Great Smoky Mountains National Park · North Carolina, Tennessee

Metcalf Bottoms Trail

0.7 mi of trail, end to end · Hike to the Little Greenbrier School and Walker Homesite: 3.4 mi round trip in the Service's write-up · about 50 ft of climbing · 150 ft of descent · 1,679 ft–1,785 ft · native surface · trail class Developed

HistoryBridges

1,781 ft 1,779 ft · 0.4 mi high 1,781 ft

Along the way Metcalf Bottoms Bridge Little Brier Cemetery Little Greenbrier School

Trailheads Little Brier Gap Trail Trailhead 1,801 ft Drive there · Metcalf Bottoms Trail Trailhead 1,678 ft Drive there

Hike to the Little Greenbrier School and Walker Homesite 3.4 mi round trip · the Park Service's write-up

no dogs · entrance fee applies

A dark brown, wooden schoolhouse gravel path in front of it. Hiker icon in photo corner.
Hike 3.4 miles (5.5 km) roundtrip from the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area. Photo: NPS Photo

Overview

Hike 3.4 miles (5.5 km) roundtrip from the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park through hardwood forest to see remnants of past Smokies residents including stonework; the historic, one-room Little Greenbrier School; and the preserved homesite of the Walker family.

This hike begins on the Metcalf Bottoms Trail, located just beyond the bridge that connects Wears Cove Gap Road to the picnic area. leading to the historic Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse. The path is a well-packed dirt trail that gently climbs through the forest. Alternatively, the schoolhouse can also be accessed via a seasonally open gravel road off Wears Cove Gap Road. From the schoolhouse, the route continues uphill along a wide gravel roadbed, which is part of the Little Brier Gap Trail. This section leads to the preserved 19th-century homestead of the Walker family. Originally built in the 1840s, the cabin features two spacious rooms with fireplaces and a charming front porch. The site also includes a spring house and a corn crib, offering a glimpse into Appalachian mountain life of the past.

Length

3.4 miles (5.5 km) roundtrip

Parking & Trailhead

After parking at the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, walk across the small bridge north of the picnic area to find the Metcalf Bottoms Trailhead. Don't forget your parking tag .

Nearest Restroom

Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area

Alternate Hikes

John Oliver Cabin : 0.3 miles (0.5 km) roundtrip

Little River, Cucumber Gap, Jakes Creek Loop : 5.4 miles (8.7 km) roundtrip

Noah Bud Ogle Homesite: ~0.7 miles (1.1 km) roundtrip loop

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 Some steep sections plus occasional roots and rocks.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

Other trails from the same trailheads

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.