In this article, I’ll describe a beautiful hike that traverses both natural diversity and historical significance. This is a great candidate for a shuttle hike for a somewhat leisurely decent into a beautiful creek-side trek. The perfect day for me would be to camp with your hiking buddy at the Elkmont Campground. Get your coffee brewing good and early, leave one vehicle at the Little River Trailhead about a mile from your campsite, then head up 441 to catch the sunrise from Clingmans Dome. At 6,644 feet, it slightly edges out Mt. LeConte and Mt. Guyot as the tallest peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

You can enjoy the view from the parking area, or get a head-start on your hike and walk the half-mile paved path to the observation tower atop the peak and take in a 360 degree unobstructed view of the unfolding day. That’s assuming your head isn’t literally in the clouds. Smoky Mountain peaks are often shrouded in fog, so hopefully you’ve got a little luck on your side.

A quintessential tranquil forest scene in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Starting the Hike

After you’ve had your fill of morning splendor, look for signs that direct you to the world-famous Appalachian Trail. It's very close to the observation tower and easy to spot. Shortly after starting you’ll come to a junction, and you’ll want to keep to the left. This will send you south on the AT and descending from the peak through a beautiful example of high-elevation Appalachian forest. The heady scent of Frasier Fir forest accompanies views of dense, lush foliage. Should your trek begin in mid to late summer, a vibrant display of Turk's cap, bee balm, black-eyed susans, and other wildflowers will add some color to the scenery.

While traversing the 1.9 miles of Appalachian Trail, several small overlooks beckon you to remove your pack and enjoy the peaceful silence of the high country. After a short while, a descending ridge comes into view to the northwest. This is where your path leads. When the trailhead sign comes into sight, leave the AT by hanging a right on the Goshen Prong Trail. The top section of Goshen Prong is steep, rocky, and not what I’d consider the most beautiful trail in the park. However, once your ears pick up the sound of Goshen Prong flowing a ways off in the forest, the sights begin to improve. The further down you go the lusher and beautiful the forest becomes. Even though you won’t find much in the way of old growth in this forest, it’s still quite beautiful. There’s a good reason you won’t find old growth here. The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company logged this area several generations ago. For nearly 40 years, they canvassed over 76,000 acres of land in the Little River watershed, clearing a staggering two billion board feet of lumber. Operations ceased in 1939, so there’s been a significant amount of time for the forest to recover.

After 4.4 miles, backcountry campsite 23 can be found via a small trail on the right. To the left, there is a beautiful spot to have lunch and listen to the confluence of Goshen Prong and Ash Camp Branch. Continuing on, the creek is now fed by several different branches and can get downright rowdy after heavy rains, most notably after spring deluges. It makes for some exceptional scenery. I suspect white-water paddlers would salivate at the sight.

From here to the end of the hike, it’s about as easy of a trail as you could hope for in the Smoky Mountains. Not quite flat, but certainly a gentle grade. The end of the Goshen Prong Trail is found shortly after traversing the lengthy steel bridge built over the Little River.

Odds are, your hiking party had the entirety of Goshen Prong to itself, but that will very likely change once you arrive on the Little River Trail. That’s not to suggest it’s in any way a bad trail, but rather popular, and with good reason. Ease of use, scenic quality, and Appalachian history all come together here. The path becomes wider and wider as you descend the 4.2 miles back to the trailhead. The trail was at one time a railroad bed, as this was the primary conveyance method of timber. It’s an especially wide river by Smoky Mountain standards, and there are what seem to be countless boulders strewn in and around the water over the 4 miles to the trailhead.

One has to wonder how magnificent this area must’ve been before being logged. While I understand the overwhelming need for building materials, especially at that time, I personally couldn’t bring myself to disturb such a special place. However, it’s had more than half a century to recover from logging activity. The even better news is that it will continue to grow and thrive, and someday return to a similar state of its prior magnificence.

At the end of this hike, or technically speaking the beginning of the trail, another piece of Smoky Mountain history is revealed: The Elkmont Ghost Town. While the permanent and often poverty-stricken denizens of the Great Smoky Mountains were forcefully evicted from these lands upon the founding of the National Park in 1934, others were permitted to lease the land here for their summer cottages. With names like “Society Way, and “Millionaire’s Row”, there was no attempt to conceal the variety of folks who were able to afford this luxury. The last of the leases expired in 2002. The majority, however, left back in 1992.

You may recall a story that circulated around the internet a few years ago where a hiker stumbled upon an undisturbed Smoky Mountain village abandoned for 100 years. This is that village, and the story was comically untrue. That being said, the average person not from the area would have no idea, therefore it was an interesting tale. I even had friends from my old home in Illinois forward me the article, asking if I were going to check it out and take photos. The truth is, it’s a well-known, well-photographed, and well-documented town. Even better, it’s about a tenth of a mile from the parking lot of this immensely popular trailhead. Makes me wonder how many other stories that come across my screen are complete nonsense!

These weren’t homes for permanent residency, and the lessors were well aware of this. That knowledge is reflected in the quality of construction of the cottages. In most cases, there was no insulation, and cheap pressed timber scraps composed the exterior walls. Many of the structures have completely crumbled to piles of lumber, glass, rotten carpet and nails, while others have been propped up by makeshift supports supplied by the NPS. Due to the state of decay, it is illegal by the law of the National Park Service to explore these buildings. They could literally crumble at any time.

Some tenants cleared out all their belongings, while others left everything from rotting sofas, console pianos, and vacuum cleaners, to condiments and cleaning supplies in the kitchen. There is nothing quite like abandoned buildings; Slices of humanity. People once cared for and loved these places intensely, and to see them abandoned is simply intriguing. Walk around them, maybe take a peek in a window here and there, but please be respectful of the regulations.

A short way past these cottages will bring you back to the Little River Trailhead, where the bottom half of your shuttle will be waiting for you. If you took your time and enjoyed the hike at my pokey pace, you might be out at just the right time to drive back up to Clingmans Dome to catch the sunset before grabbing the other half of you shuttle arrangement.

It makes sense this magnificent land’s use was once heavily contested. Great Smokies Mountains National Park is a one-of-a-kind gem that's now returning to its natural state, and all 10+ million annual visitors I think would agree that this is a good thing indeed.

Need to Know

Information

No permits are required for this hike and you’ll need to arrange a 13.5 mile shuttle. Clingmans Dome Road closes for the winter season (Nov.1 through March 31), so the shuttle hike must be scheduled between April 1st and October 31st.

Best Time to Go

Hikers can access the trails from Elkmont year-round. Mid to late October is ideal for fall colors. Late April/early May offers beautiful spring growth with high creek levels.

Getting There

For Elkmont Campground/ Little River Trailhead, access Little River Road from either the Townsend or Gatlinburg entrances and follow the signs for Elkmont. The trailhead is an additional 1.5 mile drive from the campground entrance.

For Clingmans Dome parking area, follow US 441 from either the Gatlinburg, TN or Cherokee, NC entrances, then take Clingmans Dome Road 0.1 mile south of Newfound Gap until you reach the large parking area.

Maps and Books

Trails Illustrated Great Smoky Mountains National Park Map, and for a guidebook see the Falcon Guide Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 2nd Edition.

Editor's Note: This article by contributor Sean Sparbanie originally appeared in Issue 31 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.