The Unique Cave Trail In Tennessee That's Full Of Beauty And Mystery
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Meghan Kraft
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Tennessee is rich with hiking trails and gorgeous, natural inlets tucked behind our craggy mountains to the east. You really have to wander the state to find them all, trek through the meandering Appalachian Trail or find your own little offshoot that trickles from the heart of America’s most visited National Park. Alum Cave Trail has caught our eye over and over again, not only for its challenging hike through the Great Smoky Mountains, but the stunning views that leave our jaws on the floor.
Alum Cave Trail is located in Sevier County, Tennessee, right in the heart of the wildly popular Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trek will take you towards Mount Le Conte, gracing you with views at Duckhawk Peaks, Arch Rock, and Rainbow Falls Trail.
You'll access the trailhead via the Newfound Gap Road and will climb 511 feet over the course of the four and a half mile trail. The trail is rated as a "moderate" climb, following Alum Cave Creek over the first mile.
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The views from craggy ridges and as you dip into the valleys of Tennessee are beautiful no matter the time of year, but we're prone to recommend the summertime and autumn so you can get the full effect of the forest.
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You reach Alum Cave halfway through your hike, around the 2.2 mile mark. The concave bluff is a massive sphere cut in the rock, eighty feet high and five hundred feet long.
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It's a jaw-dropping sight, one that will get your camera clicking over and over again. The trail underwent a two-year rehabilitation project from 2015 to 2017, which helped to make it much friendlier for hikers and visitors including better drainage and handrails.
What a beautiful place to experience once, if not much, much more.
You can follow the Alum Cave Trail all thew ay to the top of Mount LeConte, but that's a whole new hike for a whole new article! We'd recommend trekking the four miles before deciding to head to the mountaintop.
What do you think? Have you hiked the Alum Cave Trail? Are you checking that calendar as we speak?
Bringing kids along? Well, then you’ll love a short hike with a stunning Tennessee waterfall as a reward!
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