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Difficulty: ModerateOut and Back
Great Smoky Mountains National Park/Tennessee

Alum Cave Trail

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

4.6 mi

Distance

1,450 ft

Elev. Gain

3h 30m

Est. Time

Out & Back

Route Type

Moderate

Difficulty

About This Trail

We don't publish a description for Alum Cave Trail unless we can point you at the agency it came from. We don't have one yet. The planning figures above — distance, elevation gain, estimated time, route type — come from the source listed on this trail.

National Park Service manages this trail and is the authority for conditions, closures and route notes. See official sources below. Spot something we should add?

Trail Conditions

Trail Conditions

Unknown

Updated Today

No recent condition reports. Be the first to share what you see on the trail.

Hazards & Warnings

Steep, rocky grade past Arch RockSlick rock and cable-assisted ledgesDrop-offs near Inspiration Point and the bluffsIcy steps in winter

Trail Details

  • No dogs
Route Type
Out & Back
Surface
Rock

Official sources & verification

Managed by National Park Service

Verify before you go

Source of truth

Where it is

Nearest town:
Gatlinburg, TN · about 5 mi away
County:
Sevier County, TN
Jurisdiction:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park · National Park Service

Nearest town and county from U.S. Census Bureau place records and county boundaries.

Verify by phone or mail

  • Operator:865-436-1200
  • Address:107 Park Headquarters Road · Gatlinburg, TN · 37738
We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this trail using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: Jun 13, 2026. Our copy is more than a month old — please reconfirm with the agency before relying on it.Spot an error in our data?

Best Seasons

SpringSummerFall

Highlights

Arch Rock stone tunnel and stepsInspiration Point heath bald viewsAlum Cave Bluffs (80-foot overhang)Old-growth forest and mountain streamsPeregrine falcons nesting on the cliffs

Reviews

No reviews yet

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Verified from National Park Service public trails dataset

Trail centerline: National Park Service public trails dataset. Source ↗

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In this park

Other trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

View Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte

Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte

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Charlies Bunion via Appalachian Trail

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Rainbow Falls Trail

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Stay nearby

Campgrounds near this trail

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Spot an error in our data on Alum Cave Trail?