Hi there!
The Road Prong trailhead can be a spot to start hiking if you’re looking to do something a little different from most people.
I went hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park 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!
This wouldn’t be considered one of the best hikes in the Smoky Mountains if you just have a short time.
But if you have a few extra days, or if you’re looking to escape the crowds a bit… then you may look at getting yourself to the Road Prong trailhead!
The Road Prong trailhead is located directly off of Clingmans Dome Road, which is the road you’d take to get to the Clingmans Dome parking area.
The Clingmans Dome Trail is one of THE most popular activities in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
So if you’re looking for a hiking trail without crowds, then you made look at a hike from the Road Prong trailhead.
The “destination” of the hikes will likely have people, though!
More below about hiking from the Road Prong trailhead!
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2 hikes starting from the Road Prong Trailhead
1. Road Prong trailhead to Newfound Gap Road (via Indian Gap on the Appalachian Trail)
The Road Prong trailhead to Newfound Gap will be around a 3.2 mile round trip hike.
I started at the Road Prong trailhead to get to the Newfound Gap overlook.
You can also drive directly to the Newfound Gap overlook with no hiking required.
So starting at the Road Prong trailhead can be a way to make it a hike to get to Newfound Gap if you’re looking for an excuse to hike! You’ll be hiking a portion of the Appalachian Trail and passing by an area called Indian Gap.
This section of the Appalachian Trail is mostly through a forest with minimal mountain views.
Your “destination” of the Newfound Gap overlook will come with grand mountain views though!
Road Prong Trailhead to Newfound Gap Road (via Indian Gap on the Appalachian Trail)
Explore the map.
2. Road Prong Trail to Chimney Tops Overlook
The popular way to get to the Chimney Tops Overlook is to start at the Chimney Tops trailhead along Newfound Gap Road. Starting it from there is around a 3.5 mile round trip hike.
But it’s also possible to get to the Chimney Tops Overlook by starting from the Road Prong Trail if you’re looking for something a little bit different from what everyone else does. (And you don’t mind a slightly longer hike.)
I did the Chimney Tops hike the normal way, but looking at the map, the Road Prong Trail seems to pass by some small waterfalls (Talking Falls and Trickling Falls), and then Road Prong Trail will intersect with Chimney Tops Trail. (That’s what’s 2.4 miles away as seen on the trail sign.) From there, you’ll hike the rest of the way in the popular way to get to the overlook.
Hiking the Road Prong Trail to the Chimney Tops Overlook would be around a 6.2 mile round trip hike.
Explore the map.
How to find the Road Prong trailhead
Finding the Road Prong trailhead is relatively simple.
You just need to get yourself onto Clingmans Dome Road! And that is made simple because as you are driving along on Newfound Gap Road, you will see signs for Clingmans Dome.
Once you are on Clingmans Dome Road, you will drive about 3 minutes, and there is a small parking area directly on the side of the road. It will be on the right side.
On google maps, it’s listed as as the Road Prong trailhead. You’ll want to download offline google maps (free) before you go, as you’ll likely not have data as you are driving through the Smoky Mountains. GPS still generally works, so you can still navigate that way.
There will be no big sign for the Road Prong Trail or Indian Gap as you are driving, but once you are in the parking area, you can look for the trail sign (which will be for the Appalachian Trail and Road Prong Trail) and the informational sign (which will be for Indian Gap).
There is no bathroom here. You’ll want to stop by the Newfound Gap parking or Clingmans Dome parking for that!
And now…
A bit of what you’ll see hiking the Appalachian Trail from Road Prong Trailhead to Newfound Gap overlook
aka PHOTOS!
And then when you end up at a road, that is Newfound Gap Road.
Then you will (carefully!) cross the street for the Newfound Gap Overlook! (And to continue hiking on the Appalachian Trail if that’s what you want to do!)
And that’s a bit about starting a hike from the Road Prong trailhead along Clingmans Dome Road!
See more:
- Things to do on the drive from Gatlinburg to Clingmans Dome
- Hiking to the Clingmans Dome summit
- Best hikes with views in the Smoky Mountains
- The big list of things to do in the Smoky Mountains
HAPPY HIKING THE ROAD PRONG TRAIL!
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