Tennessee’s stretch of the Appalachian Trail, with its sun-dappled forests, broad unobstructed balds, and high elevation summits carpeted in native grasses, helped inspire the Trail’s congressional designation as a National Scenic Trail. The A.T. in Tennessee passes through federal land on the Cherokee National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
74.7
A.T. Miles in State
7
Shelters
1,326'–6,625'
Elevation Range
CT, GA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, PA, TN, VT, VA, WV | Alert
There are approximately 75 miles of the A.T. in Tennessee, but the Trail runs along the Tennessee/North Carolina border for approximately 220 additional miles. As the A.T. ascends to the High Country of the state line, hikers traverse the highest mountains along the Trail, including several above 6,000 feet.
The A.T. also passes over beautiful, grassy balds in the Roan Highlands, where hikers experience unobstructed openness on Hump Mountain at 5,587 feet while being surrounded by a series of other equally dazzling summits. This breathtaking area is home to a rare southern spruce-fir forest, and extra care should be taken by visitors to Leave No Trace.
The section of the A.T. along the North Carolina-Tennessee and in Tennessee sustained severe damage in Fall 2024 from Hurricane Helene. There is also a burn ban in the Roan Highlands to protect the fragile spruce-fir forest from further devastation.
Current Conditions
For backpacking in the Smokies, you’ll need an advance permit for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and depending on the length of your hike, shelter reservations as well. All backpackers are required to stay at designated sites.
Learn More
The Carolina Mountain Club (CMC), the oldest Hiking and Trail Maintaining Club in Western N.C., fosters the enjoyment of the mountains of Western North Carolina and adjoining regions. CMC maintains 92.6 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Davenport Gap to Spivey Gap.
Carolina Mountain Club
The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, founded in 1924, is one of the oldest and largest hiking clubs in the southeastern United States. The SMHC has a long tradition of hiking, fellowship, volunteerism, and conservation, following in the footsteps of our famed and influential early leaders Harvey Broome, Carlos Campbell, Jim Thompson, Dutch Roth, and many others.
Become a Member
Within our 134 miles of Appalachian Trail there are numerous opportunities to volunteer. This distance has been broken into 36 sections of typically four miles each. An individual, couple, or even small group of friends will adopt and care for their piece of the Trail. These ‘Maintainers’ will visit several times throughout the year to repaint blazes, remove tree branches and blowdowns blocking the path, haul out trash, clean waterbars, etc.
There are 2 communities along the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee that have been recognized by the A.T. Community™ program. These towns are assets for everyone visiting the A.T. and nearby public lands, providing restaurants, supplies, recreation, historic resources, and much more!
Jackson Moody
Bob Scott served as the mayor of Franklin, North Carolina when it was designated as the first A.T. Community. Now, he tells the story of how the town embraced hikers to become the welcoming first town stop of many northbound thru-hikers.
Read More
Take a look at these popular day hikes to explore in Tennessee
While the Appalachian Trail is a relatively safe place to visit, that does not mean that there are not potential dangers while you are hiking or camping. If you see something, say something — this will help us keep the A.T. as safe as possible for our visitors.
Incident Reporting
