Parking
I couldn’t confirm dedicated parking at either endpoint. The trail starts at Purchase Gap on Cataloochee Divide Trail and ends at Caldwell Fork Trail; plan access through the connected trail network.
Overview
About McKee Branch Trail
Why go
- Useful connection between two established Cataloochee trails
- A forested route that crosses McKee Branch
- Substantial elevation change in a short distance
Heads up
- Steep, rough footing with loose rocks and erosion
- Point-to-point access takes planning
- No dedicated parking was confirmed at either end
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Great Smoky Mountains map
Full mapElevation3,091–4,849 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 McKee Branch 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 area
A Journey Across Generations0:00 / 0:32
“A monarch passing through the Smokies in autumn may be on a journey its grandparents never made. The northward migration unfolds across several generations, with each laying eggs and leaving its offspring to continue.”
Plays on the road 0.4 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Summer Home Given to Science
- Cataloochee Campground and Caldwell Fork
- Rough Fork Trailhead and Steve Woody House
- Caldwell Place
- 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 McKee Branch Trail
What it connectsMcKee Branch Trail is a 2.
McKee Branch Trail is a 2.3-mile one-way descent from Purchase Gap on Cataloochee Divide Trail to Caldwell Fork Trail. It links two routes rather than making a loop, so plan how you’ll reach each end before setting out. Budget about two hours downhill; add time if you want to stop at the creek or move slowly over the rough tread.
A steep forest descentThe trail drops about 1,750 feet through thick forest.
The trail drops about 1,750 feet through thick forest. The tread is steep and eroded in places, with loose rock, mud, and leaf cover. Wet leaves can hide slippery rocks, so take your time on the descent. At about two miles, the route crosses McKee Branch; the crossing can take extra care when water is high.
Plan the connectionBoth ends are trail junctions, and I couldn’t confirm dedicated parking at either one.
Both ends are trail junctions, and I couldn’t confirm dedicated parking at either one. Plan your approach and exit through the connected Cataloochee Divide and Caldwell Fork trails; retracing the route means climbing most of that elevation back out. Dogs aren’t allowed on this trail under park rules.
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.
