Tennessee · Hiking

Cove Mountain Trail

8.6 mi
one way
2,875 ft
climb
4,075 ft
high point
Point to point
route
Sep–Oct
best months

Is Cove Mountain Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It doesn't name Cove Mountain Trail, so check the source for the area it covers (4 listed).

As of · Source: NPS · Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Cove Mountain Trail is a hard hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, managed by the National Park Service. The route is 8.6 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 2,875 feet, and it rises from about 1,539 feet to a high point of 4,075 feet. The climb is steady, and the steepest stretch comes at about 4.5 miles, where the grade reaches 28 percent. The trail is a point-to-point route, and it is not open to bikes or horses. There is no fee to hike it. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Newfound Gap weather station, which sits about 965 feet higher than the trail, show July highs around 74°F with lows near 57°F. That station's figures run cooler than conditions on the trail itself. The Fighting Creek Nature Trail starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail and Hickory Flats Quiet Walkway are within about a mile. For an overnight stay, Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion is about 2.1 miles off.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Sep–Oct

    Best time to visit Cove Mountain Trail

    Best months: September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      39° / 22°

      13 wet

    2. Feb

      42° / 25°

      12 wet

    3. Mar

      49° / 30°

      13 wet

    4. Apr

      58° / 38°

      13 wet

    5. May

      66° / 47°

      15 wet

    6. Jun

      71° / 54°

      16 wet

    7. Jul

      74° / 57°

      16 wet

    8. Aug

      72° / 56°

      14 wet

    9. Sep

      68° / 51°

      11 wet

    10. Oct

      59° / 41°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      50° / 32°

      10 wet

    12. Dec

      43° / 27°

      12 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Newfound Gap, TN, 8.2 mi away at 5,040 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft higher than this place, so expect it a little warmer here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Hickory Flats Quiet WalkwayPhoto: David Dugan, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Hickory Flats Quiet Walkway

~2 min drive

0.33-mile point-to-point trail in Tennessee with 60 ft gain and 95 ft loss.

Laurel Falls TrailPhoto: David Dugan, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Laurel Falls Trail

~7 min drive

Laurel Falls Trail is a 3.06-mile point-to-point trail in Tennessee with 1,087 ft of elevation gain.

Goshen Prong TrailPhoto: Charles Skip Martin, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Goshen Prong Trail

~8 min drive

14.82-mile out-and-back hike in Tennessee with 4,021 ft elevation gain and loss.

HIKE

Trillium Gap Trail

~8 min drive

17.82-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 3,914 ft elevation gain.

Laurel Falls TrailPhoto: David Dugan, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Laurel Falls Trail

~7 min drive

1.86-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 656 ft elevation gain

Chimney Tops TrailPhoto: Bas van Oorschot, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Chimney Tops Trail

~10 min drive

1.83-mile point-to-point trail in Tennessee with 1,449 ft gain

Rough Creek TrailPhoto: Charles Skip Martin, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Rough Creek Trail

~9 min drive

5.44-mile out-and-back trail in Tennessee with 3,003 ft elevation gain

HIKE

Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail

~1 min drive

Easy half-mile loop through Tennessee valley scenery.

HIKE

Old Sugarlands Trail

~1 min drive

7.74-mile out-and-back hike in Tennessee with 1,134 ft gain.

HIKE

Bull Head Trail

~5 min drive

6.34-mile point-to-point trail in Tennessee with 5,058 ft elevation gain.

Route details

Distance
8.6 mi
Climbing
About 2,875 ft
Summit
4,077 ft
Difficulty
Hard
Time
About 4.5 hours

Other routes up Cove Mountain

Questions about this route

How long is the Cove Mountain Trail on Cove Mountain?

About 8.6 mi.

How much elevation gain is on the Cove Mountain Trail?

About 2,875 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Cove Mountain Trail?

It is rated hard.

How long does the Cove Mountain Trail take?

About 4.5 hours round trip.

How many routes go up Cove Mountain?

2: Cove Mountain Trail and Laurel Falls Trail.

Conditions and forecast on Cove Mountain

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors