Laurel Top
About
Laurel Top is a summit in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park, within the Appalachian National Scenic Trail corridor. The nearest town is Pittman Center, about 7 miles away. The summit sits at 5,910 feet. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Mt Leconte show July highs around 66°F with lows near 50°F, and September highs around 61°F. That station sits higher than the summit, so temperatures here run slightly warmer. Porters Creek Trail is the closest trail, about 2 miles away. Old Settlers Trail and the Appalachian Trail are each about 4 miles off, and Smokemont Campground lies roughly 7 miles away.
Summit Facts
Summit elevation
5,910 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Laurel Top
Tennessee
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Jun–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 61–66°F and lows of 44–50°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Mt Leconte, TN weather station, 5.7 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan33° high17° low
- Feb35° high20° low
- Mar41° high24° low
- Apr50° high32° low
- May56° high40° low
- Jun63° high47° low
- Jul66° high50° low
- Aug65° high49° low
- Sep61° high44° low
- Oct53° high36° low
- Nov44° high27° low
- Dec37° high21° low
Where it is
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail · National Park Service
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- Pittman Center, Tennessee · 7.1 mi
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Appalachian National Scenic Trail as of Oct 9, 2026:
Black Bears Frequenting the McAfee Knob Area in Virginia
Caution · posted Aug 24, 2026
List of trail closures post-Hurricane Helene
Park Closure · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
- Porters Creek TrailHiking2.3 mi
- Jump Off TrailHiking3.7 mi
- Old Settlers TrailHiking3.7 mi
- Appalachian TrailHiking3.7 mi
- Greenbrier Picnic PavilionCamping4.1 mi
- Smokemont CampgroundCamping7.1 mi
- Round Bottom Horse CampCamping8 mi
- Tow String Horse CampCamping9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
