Alex Hauck: Jakes Creek Trail

Showing posts with label Jakes Creek Trail. Show all posts

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Goshen Prong to Miry Ridge Loop

Goshen Prong to Miry Ridge Loop

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

February 27 – March 1, 2026

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Blog Post:

This hike is one of my greatest adventures so far. It had everything; beauty, peace, challenging times, pucker factor, and learning experiences. It was a three day, two-night odyssey deep into the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that soothed my soul while mentally and physically challenging me.

My Route:

(1) Jakes Creek	....................................	0.7
(2) Cucumber Gap	....................................	2.4
(3) Little River	....................................	1.0
(4) Goshen Prong	....................................	7.7
(5) Appalachian Trail	....................................	5.2
(6) Miry Ridge	....................................	5.0
(7) Jakes Creek	....................................	3.6

Campsite Stayed At:

Night One | #23 Goshen Prong
Night Two | #26 Dripping Springs

Day One:

You can hike this by starting out at the Little River Trailhead if you like. I have not hiked Cucumber Gap in eleven years, so I decided to start at Jakes Creek and hike down the short way to Cucumber Gap. From there I would hook up with Little River.

I really enjoyed the 2.4 miles of Cucumber Gap, and it was a nice way to warm up my legs. The last time I was on the trail was mid-August, so it was hot and muggy. I also did not remember crossing a creek, so it must have been really dry. I do remember also most stepping on a snake as it looked like a tree root on the trail. This time around without leaves on the trees the morning sun was beautiful, and the nice cool air added to the enjoyment.

The trail junction of Jakes Creek & Cucumber Gap

After getting off Cucumber Gap, I was on Little River for just about a mile. Got to pass the little waterfall on the side of the mountain and cross the bridge where you get a nice view of the Little River itself. A year ago, I hiked all of the Little River Trail and stayed the night at Campsite #30 Three Forks. If you would like to know more about the Little River Trail, you can Check out the related link section below.

Just past the junctions with the Little River Trail, you walk across a bridge over the Little River and for me it was like entering a story book. This was all new ground for me and the river Fish Camp Prong was fantastic. I decided to stop and have my lunch while watching the flowing water. I saw a few people hanging out in this area of the trail but after I got a mile to a mile and half in, I did not see anyone until the next day on the Appalachian Trail. There is something both great and a little anxious about being out there by yourself.

The trail winds around following Fish Camp Prong and you are treated with beautify cascades and small waterfalls. There is a spot where Fish Camp Prong meets up with a mountain stream coming down from Coon Hollow that made me feel I was strolling through the Shire from Lord of the Rings. It truly was one of the most beautiful spots that I have found in the Smoky Mountains. I would love to come back to this spot and cross the river to explore the hollow for a bit.

A spot that feel right out of Lord of the Rings

The Goshen Prong Trail continues winding around Fish Camp Prong when you come to a crossing. Just after this crossing is backcountry camp #23 Goshen Prong. It is a beautiful spot between Fish Camp Prong and a mountain slope. I plan to come back here and would love to stay a couple of nights. I set up camp, tried and failed to get a fire going, ate, and then hit the rack.

Day Two:

I slept great during the night; it was cold, but my sleep system kept me warm and toasty. As the story progresses, I probably wound up sleeping too well! Both my socks and shoes were frozen and instead of using my second pair of socks I decided to keep my Sealskinz on, which also turned out to be a mistake. Had coffee and breakfast then packed up to hit the trail.

I really need to be more proactive on high-milage days. I should have set an alarm so I would have gotten up earlier, then should have torn down camp while drinking my coffee and eating breakfast. I should have been on trial at least two hours earlier, and that would have been an immense help later in the day.

Goshen Prong signage showing it is 4.4 miles to the Appalachian Trail

Back on trial you immediately come to a trail sign where Fish Camp Prong and Goshen Prong fork pointing you up Goshen Prong and telling you it is 4.4 miles to the Appalachian Trail. Looks as if there is another trail here but I would imagine it is an unofficial trail that has formed by fly fishermen heading down Fish Camp Prong.

It is at this junction that the trail gets steeper and narrower. A little way up the trail there was a section where a cable used to be fixed to the side of the mountain, but a huge tree came down destroying both the cable and the trail. Be careful, through this section, it is a little sketchy. While hard, the trail is beautiful as it follows Goshen Prong upwards with some small waterfalls and cascades along the route.

