Alex Hauck: 2025

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
March 22-23, 2025

The backcountry of the Smoky Mountains was calling to me and I had to go. This was my first night out in the backcountry since my Slickrock /Citico trip, so I decided to hike down the Little River to the farthest backcountry camp on the trail #30 Three Forks.

- Area Trail Map -

The Little River trail is a popular trail that starts in the Elkmont Campground area of the Smoky Mountains National Park and to no surprise follows the Little River. The first 2.4 miles is the most popular as you can put it together with the Cucumber Gap trail to make a nice little 5-mile loop. The Little River portion is very similar to the Middle Prong trail, a nice light-grade hike along a beautiful river. In fact, this trail only becomes slightly difficult once you pass backcountry campsite #24. The only two things that make it a bit harder are a washed-out section of trail right after the campsite and then a couple of river crosses when you get closer to #30.

It was a pleasant day with the sun shining and a slight breeze but it was going to get cooler during the night. As soon as you start hiking there will be a side trail to the right which will take you to what has come to be known as the troll bridge. It is a rock bridge covered with moss and adds a bit of fantasy, hobbit vibe to the landscape. The hike continues up the Little River as you pass little waterfalls and cascades making the sound of rushing water and relieving a person of everyday stress.

- The Troll Bridge -

Around the 2.1-mile mark you will come to a little footbridge with a slender waterfall running down a rocky wall on your right. Then at the 2.4-mile mark is the intersection with Cucumber Trail and if you turn right this is that little 5-mile loop hike I talked about earlier. Continuing straight in about a quarter to half mile you will run into the intersection of Huskey Gap on the left and Backcountry site #21 a little further down that trail.

Once past Huskey Gap the trail narrows and becomes just a little more rugged, but still a nice walk. When you reach the 4-mile mark the linkup with the Goshen Prong Trail will be to your right. Then at the 4.5-mile mark you reach backcountry site #24 Rough Creek and then just beyond is the Rough Creek Trail junction to the left. At this point the trail becomes rockier and depending on the condition of the trail that is washed out you might have to use the river to cross.

The trail stays narrow here at the end but the space between the river and mountains opens to create a little valley where there is grass. As I hiked this section flower stems were just starting to come up, but most were still closed. I imagine a couple weeks later these opened to some amazing spring flowers. There are two substantial river crossings before you finally reach the Three Forks campsite.

- Taking a rest along a grassy portion of the Little River -

The campsite is almost like a little island, and it has plenty of space. What it does not have is a lot of flat ground nor trees to hang up a tarp or hammock easily. I brought my tarp on this trip, but a tent would be the ideal shelter at this campsite. With the sun out the site was buggy, so I started a small fire to try and smoke them out. At this point my wife texted me through my Garmin InReach to say the park had put a fire ban in place. So, I cooked my dinner early and put out the fire. Since I was not yet super hungry, I just ate the lamb chops, which were outstanding, but didn’t make the potatoes. I have had those instant potatoes since the Slickrock Creek hike, and I still have them. Hopefully here soon I will be able to use them.

- Cooking some Lamb Chops -

I really wanted to film a “camping” video, but I quickly ran out of time while trying to fit my tarp in a couple of different locations. Other than the trees being used for the bear hangers there were not any good close trees to tie the tarp off too that was on flat ground.

Then with how fast I had to cook my food and no fire it basically took a lot of the camp aspects out of the video. It would turn out to be a chilly night, but it was beautiful with all the stars that could be seen.

- Camp light in fire ambient mode -

The next day I packed up and headed out. It was a nice trip, just what I needed. I know I end most of my posts with I cannot wait to do it again, and this is one is not any different. Being in East Tennessee there are just so many great places to hike and camp it is hard not to go to a new place to experience though. There are so many of these trails I would love to do again, that getting back around to them is hard. As always, my friends hike on and stay safe out there.