10 Easy, Family-Friendly Hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Looking for the best family-friendly hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park? This amazing park is over a half-million acres with over 800 miles of trails. It can be overwhelming figuring out what to do with the family in Great Smoky Mountains. And to be honest, a lot of the trails are more difficult than I expected because of how steep they are.

That is not to stop you from visiting this park with your kids, though! There are still many trails that are incredibly beautiful, and totally kid-friendly. You just have to know where to find them.

We were looking for kid friendly trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park when we visited and thought we found some. Since my kids are use to hiking in high altitudes in Colorado, they did ok on these trails. But if they were really young or not experienced, many of these trails probably wouldn’t have been ideal.

Here I’ll give you some ideas for easy hikes in Great Smoky Mountains so that you can bring your younger ones on the trails.

Best Kid-Friendly Hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

These are hikes that are great for younger kids. Let them walk and explore as you walk these beautiful, easy trails in Great Smoky Moutains. None are very steep, lead to beautiful and interesting places, and are exciting for little kids to do independently.

1. Cataract Falls

Location: Sugarlands Visitor Center
Distance: 1 mile

We visited in October when the falls wasn’t as full as summertime

Park at Sugarlands Visitor Center, grab a souvenir, use the restroom, fill your water bottle, and then begin your short, easy hike to Cataract Falls.

Cataract Falls is one of the easiest waterfalls to get to in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s a popular trail thanks to the convenient location and flat, short walk perfect for all ages.

Behind the visitor center is the trailhead which will take you through some trees, along a creek, and under a bridge to Cataract falls.

You can safely get pretty close to Cataract Falls. It’s a great waterfall for little ones to do independently.

The viewing area isn’t huge, so be prepared with patience to snap your photo if you visit during a busy time.

2. Fighting Creek Nature Trail

Location: Sugarlands Visitor Center
Distance: 1.4 miles

You can access the Fighting Creek Nature Trail from the Sugarlands Visitor Center. You’ll start on the same path as you would for Cataract Falls, but soon fork to the left to make this short loop. Follow the signs for the nature trail.

This nice-and-flat trail will take you through the trees and over the creek a couple times. It’s a great one for little kids to walk and explore on. They’ll even get to see a little cabin towards the far end of the trail.

Combine this with Cataract Falls for an easy, double hike.

3. Gatlinburg Nature Trail

Location: Sugarlands Visitor Center, or Newfound Gap Park Entrance
Distance: 3.8 miles

If you stay in Gatlinburg, you’ll notice a trail as you enter the park from the Newfound Gap entrance. This little walk takes you along the West Prong Little Pigeon River and into the park to Sugarlands Visitor Center.

You can begin the trail at Sugarlands Visitor Center, or you can try your luck at one of the street parking designated areas as you enter the park and get on the trail from there.

Either way, you can enjoy this nice easy stroll along the river for as long as you’d like, and then turn around. You don’t have to do the entire 3.8 miles roundtrip to enjoy this trail.

This is an easy trail that’s great for kids to enjoy some river views. If you park at the entrance, it’s also a great oppotunity to snap a picture with the official National Park sign.

4. Laurel Falls

Location: Fighting Creek Gap Rd, west of Sugarlands
Distance: 2.5 miles

Laurel Falls is just about the most popular hike in the park, and for good reason. It’s perfect for families to hike thanks to the paved, flat trail that leads to the falls. The way there has some very mild uphill.

You can find the Laurel Falls trailhead about 3.5 miles west of Sugarlands Visitor Center. Due to popularity, parking may be a challenge, but you can also use designated street parking as overflow.

Kids will appreciate passing by streams and lots of plants. Be careful toward the end near the falls, as rocks can be slippery.

Unfortunately, this trail was closed when we visited in 2025 due to construction on the trail, so we missed out on this family-friendly hike in Great Smoky Mountains.

5. Big White Oak Quiet Walkway

Location: Fighting Creek Gap Rd (west of Sugarlands)
Distance: .6 miles

Don’t be fooled, many of these quiet walkways may be short, but they can be steep and tough!

However, Big White Oak Quiet Walkway is an easy, flat trail that takes you into the quiet of the woods.

And as the name says, you’ll pass by a giant white oak tree as you first begin the trail.

This is a fun trail for kids in Great Smoky Mountains thanks to it being really short and easy. You’ll also get to cross over a narrow bridge made of a fallen tree (flattened out so it’s easy to walk on), a large grove of trees with a fun clearing, and a big white oak that seems a little out of place, but is really cool.

6. Metcalf Bottoms Trail

Location: Fighting Creek Gap Rd (west of Sugarlands)
Distance: 1.4 miles

From Sugarlands, head west on Fighting Creek Gap Rd. This eventually turns into Little River Gorge Rd. Watch for Metcalf Bottoms Picnic area. This is where you will turn off to reach the trailhead.

This is a great hike for kids in Great Smoky Mountains. It’s easy, short, mostly flat (a little uphill), and has plenty of interesting things along the way.

Kids will love the wooden bridges, following a creek, and even passing by a cemetery (which we noticed a few of while hiking around the park a few days!) At the end of the trail is a historic little schoolhouse. They can peek inside and see all the wooden desks and benches.

Nearby is a picnic area for when you finish the trail and want a great snack or lunch in this scenic spot.

