In September of 2024, my family and I vacationed in Gatlinburg, TN, again. The previous year, we visited in May/June, and this time we visited in September. My son’s 2nd birthday was approaching, and by this point, he was walking on his own.
Full disclosure: this was not MY first time on Chimney Tops; it was however my first time on Chimney Tops, in my 40's 😂
I had previously completed the Chimney Tops trail back in 2015, but my life situation was different then. I wanted to share this experience with my girlfriend and my son. Plus, my girlfriend and I had set out to complete at least one aggressive hike while on vacation.
Before we could start the trail, as we were unpacking the SUV – black bear! We had seen some black bears during the 2023 trip, but those were during a drive through a sanctuary, of sorts.
After that excitement died down, it was time to start the trail. The one thing I recall us reading about before deciding to attempt the trail is the steepness. According to my research, the last mile gains approximately 960 feet in elevation, with an overall elevation gain of 1,487 feet.
I will spare you the trail pictures because there isn’t much in terms of awe-inspiring scenery until you reach the top. There are man-made bridges and stairs along the way, and flat areas that can be used to sit and rest.
Due to the wildfires in 2016, the remaining quarter mile of the trail is off-limits. Having been on that portion of the trail back in 2015, it is disappointing that the park has been unable to reopen this portion of the trail. That last quarter mile provides some of the best pictures you can obtain in the Smoky Mountains.
To give you an idea of the elevation of this trail, clouds were passing through us!
It took us about one hour and twenty minutes to ascend to the top of the trail. Mind you, we were carrying our son, who weighed around 20 pounds, at that time. I ended up carrying him half the way up and the full descent.
Overall, our hike up and down Chimney Tops took around two and a half hours.
Going downhill is supposed to be the easy part, but when your legs are shot after the sharp incline on the way up, working against your momentum on the way down proves to be a challenge. We didn’t stop at all on the way down, which saved us some time.
As you can see in the image above from my FitBit, this trail was very challenging on my heart. Don’t try this trail if you have heart issues!
