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Great Smoky Mountains National Park offers a wide range of hiking experiences. Trail accessibility varies based on factors such as elevation gain, surface type, trail width, grade, cross slope, overall distance, and individual abilities. Each visitor’s abilities and needs are unique, we encourage you to review detailed trail descriptions, photos, and maps to determine which trails are best suited for your experience and equipment.
NPS
Improving Access
To expand access, the park offers a mobility device checkout program featuring the GRIT Freedom Chair—an all-terrain wheelchair suitable for select park trails. These chairs are available free of charge. Adult and child-sized chairs are available for individuals with core body strength and head control. Please see below for more details.
Additionally, Great Smoky Mountains provides a variety of free ranger-led interpretive programs that use adaptive equipment which occur throughout the year. These experiences include guided hikes, bike rides, kayaking excursions, and even overnight backpacking trips.
Adaptive Equipment and Trails
NPS
ADA-Accessible Trail
The park currently features one trail that meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards:
Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail – A paved, half-mile loop located near Sugarlands Visitor Center. This trail offers a peaceful woodland experience along the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River.
Reserve an adaptive wheelchair to take on approved trails in the Smokies.
Note: The following information below pertains specifically to the Bradley Fork Trail and the Little River Trail section hikes. For all other hikes where GRIT Freedom Chairs may be used, please refer to the linked trail pages in the box above.
The Bradley Fork Trail begins at the far end of Smokemont Campground.
NPS Graphic
Bradley Fork Trail, NC
Length: 3.9 mi (6.3 km) Elevation Gain: 845.8 ft (257.8 m) Elevation Loss: 94.1 ft (28.69 m)
Take a leisurely stroll on the Bradley Fork Trail to enjoy scenic streams and expansive forests. The initial 3.9 miles (6.3 kilometers) gently follow an old road along the Bradley Fork of the Oconaluftee River. Wide and gravely, this trail includes multiple water crossings with wooden bridges and boasts assorted wildflowers in spring.
The typical grade, or slope, of the first 3.9 miles is 4.5% with a maximum of 17.6%. The typical cross slope, or grade in the trail side-to-side, is 2.8% with a maximum of 17.1%.
The typical width is 10.9 feet (3.33 meters) with a minimum of 2.0 feet (0.61 meters). The trail surface is composed of aggregate material and gravel. The Bradley Fork trail continues at the 3.9 mile mark, but becomes steeper and narrower.
The Little River Trail follows its namesake waterway, offering a wide, easily navigable path through the inviting forest. Picturesque boulders scatter the river year-round and wildflowers bloom abundantly in spring.
In the first 0.9 miles measured with the HETAP device, the typical slope is 3.2% with a maximum of 21.7%. The typical cross slope, or grade in the trail side-to-side, is 2.0%, with a maximum of 19.1%.
The typical width of the measured section is 10.6 feet (3.22 meters) with a minimum of 3.3 feet (1.02 meters). The trail surface is composed of aggregate material and gravel. The trail continues for another 1.5 miles to a junction with the Cucumber Gap Trail.