7. Mountain Farm Museum

Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center (south side of park, near Cherokee)
Distance: < 1 mile

This one is cheating a little bit because it’s not really a hike, but more of a walk through a historic area.

The Mountain Farm Museum is located right behind the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. It’s a great way to take a break from a formal hike and just walk around an old, yet still somewhat running, farm.

Kids will love going in the buildings to see how people lived in farmhouse cabins, a blacksmith shop, a spring house, and even get to see live animals like chickens and hogs.

8. Oconaluftee River Trail

Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center (south side of park)
Distance: 3.2 miles

This one is a little like the Gatlinburg trail. It’s 3.2 miles roundtrip; however, you don’t have to do the entire trail to appreciate it.

The trail begins behind the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, near the farm. You’ll walk a natural dirt trail along the river towards Cherokee.

This is a very kid-friendly trail, but also a dog-friendly trail! A good stroller could make the walk as well.

9. Middle Prong Trail to Lynn Camp Falls

Location: Tremont (west side of park)
Distance: 1.5 miles

This trail was one of my kids’ favorites, so it’s definitely worth a stop. Especially if you plan on hiking Spruce Flats Falls, this one is in the same relative area.

The Middle Prong Trailhead can be found on the western side of the park. Take Fighting Creek Gap Road a go just a smidge past the turnoff for Townsend (a great, quiet place to stay in the park if you want somewhere more laid-back).

After you pass that turn, you’ll turn left onto Tremont Road. Take this all the way to the end and park. Walk across the bridge and stay to the left for the Middle Prong Trail.

This trail is really wide and flat, with just a gentle incline.

The best part about this trail is that you’ll be following the Lynn Camp Prong river the whole way. This little river has a few awesome cascade areas, and after just over a half-mile, you’ll arrive at the Lynn Camp Falls cascades.

These are beautiful and a great place for pictures!

10. Big Creek Trail to Mouse Creek Falls

Location: Big Creek Entrance (east side of park)
Distance: 4 miles

This trail, though easy, is a little longer. So if you have young kids, I recommend using a backpack carrier for when they need breaks!

Kelty Journey PerfectFIT ELITE Child Carrier for Infants and Toddlers, Zippered Pockets Galore, 26L, Waistbelt, Aluminum Frame, Integrated Sunshade

Osprey Poco Plus Child Carrier and Backpack for Travel, Blue Sky

Luvdbaby Hiking Baby Carrier Backpack – Comfortable Baby Backpack Carrier – Toddler Hiking Backpack Carrier – Child Carrier Backpack System with Diaper Change Pad, Insulated Pocket, Rain and Sun Hood

The wonderful thing about the trail to Mouse Creek Falls is that you’ll actually get lots of little waterfalls along the way.

The most awesome part of this trail is that after about 1.5 miles, you’ll hit Midnight Hole. This is a popular swim hole that the family will love. You’ll know you’ve arrived at Midnight Hole when you see a large open area in the water with a little 5-6 foot cascade on one end. If you visit in summer, you’ll see a lot of people in the swim hole.

If you want to swim, make sure to bring a towel to dry off with before continuing your hike to Mouse Creek Falls.

Map of Trailheads

Find the trailheads using the map below

What to Bring Hiking with Kids in Great Smoky Mountains

There are a few things we always bring hiking that make it a lot easier. Here’s what I suggest when hiking with little ones:

• Hiking Backpack – to carry everything. This one is large enough to carry the family’s stuff, but affordable compared to name brands.
• Reusable Water Bottles – These ones hold a lot and keep water cool for a while.
• Snacks– here are our favorites
• Hiking Carrier– best for young ones who may get too tired. Here are some recommendations.
• Lightweight towel– especially if you find a swim hole. We use lightweight ones like these.
• Hiking shoes– You’ll be fine with sneakers on these trails, but if you venture onto other trails, they are steep and hiking shoes with good ankle support and a solid bottom are strongly recommend!
• Layers– we found the weather to change all day long from cold to hot to chilly
• Lunch– Find a great picnic area to enjoy a lunch midday

Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Signature Series Child Carrier, Dark Shadow

POWCAN 40 oz Insulated Water Bottle with 2-in-1 Straw and Spout Lid, Keep Cold 24H, Leak-Proof, BPA-Free, Double Wall Stainless Steel Water Bottle for Sports, Gym, Travel, and School (Dark Knight)

Merrell Trail Chaser Running Shoe

Where to Stay near Great Smoky Mountains

There are a few different areas you can stay in when visiting GSMNP. Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are the main, very popular areas. But there are some more laid back areas like Townsend if you prefer that.

We stayed in Gatlinburg at the SureStay hotel, which was just a block or two from the main road filled with attractions and restaurants.

It was also just about as close as you can get to the Newfound Gap entrance. That may not seem like a big deal, but if you visit during busy season, it can take a long time to drive through town. We got to skip that traffic each morning.

Here are a few other places in Gatlinburg that are great:

Easy, Family-Friendly Hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

If easy hikes in Great Smoky Mountains is what you’re looking for, you can find them here! While many hikes may be short, they can often be a little tougher. Hopefully this list has inspired you on kid-friendly hikes that are actually easy enough for the whole family.

Don’t wear the kids out on something tough. Keep them happy with these family-friendly hikes in Great Smoky Mountains that are truly easy enough for everyone to enjoy. Whether you are seeking waterfalls, looking for a little history, or just want a nice cozy walk in the woods, GSMNP is a great place to find just that.