When hikers ask which trails in Tennessee are worth a full day — or several — the conversation always circles back to the same handful of routes. Below we've ranked the ten longest hiking trails in Tennessee by total mapped distance, drawing from the 8,071 trails OutsideAtlas currently tracks in the state. Each entry includes the distance, what makes the route distinctive, and an honest note on who should actually attempt it.
Tennessee runs from the Mississippi River bottomlands through the Cumberland Plateau to the Great Smoky Mountains — the eastern part of the state contains the most-visited national park in the US. The AT, the Cumberland Trail (300+ miles when complete), and the Big South Fork backcountry combine for substantial long-distance routing. Spring and fall are prime; summer is humid in the lowlands but manageable in the Smokies; winter brings snow at higher elevations.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 8,071 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Tennessee — but the data has limits worth being honest about. OpenStreetMap distance tags are crowd-sourced and inconsistent. A route may appear longer or shorter than the official measurement, especially when long-distance trails (like state and national scenic trails) are tagged in segments rather than as a single relation.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. CT - Rock Creek Loop Trail
At 29.0 mi, CT - Rock Creek Loop Trail tops the list — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 29.0 mi, dirt surface on a expert-only grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the CT - Rock Creek Loop Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Lower Connector Trail - Leggett Road
At 29.0 mi, Lower Connector Trail - Leggett Road lands at #2 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 29.0 mi, dirt surface on a expert-only grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Lower Connector Trail - Leggett Road trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Rock Creek Paved ADA Trail
At 29.0 mi, Rock Creek Paved ADA Trail lands at #3 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 29.0 mi, paved surface on a expert-only grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. A paved surface makes this one of the more accessible options on the list — good for strollers, mobility aids, and wet-weather days. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Rock Creek Paved ADA Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. CT_Bryan Overlook Trail
At 6.80 mi, CT_Bryan Overlook Trail lands at #4 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 6.80 mi, ground surface on a moderately demanding grade. Compared to similar trails in Tennessee, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the CT_Bryan Overlook Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. CT_Laurel Falls Trail
At 6.80 mi, CT_Laurel Falls Trail lands at #5 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 6.80 mi, dirt surface on a moderately demanding grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the CT_Laurel Falls Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. CT_Laurel-Snow Trail
At 6.80 mi, CT_Laurel-Snow Trail lands at #6 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 6.80 mi, dirt surface on a moderately demanding grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the CT_Laurel-Snow Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. CT_Laurel-Snow Trail
At 6.80 mi, CT_Laurel-Snow Trail lands at #7 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 6.80 mi, dirt surface on a moderately demanding grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the CT_Laurel-Snow Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. CT_Laurel-Snow Trail
At 6.80 mi, CT_Laurel-Snow Trail lands at #8 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 6.80 mi, dirt surface on a moderately demanding grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the CT_Laurel-Snow Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. CT_Laurel-Snow Trail
At 6.80 mi, CT_Laurel-Snow Trail lands at #9 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 6.80 mi, dirt surface on a moderately demanding grade. Compared to similar trails in Tennessee, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the CT_Laurel-Snow Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. CT_Laurel-Snow Trail
At 6.80 mi, CT_Laurel-Snow Trail lands at #10 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 6.80 mi, dirt surface on a moderately demanding grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the CT_Laurel-Snow Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Tennessee trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Tennessee. Spring and fall are prime; summer is humid in the lowlands but manageable in the Smokies; winter brings snow at higher elevations. Black bears in the Smokies, rattlesnakes and copperheads in the Cumberland uplands, and significant hypothermia risk on exposed ridges.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Tennessee hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Tennessee coverage continues below.
- Steepest trails in Tennessee — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Tennessee — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in Tennessee — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in Tennessee — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Tennessee — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Tennessee — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Tennessee — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in Tennessee last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
