Parking
There is no parking at the route start. Reach Campsite 71 on Forney Creek Trail; at the other end, the Noland Creek Trailhead at Lakeview Drive is about 4.1 miles from Campsite 64.
Overview
About Springhouse Branch Trail
Why go
- Links the Forney Creek and Noland Creek trail networks.
Heads up
- Both endpoints are deep in the backcountry, miles from a road.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Great Smoky Mountains map
Full mapElevation2,267–4,144 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 Springhouse 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 tourMore stories near here in the app
- Lakeview Drive Tunnel
- Noland Creek Trailhead
- Room for the Next Rain
- Fontana's Wartime Power
- 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 Springhouse Branch Trail
The routeSpringhouse Branch Trail is a 6.
Springhouse Branch Trail is a 6.9-mile, one-way backcountry connector from Campsite 71 on Forney Creek Trail to Campsite 64 on Noland Creek Trail. It links two valleys rather than making a roadside day hike. The established native-surface trail is used by hikers and horses. Allow about 4.5 hours for this connector alone; the approaches, exit and stops add time.
Where it crosses the ridgeFrom Campsite 71, the trail climbs to the Forney Ridge junction about 4.
From Campsite 71, the trail climbs to the Forney Ridge junction about 4.2 miles in, then descends toward Campsite 64 for the final 2.8 miles. The high point is around 4,100 feet. Forney Ridge is a route choice at the junction, not part of this 6.9-mile line. Some accounts round the full connector to 7 miles; the mapped route measures 6.85, which Parkwolf rounds to 6.9.
Access and rulesThere’s no road access at either endpoint. Campsite 64 is about 4.
There’s no road access at either endpoint. Campsite 64 is about 4.1 miles from the Noland Creek trailhead at the end of Lakeview Drive; Campsite 71 is on Forney Creek Trail. Plan both approaches and a continuing route before setting out. Backcountry camping requires an advance reservation and permit, and pets aren’t allowed on this trail.
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.
