Hi there!
In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there’s a spot known as Arch Rock.
Here, you can hike directly through the “arch” of a big “rock”!
You can make it a hike to arch rock and turn back around, although most people will keep going. There is another unique geological formation if you keep going, and then even more spectacular views if you keep going further. You can call this one of the great hiking trails of the Great Smoky Mountains.
How to hike to Arch Rock (and beyond)
Here are the main options for the Alum Cave Trail, which is the trail you’ll take to hike to Arch Rock.
1. Hike to Arch Rock and back
Around 2.8 miles roundtrip
Or keep going…
2. Hike to the Alum Cave Bluffs and back
Around 5 miles roundtrip
Or keep going…
3. Hike to Mt LeConte summit and back!
This will take you to around 6,593 ft (2,010m), said to be the third highest peak in the Smoky Mountains. The Mount LeConte hike is possibly THE solid day hike to do in the Smoky Mountains. This is around 10-11 miles round trip, depending on where you go once in the summit area.
Below will focus on hiking to Arch Rock only.
I did the hike to Arch Rock in September. What the weather will be like from year to year can vary (which means the colors can vary!), but this is what it was like for me!
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Basics about the hike to Arch Rock
According to the National Park Service:
Arch Rock is one of the more unusual geologic formations in the Smokies, carved by tons of freeze-and-thaw cycles.
You’ll take the Alum Cave Trail to get to the Arch Rock
The distance of this hiking trail to Arch Rock is around 1.4 miles one way, so 2.8 miles round trip.
The elevation at the trailhead is around 3,834 ft (1,169m). The elevation at Arch Rock is around 4,389 ft (1,338m). So there is around a 555 ft elevation gain in 1.4 miles.
It is recommended to allow around 45 minutes to hike up to Arch Rock one way, and then you can expect that it will likely take a little less than 45 minutes to hike back down. So it could be good to give yourself around 2 hours for this hike.
The Alum Cave trailhead is on the popular Newfound Gap Road of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Your destination for google maps can be Alum Cave Bluffs trailhead parking or Alum Cave Bluffs trailhead.
If you’re coming from Gatlinburg, the drive to the trailhead is around a 25 minute drive… if there’s no traffic!
Parking near the trail to Arch Rock
Side note! Check the reviews at partner websites included below!
How to save money on your trip to the Smoky Mountains
I use hotels.com to look for the cheapest hotels. You can also try the expedia hotels site (good for car rentals too) or see if you like any of the vrbo vacation rentals or cabins.
/end side note
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All the top day hikes that can be found along Newfound Gap Road tend to have tons of cars parked around the trailhead.
Each trailhead, including the trailhead that takes you to Arch Rock, has a small parking lot.
When that fills up, you can find cars parking along the side of the road on the gravel shoulder.
With the Alum Cave Trail being among the top hikes in the Smoky Mountains, you can usually expect there to be a ton of cars throughout the day. This means it’s possible you might end up doing a short hike along Newfound Gap Road just to reach the Alum Cave trailhead!
Toilet near the trailhead
At the main parking lot of the Alum Cave Trail, there is a basic no-flush toilet.
PHOTOS for a little bit of what to expect when hiking to Arch Rock!
I hiked to Arch Rock in late September 2020. Pictures are from that time.
And then you can back your way back down the mountain the way you just came…
Or you can continue onwards to the Alum Cave Bluffs and/or the Mt LeConte summit!
And that’s a bit about hiking to Arch Rock in the Smoky Mountains!
I went to Arch Rock in 2020. Your experience may vary!
Pack some picnic food, and the Chimneys picnic area can be the perfect spot to have a post-hike meal! You’ll find it on the drive back up north to Gatlinburg. If you’re driving in the opposite direction down south to North Carolina, then there’s the Collins Creek picnic area.
You’ll also find Smokemont Campground along Newfound Gap Road on the North Carolina side, and this can be a convenient campground to stay at if you’re planning on doing several of the Newfound Gap Road hikes aka great hikes in the Smoky Mountains with great views!
See more of the best hikes with VIEWS in the Smoky Mountains!
And the big list of things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains!
HAPPY HIKING TO SEE THE UNIQUE ROCK IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS!
Here are more ideas for a few days in the Smoky Mountains!
More of the best things that the Smoky Mountains is known for is hiking!If you're looking for just one solid day hike in the Smoky Mountains, there's the Mount LeConte hike. Most often this is done as a day hike, but you can also stay overnight near the Mount LeConte summit! There is the LeConte Lodge, which claims to be the highest guest lodge in the eastern part of the United States! (It does book up!)
There are also lots more hikes that come with mountain views. See more about some of the best hikes in the Smoky Mountains.
There are also a lot of hikes to waterfalls. See more about the best waterfall hikes in the Smoky Mountains.
You can also go camping in the mountains. See more about the best campgrounds in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. (No showers in the national park, though!)
Cost to go to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
There is no national park entry fee for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but as of 2023, there is a parking fee.You'll need a parking pass when you go to the Smoky Mountains.
You can wait until you arrive to buy the parking pass, or you can buy it online before you go at recreation.gov.
Depending on how many days you will be in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the cost of parking will be $5 or $15 per vehicle.
Plan out your time in the Smoky Mountains!
Some of the best known things in Great Smoky Mountains National Park include Clingmans Dome, Cades Cove, and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail!For Clingmans Dome, you can get great views from the parking lot, or you can hike up to the highest point in the Smoky Mountains! (No matter what, you do need weather on your side, though! For me, 3rd time was the charm at Clingmans Dome!) See more about Clingmans Dome.
For Cades Cove, it's all about the slow-going Cades Cove Loop Road! You can drive it, bike it, or walk it! You can make stops to walk inside historic cabins, see a historic mill, and even do a waterfall hike! See more about Cades Cove.
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is also a slow-going road that you drive and make stops along the way, including quiet stops along a creek or waterfalls hikes. See more about the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
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