Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN · NC
A remote ridge connector with views worth the extra planning.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide
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 tourMore stories near here in the app
“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
Miry Ridge Trail is a 4.9-mile point-to-point route from Jakes Gap to the Appalachian Trail at Cold Spring Knob. It is a backcountry connector, not a loop, and the distance starts at Jakes Gap rather than at the Elkmont access below. The rocky knob on Dripping Spring Mountain, about 1.2 miles from Jakes Gap, opens to surrounding ridges and views toward Mellinger Death Ridge.
The trail alternates between the ridge crest and sidehill. The crest is smoother in places; sidehill sections can be narrow, slanted, rooty and rocky, with steep drop-offs beside the tread. Around 1.9 miles in, a spur reaches Backcountry Campsite 26. At about 2.5 miles, the trail crosses Lynn Camp Prong Trail; a small lookout roughly half a mile beyond is described as facing Clingmans Dome. From Jakes Gap, the route climbs early and then trends downhill overall toward Cold Spring Knob, so reversing it means more climbing.
Allow about three to four hours for the 4.9-mile segment itself. Jakes Gap is reached on foot from the Jakes Creek Trailhead in Elkmont, and the Appalachian Trail end at Cold Spring Knob has no direct road access. Plan a longer backcountry route, a return route, or a pickup before starting; time for the Jakes Creek approach is additional. Pets are prohibited on this trail. If you plan to stay at Campsite 26, the park requires a backcountry permit and advance reservation.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ModerateLynn Camp Prong Trail3.7 mi · 3 hr · 1.8 mi awayAn old logging grade gives way to a rocky ridge climb.
ModerateGreenbrier Ridge Trail4.2 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.8 mi awayA wildflower ridge route for hikers already deep in the backcountry.
ChallengingPanther Creek Trail2.2 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.7 mi awayTen stream crossings on a steep backcountry connector
ModerateMeigs Mountain Trail6 mi · 3.5 hr · 4.6 mi awayA quiet backcountry traverse with a waterfall on the Elkmont approach.
ModerateMiddle Prong Trail8.2 mi · 5 hr · 4.6 mi awayA long railroad grade follows cascades into a rougher upper trail.
EasyThunderhead Prong Quiet Walkway1.4 mi · 45 min · 4.6 mi awayA shaded creek walk with an old footbridge from Tremont’s logging days.EasyLynn Camp Prong Cascades Trail1.4 mi · 45 min · 4.6 mi awayAn old railroad bed follows a mountain stream to stepped cascades.
ChallengingRough Creek Trail2.7 mi · 2.3 hr · 4.9 mi awayA steep 2.7-mile connector from creek to mountain trail.
Sight · 4.1 mi awayLynn Camp Prong CascadesEasy cascades on an old railroad grade through rhododendron.
Sight · 5.3 mi awayDaisy TownA preserved summer settlement, with cabins you can explore inside.
Sight · 5.3 mi awayAppalachian ClubhouseA restored clubhouse from Elkmont’s cabin-era summer community.
Sight · 5.3 mi awaySpence CabinA restored 1928 cabin from Elkmont’s resort summers.
Campground · 5.5 mi awayElkmont CampgroundWooded camping, creekside sites, and a road on an old rail bed
Sight · 5.8 mi awaySpruce Flats FallsFour tiers of falls make this steep Tremont walk worth the effort.
Sight · 6 mi awayKuwohi Observation TowerA steep climb to a 360-degree view from the Smokies' roof.
Visitor center · 6.2 mi awayKuwohi Visitor CenterA stone-built visitor stop and small shop before the Kuwohi climb.Parkwolf’s Great Smoky Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
