Take a Walk on Historical Trails, Hikes in the Smokies

Hiking in the Smoky Mountains isn’t always the easiest task. It can be difficult to choose a hike that is fitting for your family. If you enjoy learning about history and hiking near old buildings in the mountains, these historical hikes in the Smokies are perfect for you!

Cades Cove Loop

The Cades Cove area is known for its historical buildings and mills. The area was once filled with Cherokee Indians. Then settlers began creating a life, in what is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in the early 1800s. Visitors can spend time on the 11-mile loop that surrounds the history. There are numerous trails that begin at Cades Cove. If you choose to walk some of the trails, plan to spend your day exploring. The driving tour will take approximately four hours to complete if the area is filled with visitors.

Rich Mountain Loop

This hike is beautiful because you can experience the history of Cades Cove without the large groups of people. The short stretch at John Oliver Cabin will be the busiest part of the hike. The hike will take approximately four hours to complete and is recognized as a moderate trail. You can walk through part of the Cades Cove Loop Road as a start before you head on the trail.

Kephart Prong

Kephart Prong is one of the hikes in the Smokies that is considered an easy hike. For a majority of the trail, hikers will walk alongside a creek. There are areas where you have to cross the on foot logs. While you hike, you’ll pass by historical ruins including the old Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, which was in operation in the 1930s. You will also find an old fish hatchery and railroad rails that show there were once people occupying the land. This hike will take approximately two hours to complete the four miles of trail, round-trip.

If you are looking for other hikes in the Smokies, check out our ‘ Smokies Hiking Trails ’ page. There, you will find a list of waterfall hikes as well as other Cades Cove hikes. After hiking the trails, you will appreciate a relaxing evening in one of our Gatlinburg cabins. Complete with private hot tubs, pool tables and outdoor grills, Parkside Cabins has a cabin for every family! To book your stay, give us a call at 1-877-535-4620.