Great Smoky Mountains National Park · North Carolina, Tennessee

Old Sugarlands Trail

3.9 mi of trail, end to end · Walk Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail: 0.5 mi round trip in the Service's write-up · about 1,200 ft of climbing · 1,458 ft–2,580 ft · native surface · trail class Developed

Bridges

1,558 ft 2,526 ft · 2.5 mi high 2,526 ft

Along the way West Prong Bridge at Headquarters

Trailheads Old Sugarlands Trail Trailhead 2,569 ft Drive there · Old Sugarlands Trail Trailhead 1,461 ft Drive there

Walk Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail 0.5 mi round trip · the Park Service's write-up

no dogs · entrance fee applies

A wooden bridge on a paved trail in the woods.
Walk half a mile (0.8 km) roundtrip from the Sugarlands Valley Nature Trailhead on US 441. Photo: NPS Photo

Overview

Wander through a cove hardwood forest with streamside views, rock walls, and historic stone chimneys on this half-mile (0.8 km) loop along a paved, flat trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park .

Length

0.5 miles (0.8 km) roundtrip

Parking & Trailhead

Sugarlands Valley Nature Trailhead is adjacent to a small parking area with several accessible spaces along Newfound Gap Rd (US 411) near Sugarlands Visitor Center. Don't forget your parking tag .

Nearest Restroom

Sugarlands Visitor Center

Alternate Hikes

John Oliver Trail : 0.3 miles (0.5 km) roundtrip

Gatlinburg Trail : ~4 miles (6.4 km) roundtrip

Cataract Falls Trail

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

Accessibility This trail has been assessed using the High-Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (HETAP) to provide objective information such as grade and slope. GRIT Freedom Chairs are available for free checkout on a first-come, first-served basis for trail. This trail is fully paved and flat. Use descriptions, maps, and photos to determine which hikes are suitable for you. For information about the reservation process and other trail segments where GRIT Freedom Chairs can be used, visit the trail accessibility page.

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.