Great Smoky Mountains National Park · North Carolina, Tennessee

Baxter Creek Trail

6.4 mi of trail, end to end · about 4,100 ft of climbing · 1,690 ft–5,832 ft · native surface · trail class Developed

PeaksBackcountry campsPicnic areasTowers

1,708 ft 5,832 ft · 5.9 mi high 5,832 ft

Along the way #38 Mount Sterling Mount Sterling Big Creek Picnic Area Mt. Sterling Lookout Tower

Trailhead Baxter Creek Trail Trailhead 1,712 ft Drive there

On the parks map

All 244 trails in Great Smoky Mountains National ParkFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.