Tennessee · Hiking

Road Prong Trail

2.2 mi
one way
1,414 ft
climb
5,271 ft
high point
Point to point
route
Sep–Oct
best months

Is Road Prong Trail open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It doesn't name Road Prong 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.

Road Prong Trail is a 2.2-mile moderate hike in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, managed by the National Park Service. It lies within the Appalachian National Scenic Trail corridor, about 2.6 miles from the community of Fort Harry, Tennessee. The trail is a point-to-point route with a total elevation gain of 1,414 feet, rising from about 3,839 feet to about 5,271 feet. The steepest stretch comes at about 0.66 miles in, with a grade of 21 percent. The route also includes a total descent of 1,621 feet, so plan for a climb and a drop over the course of the hike. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Newfound Gap weather station, at a similar elevation, show July highs around 74°F with lows near 57°F, while winter highs stay in the upper 30s. Several other trails sit close by. Spruce Fir Nature Trail is about 1.2 miles away, Chimney Tops Trail about 1.7 miles, and the Appalachian Trail and the Mountains-To-Sea Trail: Segment 1 are each about 1.8 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 Road Prong 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, 1 mi away at 5,040 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

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

Chimney Tops Trail

~3 min drive

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

Appalachian TrailPhoto: Michael Pellegrino, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Appalachian Trail

~3 min drive

8.06-mile out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee with 2,631 ft gain/loss.

Swinging Bridge Quiet WalkwayPhoto: lns1122, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Swinging Bridge Quiet Walkway

~3 min drive

0.96-mile out-and-back trail in North Carolina with 256 ft of elevation gain.

Appalachian TrailPhoto: bogdanstepniak, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Appalachian Trail

~6 min drive

20.56-mile out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina with 5,398 ft gain/loss

Mountains-To-Sea Trail: Segment 1Photo: Michael Pellegrino, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mountains-To-Sea Trail: Segment 1

~3 min drive

4.97-mile point-to-point trail in Tennessee with 872 ft gain and 3,600 ft loss.

Sugarland Mountain TrailPhoto: Michael Pellegrino, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sugarland Mountain Trail

~3 min drive

11.73-mile point-to-point trail in Tennessee with 1,860 ft gain.

Jump Off TrailPhoto: bogdanstepniak, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Jump Off Trail

~6 min drive

0.78-mile out-and-back hike in North Carolina with 370 ft of elevation gain.

HIKE

Deep Creek Trail

~6 min drive

14.42-mile out-and-back trail in North Carolina with 3,404 ft gain.

Appalachian TrailPhoto: w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Appalachian Trail

~8 min drive

6.88-mile out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina with 2,280 ft gain/loss

Thomas Divide TrailPhoto: Dallas Epperson, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Thomas Divide Trail

~5 min drive

9.22-mile out-and-back hike in North Carolina with 2,684 ft gain/loss

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors