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This trail meanders through lush flora before reaching the ridge and continuing towards the AT.


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Map Key

5.4

Miles

8.7

KM

68%

Runnable

5,782' 1,762 m

High

2,367' 721 m

Low

3,421' 1,043 m

Up

6' 2 m

Down

12%

Avg Grade (7°)

19%

Max Grade (11°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Spring · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Great Smoky Mountain National Park closes secondary roads on a seasonal schedule due to snow. Schedules can be found here.

All campsites must be registered with the park. Backcountry rules and regulations can be found here.

Description

Starting at the Cosby Campground, this trail snakes along 5.4 miles on its way to the Appalachian Trail.

Shortly into this trail, runners will find a junction that connects the Low Gap Trail and Lower Mount Cammerer Trail. Not even a mile in, there's a small graveyard from the early 1900s.

At 1.8 miles in, there's a stream crossing at Inadu Creek (with Inadu Mountain nearby, at 5,177'). The vegetation gets a bit thicker around here. From there, the trail begins to gain in elevation a bit more as it works along the ridge, at times offering a nice view of the surrounding area.

At around 4.2 miles, the trail opens up into a more open area (around Snake Den Mountain) and comes to a connection with Maddron Bald Trail. RunnerS can opt to continue onto Maddron Bald Trail for about 1.5 miles to reach Campsite #29 (Otter Creek). Continuing along Snake Den Ridge Trail, runners will eventually reach the Appalachian Trail. From there, they can turn right towards Mt. Guyot or left towards Low Gap.

Flora & Fauna

The Smokies are home to more than 1,600 species of plants, most of which produce an abundance of flowers in the spring. These species include mountain laurel, rhododendron, azalea, and many others. Spring wildflowers peak from early April through late May. To learn more about the plants of the Smokies and even get a trees and shrubs checklist, visit the park's website.

As for local fauna, black bears are common in the area, along with white-tailed deer and 31 species of salamanders. Birdwatchers can spot a variety of species, notably the northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) and red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus). For more information on black bears, refer to this webpage.

Contacts

Shared By:

Max Willner

Trail Ratings

  3.6 from 10 votes

#8

in Cosby

#12985

Overall
  3.6 from 10 votes
5 Star
30%
4 Star
30%
3 Star
20%
2 Star
10%
1 Star
10%
Trail Rankings

#8

in Cosby

#237

in North Carolina

#12,985

Overall
13 Views Last Month
2,368 Since Sep 4, 2015
Difficult Difficult

0%
0%
9%
18%
64%
9%

Photos

The Snake Den Ridge Trail offers great views of the area's mountains shrouded in dense hardwoods.
Mar 14, 2017 near Newport, TN

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Weather


Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
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Check-Ins

May 18, 2019
Corey Holt
Rhododendrons are starting to bloom lower down and are budding higher up. The trail is a tough and constant climb 5.4mi — 1h 50m
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