Appalachian Trail #4 (Fontana Dam to Davenport Gap)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses 800 square miles of land and 95 percent of it is forested. In the park, the Appalachian Trail follows the ridges between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee and it crosses the highest point on the entire Trail at Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet. The park is world renowned for the diversity of its plant and animal resources and for the beauty of its ancient mountains. It is one of the largest protected areas in the east.

The Appalachian Trail in the Smokies runs just over 70 miles from Fontana Dam in the southwest to Davenport Gap in the northeastern areas of the National Park.  Shelters are spaced roughly 7-12 miles apart on the Appalachian Trail but require reservations which can be made online.  Additional access points include Newfound Gap at 5,046 feet and Clingman’s Dome which can both be reached via US 441 about halfway through the section.  Most backpackers take 4-7 days to hike this rugged section of the Appalachian Trail that generally follows the border between the States of North Carolina and Tennessee.