Great Smoky Mountains National Park · North Carolina, Tennessee

Chestnut Top Trail

4.3 mi of trail, end to end · Hike on Chestnut Top Trail: 5.6 mi round trip in the Service's write-up · about 1,300 ft of climbing · 1,145 ft–2,357 ft · native surface · trail class Developed

PeaksGaps

1,145 ft 2,089 ft · 4.2 mi high 2,356 ft

Along the way Bryant Gap Chestnut Top Lead

Trailhead Chestnut Top Trail Trailhead 1,137 ft Drive there

Hike on Chestnut Top Trail 5.6 mi round trip · the Park Service's write-up

no dogs · entrance fee applies

Flame azaleas, green undergrowth, and trees in foreground of a distant mountain view under clouds.
Hike 5.6 miles (9 km) roundtrip from the trailhead opposite the parking lot at the Townsend Wye. Photo: NPS Photo

Overview

Hike 5.6 miles (9 km) roundtrip on a trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that climbs steadily through mixed hardwood forest to a ridgetop where American chestnut trees were once abundant.

The vast majority of American chestnut trees succumbed to an imported fungus by the 1950s, but fall leaf color and plentiful spring wildflowers remain a draw on this serene trail.

Length

5.6 miles (9 km) roundtrip

Turnaround location is not designated but noticeable by views to the left and a slight clearing. Trail continues roughly 1.5 additional miles (2.4 km) to the intersection with Schoolhouse Gap Trail. Plan ahead and bring a map.

Parking & Trailhead

Park at the Townsend Wye intersection of Little River Road and Townsend Entrance Road. Chestnut Top Trailhead is on the opposite side of the road from the parking lot. Don't forget your parking tag .

Nearest Restroom

Townsend Visitor Center

Alternate Hikes

Lynn Camp Prong Cascades : 1.4 miles (2.3 km) roundtrip

Rich Mountain Loop Trail: 8.5 miles (13.7 km) roundtrip

Pets The Gatlinburg Trail and Oconaluftee River Trail are the only two park trails where pets are permitted. Pets are also allowed in picnic areas, in campgrounds, and on roads.

Accessibility Trail steadily climbs on a sometimes-narrow path with some tree roots and fallen logs.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 244 trails in Great Smoky Mountains National ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.