The hike up went about as I suspected about a mile and hour, sore legs, and my shoulders starting to hurt from my pack. After all these years I am still having trouble getting my weight down in my pack. There are still things I am not willing to go out into the mountains without, like fire starting material, extra clothes, and such. I still need to figure out how to get my pack weight down, but it does improve each time I am out.

A train rail left over from the logging days of the park.

About two miles up the trail from camp there is a cave on the side of the trail. Did not have time to do any exploring today, but it would be nice to check out on another trip with some more time. The morning sun along the trail just made everything seem magical, but for one of the first times I felt alone and truly isolated in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. The feeling is hard to explain, but if you think about it and something did happen, you would be hard for people to get you for rescue.

After quite the slog I finally reached the Appalachian Trail, took a good break and had some lunch. At this moment it started to set in that I was going to have a hard time getting to my next campsite before dark. My feet, legs and shoulders were all done, and any uphill was going to be a struggle. While I now was on a ridge line, it is filled with ups and downs, so I would really have to push the downs to make up for the slow uphill battles.

I felt bad as the beauty up here was amazing, but I would have to put that on hold as I raced against the sun for the rest of the day. Would love to have brought a hammock to relax and watch mountains in this area, but that will have to wait for another trip. After much struggle, I finally made it to Miry Ridge and started heading north. The sun had set and while I had an hour or so of residual light, I was going to get sundowned. I took one small break, got my headlamp ready, and was mentally preparing to push on.

Mountain view from along the Appalachian Trail

Ever since this trip I have been kicking myself for not taking just one moment to get a picture. The sun had finally set, and I could see the sky over Townsend with very deep blues and oranges. It was truly like a painting but never took the picture because I was too hyper focused on getting to camp, so I pushed on.

When I got to Lynn Camp Prong junction, I had been hiking in the dark for a while. There was a full moon to help but was also relying on the headlamp at this point. Still had about a mile and half left to go though it did help a little knowing the end was near. The Dripping Springs campsite was off the trail about a quarter of a mile, so I was a little worried I might pass it in the dark. I found it, went to camp and just crashed. I got my A-Frame shelter setup, and some water, but skipped dinner and went straight to bed.

Day Three:

Slept in a little because I knew that I only had seven or eight miles left, and it would be mostly downhill the whole day. While sore, I was happy with my recover, though I knew it was going to be a tough hike out as yesterday was killer.

Had chicken pot pie for breakfast as it was supposed to be my dinner yesterday and had more calories than the breakfast meal I had with me. It was really good! After hydrating, caffeinating, and eating it was time to get back at it. Dripping Springs was another really nice campsite.

After some more up and down, through cool looking closed in brush and open rocky sections along Miry Ridge I reached Jakes Creek. Happy to be finally hitting mostly downhill hiking, I was able to pick up a little bit of speed. Just like last time, the top part of this trail feels bearish until it narrows a bit and becomes more closed in. I would say from where I started the trail to the campsite is around a mile. I have stayed at the Jakes Creek campsite before, and it is another nice one, but today I kept heading down.

Bridge crossing Jakes Creek

After hitting the campsite, you start picking up Jakes Creek that you will follow for most of the trail back to Elkmont. It is a pleasant trail, especially with the sound of the rushing creek in the background. You will cross a bridge with a beautiful view of the creek where several small waterfalls meet. There is a bench here and a good spot for a snack.

Further down trail is a lovely little waterfall that spills over in a nice deep pool. Each time I have passed by I really have wanted to get in, someday I probably will. The trail keeps generally going down until you get back to the junction with Cucumber Gap where it is a short half mile uphill back to Elkmont.

This was a fantastic trip. The second day was a grind and about did me in, but the tough days are worth experiencing the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. I would like to do some of the Appalachian Trail where I can do some serious filming as the landscape was amazing through this section. As always, my friends hike on and stay safe out there...until the next adventure!

