Chimney Tops Trail. A Hike with a Scare Factor.

On Monday, September 14 my brother Richard and I hiked the Chimney Tops Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We met at 8:45 am at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. We left his car at the Visitor Center and drove south on Highway 441 approximately 7 miles to the Chimney Tops Trail trailhead (TH). The parking area and trailhead are on the right as you head south. We arrive at the TH about 9:15 am. The elevation at the trailhead is about 3500 feet. The climb to the pinnacle is about 4,800 feet, an overall gain of 1300 feet, depending on how high you ascend the first pinnacle.

The parking lot is just a bit more than a pull-off, so it is limited in the number of vehicles it can accommodate. It was good idea to leave one car at the visitor center, even though there were only a few cars there when we arrived. At 2:15 pm that afternoon there were cars waiting to take our spot. It confirmed the many hikers we saw in the afternoon. We put our hiking boots on, take a few photos and begin hiking at 9:30 am (all times hereafter are EDT).

I begin in shorts and fleece jacket; Richard wears jeans and a jacket. Temperature is in the low-sixties. We first cross Walker Camp Prong, and then Road Prong over two more footbridges. In total we cross four footbridges, climb a few rock stairs and reach the junction of Road Prong Trail and Chimney Tops Trail 30 minutes later (10:00 am). The trail signs indicate this is .9 miles from the TH. If you take Road Prong Trail to the left you can reach the Appalachian Trail. We take off our jackets. We also meet a couple from New York hiking up and talk to them for 30 minutes. We take photos of ourselves and the trail sign.

 

We resume hiking at 10:30 am. It is a beautiful, sunny day. I am glad I am only wearing shorts and a long-sleeve shirt. [Note: The time on my Nikon D300 is 4 hours off EDT and the time on my Nikon AW100 is one hour off.)

At approximately 10:45 am we encounter Lyon’s Turtleheads (wildflowers) and I take photos. We continue hiking. We encounter many long staircases. The second half of the hike is much steeper than the first half. The elevation climb is over 900 feet over the course of a mile, a steep section of trail.

 

At 11:20 am we enjoy a trail view of Sugarland Mountain. It runs along the trail to the west of us. A few minutes later (11:30 am) we arrive at the base of the first pinnacle. Several other hikers hike a third of the way to the summit of the first pinnacle. The section has foot and hand-holds. One couple ventures a bit further. I take several photos. To the east is Kephart Mountain and Mt. LeConte. We’ve been told the views from the top of the pinnacle are 360 degrees and includes Mt. LeConte.

It takes us 2 hours to hike the 2 miles and reach the base of the first pinnacle (9:30 to 11:30 am). There are “Advisory” signs warning hikers of the dangers climbing the rock pinnacles. It was obvious why there are many injuries on this portion of the “trail.” We spend 45 or 50 minutes at our “approach location” to the summit for lunch and watching others attempt the second third to the pinnacle. We see no one go on to the summit, an estimated 100 yards from the trees at the base of the summit standing guard.

 

Richard and I venture 30 yards, or the first third of the ascent to the summit of the pinnacle but no further. From there the slope becomes much steeper and slate rocks are much smoother. It would be a scramble to the top of this rock outcropping. While we eat our lunch of power bars, M & Ms, and drink water, we think back 50 years when we had both hiked the Chimney Tops before. Neither of us remember actually hiking to the summit and neither of us thought we had not. We were in our early 20s. Nothing would have stopped us. We were confident we had done it then, but this was now.  Maybe there was another trail at the warning sign that allowed hikers to summit the pinnacle. Perhaps, that trail had deteriorated. We didn’t know. The day is beautiful and the view would be wonderful, but the risk for injury just seemed too great for a couple of geezers. We have balanced the scare factor with the thrill of a view and consider ourselves winners (anyway).

We depart our “approach location” to the summit around 12:15 pm. It was a good morning.

 

The steps down are hard on some knees and Richard slows his pace up a bit. I find a patch of Purple Turtleheads and a few Pale Touch-Me-Nots in another place and take many photos. They are beautiful. In late May and June, we are told the trail is alive with Flame Azalea, Rosebay Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Bee Balm, Wild Geranium and other wildflowers.

 

We reach the junction of Road Prong Trail and the Chimney Tops Trail at 1:30 pm.

At 2:00 pm we reach the third foot bridge (third from TH). We reach the TH at 2:15 pm. It is considered a “Moderately” difficult trail, but if the trail were much longer and the grade more like the second mile, it would be classified as “Strenuous.”

It takes us 2 hours (12:15 – 2:15 pm) to reach the TH to Chimney Tops. From there we go to an early celebratory dinner out of the park.

Scripture

Exodus 19.3 - God brought Moses to Himself at Mt. Sinai.
Isaiah 40.4 - Every mountain and hill will be made low when man sees God's salvation.
Matthew 4.8 - Jesus was tempted on a very high mountain.