About hiking in Swain County

Swain County, North Carolina has 80 named trails tagged for hiking, covering 428 miles, an average of 5.3 miles each. The longest is Lakeshore Trail, at 67.0 miles. 24 run 5 miles or longer.

What the hiking trails in Swain County are like

By length, 41 are under a mile, 15 run 1 to 5 miles, and 24 are 5 miles or longer. 11 are loops, ending where they start; the longest is Lakeshore Trail, at 67.0 miles.

Every one carries a difficulty rating: 2 easy, 52 moderate, and 26 hard. Of the 80 with measured elevation, Lakeshore Trail climbs the most, about 30,805 ft, and 31 gain 1,000 ft or more.

All 80 hiking trails, longest first

Lakeshore TrailHike67.0 mi Mountains-to-Sea Trail: Segment 1Hike32.4 mi Deep Creek TrailHike27.8 mi Springhouse Branch TrailHike27.6 mi Forney Creek TrailHike22.2 mi Thomas Divide TrailHike22.1 mi Hughes Ridge TrailHike19.1 mi Sunkota Ridge TrailHike16.0 mi Smokemont Loop TrailHike15.0 mi Hazel Creek TrailHike14.3 mi Deep Low Gap TrailHike11.5 mi Mingus Creek TrailHike11.4 mi Fork Ridge TrailHike9.9 mi Jenkins Ridge TrailHike8.7 mi Eagle Creek TrailHike8.6 mi Right LoopHike7.9 mi Sweat Heifer Creek TrailHike7.2 mi Forney Ridge TrailHike7.0 mi Welch Ridge TrailHike6.3 mi Pole Road Creek TrailHike6.3 mi Wolf Ridge TrailHike6.1 mi Newton Bald TrailHike5.4 mi Hyatt Ridge TrailHike5.3 mi Grassy Branch TrailHike5.2 mi Twentymile TrailHike5.0 mi Long Hungry Ridge TrailHike4.4 mi Cold Spring Gap TrailHike4.3 mi Kephart Prong TrailHike3.9 mi Kanati Fork TrailHike2.8 mi Twentymile Loop TrailHike2.8 mi Lost Cove TrailHike2.7 mi Flat Creek TrailHike2.6 mi Goldmine Loop TrailHike2.0 mi Bone Valley TrailHike1.8 mi Windy OverlookHike1.8 mi Whiteoak Branch TrailHike1.7 mi Tunnel Bypass TrailHike1.5 mi Newton Bald Concession Horse Trail LoopHike1.5 mi Spruce Mountain TrailHike1.0 mi Cabin Flats TrailHike1.0 mi fire towerHikeMTB0.9 mi Smokemont Stables TrailHike0.9 mi Stone Pile Gap TrailHike0.8 mi Cemetary TrailHike0.8 mi Left OverlookHike0.8 mi Smokemont Stables Trail to Towstring Horse TrailHike0.7 mi Hazel Creek Access TrailHike0.7 mi Kuwohi TrailHike0.7 mi Balsam Mountain Nature TrailHike0.7 mi Beech Flats Quiet WalkwayHike0.6 mi Gray Wolf WalkHike0.6 mi Smokemont Nature TrailHike0.6 mi Right Loop ConnectorHike0.6 mi Mountains-to-Sea TrailHike0.6 mi Clingmans Dome Bypass TrailHike0.5 mi Kuwohi Bypass TrailHike0.5 mi Swinging Bridge Quiet WalkwayHike0.5 mi Pilkey/Posey Cemetery Access TrailHike0.4 mi Posey Cemetery Access TrailHike0.4 mi High Rocks TrailHike0.3 mi Lower Noland-Monteith Cemetery AccessHike0.3 mi Juney Whank Falls TrailHike0.3 mi Spruce Fir Nature TrailHike0.3 mi Ollie Cove TrailHike0.3 mi Carver Cemeter AccessHike0.3 mi Bradshaw Cemetery Access TrailHike0.2 mi Lower Indian-Queen Cemetery AccessHike0.2 mi Woody-Conner Cemetery AccessHike0.2 mi Lakeshore Trail Low Water AccessHike0.2 mi Conner @ Hickory Flats Cemetery AccessHike0.2 mi Campsite 67 Access TrailHike0.2 mi Kanati Fork Quiet WalkwayHike0.2 mi Campsite 87 accessHike0.2 mi 2nd AlternateHike0.2 mi Old Deep Creek Quiet WalkwayHike0.2 mi Lakeview Quiet WalkwayHike0.2 mi McClure Cemetery Access TrailHike0.1 mi Campsite 65 accessHike0.1 mi Pilkey Cemetery Access TrailHike0.1 mi Campsite 98 Access TrailHike0.1 mi

← All Swain County trails

Trail geometry from OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed ODbL. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Compiled and published by Trailmonger · trail data last rebuilt October 11, 2026.