Related Blogs:

	March 22, 2025 - Overnight on Little River 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... Publish Date: May 12, 2025 Blog \| YouTube Video
	March 11-12, 2023 - Hike Up Jakes Creek I had yet to do the whole Jakes Creek Trail and decided it would be fun to hike it then stay overnight at backcountry campsite site #27. Jakes Creek located at the Elkmont Campground has sever interesting things to see... Publish Date: May 16, 2023 Blog \| YouTube Video
	February 20 2021 - Lynn Prong / Panther Creek Loop Hike Lynn Camp Prong Panther Creek Loop via the Middle Prong in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Saturday February 20, 2021. It was a beautiful day with some snow still in spots. Started at 7:00 am and... Publish Date: February 27, 2021 Blog N/A \| YouTube Video

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Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Hike Up Jakes Creek

AlexHauck.Com

Smoky Mountain National Park
March 11-12, 2023

Trailhead and Ghost Town:

I had yet to do the whole Jakes Creek Trail and decided it would be fun to hike it then stay overnight at backcountry campsite site #27. Jakes Creek located at the Elkmont Campground has sever interesting things to see at the beginning of the trailhead. There used to be a bunch of summer cottages for some of the wealthy Knoxville residents. Most of the old structures have been torn down but you will find some foundations and old stone chimneys that still stand. The park has done some restoration work to restore some of the homes so you can get an idea of what the community used to look like. (See Sources 1,2)

At around a third of a mile you will reach the junction with Cucumber Gap. If you are looking for a short-day hike Cucumber Gap and Little River is a nice little loop hike that is around five miles. Just after Cucumber Gap you when then come to the Megis Mountain Trail junction and it is just under a half of a mile from here you will hit an unmarked side trail.

Side Trail to the Avent Cabin:

Hiking from Elmont around a mile and quarter up Jakes Creek on the right-hand side will be a side trail heading to the Avent Cabin. The trail is unmarked but there are a few actual steps that will lead you down to the creek and over a bridge. After crossing the creek, the side trail will angle to the right and up to the cabin.

The Avent Cabin is one of the oldest structures in the Smoky Mountain National Park built around 1850 by the Ownby Family. It was then purchased in 1918 by Frank Avent who was married to the artist Mayna Avent who used it as a summer studio. It was eventually taken over by the National Park Service in 1932 but the family got a lease that finally expired in 1992. The cabin is registered as a national historic site. Below if you look at source not #4 the article has several examples of Mayna’s art along with a complimentary article. (See Sources 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Back on the Trail:

Once back on Jakes Creek you will continue your climb up, while not horrible, the elevation gain is quite substantial. The climb continues all the way to the top of Jakes Gap. Another quarter mile or so from the Avent Cabin side trail there is a most picturesque cascade or waterfall right before you get to a short switchback.

After this short switchback, the trail gets a little steeper but there a several small, beautiful cascades as you climb. The creek will eventually switch back to the left side of the trail and will start to head away from the trail all together. After about another quarter to half mile I believe you will hit backcountry campsite #27.

I decided to have lunch and pitch camp before I finished the hike. The campsite is pretty spread out and appears to have several self-made fire pits in a few different areas. There is an actual park fire ring at the first spot right off the trail by a large rock. The creek is a short hike down that makes for a plentiful water source. It is a nice campsite but does feel a little janky with spots here and there.

Back on the trail it did not take long from campsite #27 to hit Jakes Gap and the trail junction with Panther Creek. I did the Panther Creek Lynn Camp Prong Loop a couple of years ago off Middle Prong and that was a fun hike. Hiking Jakes Creek and doing that loop then a stay at #27 or #26 along Mirry Ridge would be a nice overnight hike to do in the future.

Back at camp I got my chores done and set in for a nice relaxing night. A few beverages, a campfire, and a beautiful evening transition into night was exactly what I needed for the soul. Sleep was good until early morning when the storms came in with some high winds. I could not really tell the winds were that strong in my tent, but I could hear the trees moving outside. I always have a little pucker factor when I hear the trees moving.

When I finally got up the rain was still coming down at a good clip, so I decided to pack up in the tent. It finally slowed enough I was able to get a cup of coffee and finish packing without getting too wet. Another beautiful hike back to the Jeep and got to see two more deers out and about. This was not a bad hike at all, though you do have some elevation to deal with. The campsite has a couple of flat spots for tents, but I might hammock camp the next time. If you get out there or have been out there let me know what you think. As always, hike on and stay safe out there.

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Alex Hauck

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