Brushy Mountain window.onload=new function(){wgUserName='';sTrailName='Brushy Mountain';bTrailFinished='';} [?]

Brushy Mountain
Photo: Michael Hodge
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Difficulty	Strenuous
Distance	6.8 miles (11 kilometers)
Time Required	4-6 hours
Trail Use
Trail Type	There-And-Back
Elevation Gain	1755 feet (540 meters)
High Point	4925 feet (1500 meters)
Low Point	3240 feet (990 meters)
Best Months	May - June
Nearest City	Gatlinburg, TN

Overview

A wonderful hike through old growth forest in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The path follows much of the Trillium Gap Trail and is known for its rhododendron tunnels and wonderful views from Brushy Mountain.

Directions To Trailhead

Coming from Gatlinburg into Great Smoky Mountain National Park, travel a couple miles after the park entrance and then turn onto the 1-way Cherokee Orchard Loop road. Drive 1 mile and then take a right onto the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Drive an additional 1.6 miles along this road and the parking lot to the trailhead will be on the left. The trailhead itself is just beyond the parking lot on the other side of the road.

Trail Description

From the parking lot and trailhead, you will enter a short access road for about a tenth of a mile. After that you will join onto the main trail and Trillium Gap Trail - continue straight at this junction.

Most of the early part of the hike is a gentle ascent on its way to Grotto Falls. Along the way, you will have to jump 4 small streams without the help of bridges (this should not present a large difficulty though).

After about 1.25 miles, you will be presented with a nice view of some waterfalls and then Grotto Falls itself. You will actually need to go behind Grotto Falls to continue on the trail, which is a nice experience.

Continuing past/under Grotto Falls, you will continue for awhile with occasional views of Brushy Mountain itself. After about 3 miles you will reach Trillium Gap and another fork - take a left here to continue on the Brushy Mountain Trail that's coming up from Porter Creek (taking the right fork will take you toward Mount Le Conte).

From this junction, it is about 0.2 more miles to the summit of Brushy Mountain. When you reach a small clearing you will be at the summit, which affords fantastic views of the eastern side of the national park.

Conditions And Hazards

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Fees, Permits, And Restrictions

The road to the trailhead is closed in the winter.

There is no entrance fee for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Fishing Information:

• You will need a valid fishing license from either North Carolina or Tennessee to fish in the streams and lakes of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• The daily possession limit is up to 5 of the following in any combination: Brook, Rainbow, or Brown Trout, or Smallmouth Bass. Additionally, you may catch and keep up to 20 Rock Bass.
• The size limits for fish are the following: Brook, Rainbow, or Brown Trout, or Smallmouth Bass must be minimum of 7 inches. Rock Bass have no minimum size.
• Fishing is permitted every day of the year from thirty minutes before sunrise to thirty minutes after sunset.
• You may fish anywhere in the national park with the following exceptions: Bear Creek at the junction with Forney Creek, and Lynn Camp Prong upstream of its confluence with Thunderhead Prong.

Amenities

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Miscellaneous

The reason May and June are the best months to hike this trail is because this is when the wildflowers (trillium, violets, rhododendron, etc) will be in their full bloom.

Photo Gallery

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Map

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Trailhead (35.6842, -83.4611)

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