requested the summit’s Cherokee name be restored, and it was reinstated in 2024. The peak is sacred to Cherokee people as well as the highest point in the Smokies.
Parking and accessThe trail starts by the summit parking area at the end of Kuwohi Road.
The trail starts by the summit parking area at the end of Kuwohi Road. Parking is limited and often crowded. A park parking tag is required when you stay longer than 15 minutes. Pit toilets are beside the lot and close in winter; the summit road also closes seasonally in winter, so check access before driving up. Dogs aren’t allowed on this trail.
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.
