Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN · NC
A steep 2.7-mile connector from creek to mountain trail.
Overview
Rough Creek Trail is a 2.72-mile, one-way route from Little River Trail to Sugarland Mountain Trail. It follows Rough Creek, crosses it three times, then climbs steeply to the higher trail. Allow about 2¼ hours for this section itself; the elevation profile gains roughly 1,500 feet. It works as a link in a longer hike or backpacking route, not a stand-alone out-and-back.
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
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Trail guide
The trail has a natural surface and stays with the creek for much of its length. One route account places crossings at roughly 0.5, 1.5 and 2 miles. The sources don’t establish whether each crossing has a bridge or a ford, so expect to deal with the water and watch your footing.
After the creek section, the trail climbs steeply to Sugarland Mountain Trail. That final ascent is the main effort: this is a short route with a hard uphill finish, not an easy connector. The payoff is joining the higher trail network; no named overlook or summit is part of Rough Creek Trail itself.
The Little River junction is about 4.5 miles along Little River Trail from its Elkmont trailhead, so that approach is outside this trail’s 2.72-mile distance. The other end is a junction on Sugarland Mountain Trail. Plan your onward or return route before setting out, and leave dogs behind; pets aren’t allowed on this trail.
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
EasyBalsam Point Quiet Walkway0.4 mi · 30 min · 2.4 mi awayA short wooded loop with a rock-wall clearing and stream.
ModerateCove Hardwood Nature Trail0.8 mi · 45 min · 2.6 mi awayA shady hardwood loop with 40 steps up front.
EasyJohn Carr Place Quiet Walkway0.5 mi · 24 min · 3 mi awayA short forest walk links a river path and a roadside overlook.
EasyRiverview Quiet Walkway0.9 mi · 45 min · 3.3 mi awayA short river loop with a smooth roadbed and rougher return.
ModerateHuskey Gap Trail4 mi · 2.8 hr · 3.3 mi awayAn old stone wall and schoolhouse story reward the quiet climb.
ChallengingChimney Tops Trail3.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.6 mi awayA steep stair climb ends at a view of the fire-scarred pinnacles.
ModerateMeigs Mountain Trail6 mi · 3.5 hr · 3.6 mi awayA quiet backcountry traverse with a waterfall on the Elkmont approach.
ModerateFork Ridge Trail5 mi · 3.5 hr · 3.7 mi awayA rocky descent from a high ridge into Deep Creek.
Scenic pullout · 2.6 mi awayChimney Tops OverlookStep out for the twin peaks without taking a hike.
Picnic area · 2.7 mi awayChimneys Picnic AreaA shady lunch stop beside a cold, boulder-strewn river.
Scenic pullout · 3.2 mi awayCarlos Campbell OverlookA quick ridge view with a visible story of forest recovery.
Sight · 3.9 mi awaySpence CabinA restored 1928 cabin from Elkmont’s resort summers.
Sight · 4 mi awayKuwohi Observation TowerA steep climb to a 360-degree view from the Smokies' roof.
Sight · 4 mi awayDaisy TownA preserved summer settlement, with cabins you can explore inside.
Sight · 4 mi awayAppalachian ClubhouseA restored clubhouse from Elkmont’s cabin-era summer community.
Campground · 4.3 mi awayElkmont CampgroundWooded camping, creekside sites, and a road on an old rail bedParkwolf’s Great Smoky Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
