Distance (One Way)
Elevation Gain
Trailhead
Location
Trail Description
The 11.2 mile roundtrip hike to Mt. Cammerer via Low Gap Trail and the AT is the most popular and shortest route to reach the summit. You'll find the trailhead near the Cosby Campground.
The entirety of Low Gap Trail is 5.4 miles one way and is rated moderate with an elevation gain of about 2,300 feet. It intersects with the Appalachian Trail after a very steep 2.9 mile trek from the Cosby Campground. If you continued back down the other half of Low Gap from the intersection, you'd find yourself at Big Creek Trail after 2.5 more miles.
Low Gap Trail’s ascent follows Cosby Creek, with a ravine separating the trail from the creek on your right. The trail curves left at 0.9 of a mile and continues to ascend through large hemlocks and poplars. Watch for a large poplar that leans over but then bends and stretches straight up in search of light above the canopy.
The 2.1 miles of the Appalachian Trail are slightly easier than the upward incline of Low Gap. You still gain just under 1000 more feet of elevation, but at a much less aggressive pace. After a brief decent at the end of this stretch, you'll run into the trailhead for the very short 0.6 mile Mt. Cammerer Trail. From here, continue straight to reach the Mount Cammerer fire tower, also known as White Rock Fire Tower, built in 1937 by the CCC.
Mt. Cammerer Trail (different from the 7.4 mile Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail) is a very easy stretch and the final trail that leads to the lookout tower.
There is more than one way to reach Mt. Cammerer Trail. Low Gap Trail from the Cosby Campground is the most popular and obvious route. You can combine this route with Lower Mount Cammerer Trail for a longer loop hike, start at Davenport Gap and take the AT the whole way, or even start from Big Creek Campground a couple different ways.
Day Hike Routes To Mt. Cammerer Trail:
Low Gap + AT: 11.2 miles R/T
AT from Davenport Gap: 11.6 miles R/T
Chestnut Branch Trail + AT: 12 miles R/T
Lower Mount Cammerer + Low Gap + AT: 15.9 miles R/T
Big Creek Trail + Low Gap + AT: 20.6 miles R/T
On some North Carolina maps, Mt. Cammerer is called Sharptop.
[+ Read More]Mt. Cammerer Trail via Low Gap + AT Elevation Profile
Trail Difficulty Scales Explained
Elevation Grade
10%
Fairly Steep
Paul Petzoldt Scale
11.7
Strenuous
5
10
15
Shenandoah Scale
185
Strenuous
50
100
150
Hiker Tips & Trivia
- There is limited parking and the campground is closed in the winter, so you may need to park at the backpacker’s parking area near the registration hut.
- A large portion of this hike is horse friendly, so watch out for droppings.
- Due to the steep incline of Low Gap Trail, trekking poles are especially helpful on the way back down.
- The true Low Gap trailhead is close to the entrance of Cosby Campground, but you can also access the trail from the Lower Mount Cammerer trailhead at the southeast point of the grounds; this cuts out about 0.4 miles of the trail.
Photo Gallery (32)
Trail Map
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- Ace Gap Trail (5.4 mi)
- Albright Grove Loop Trail (0.7 mi)
- Alum Cave Trail (Mt. LeConte) (5 mi)
- Andrews Bald via Forney Ridge Trail (1.8 mi)
- Anthony Creek Trail (3.5 mi)
- Appalachian Trail Smoky Mountains Segment (71.7 mi)
- Baskins Creek Trail (2.7 mi)
- Baxter Creek Trail (Mt. Sterling) (6.2 mi)
- Big Creek Trail (Mouse Creek Falls, Midnight Hole) (5.8 mi)
- Bote Mountain Trail (6.6 mi)
- Boulevard Trail (Mt. LeConte) (5.4 mi)
- Bradley Fork Trail (7.3 mi)
- Brushy Mountain Trail (Mt. LeConte) (4.9 mi)
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- Cataract Falls (Fighting Creek, Cove Mountain Trail) (0.5 mi)
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- Chestnut Top Trail (4.3 mi)
- Chimney Tops Trail (2 mi)
- Clingmans Dome Trail (0.6 mi)
- Cooper Road Trail (10.5 mi)
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- Crooked Arm Ridge Trail (2.2 mi)
- Cucumber Gap Trail (2.4 mi)
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- Eagle Creek Trail (8.9 mi)
- Elkmont Nature Trail (0.8 mi)
- Finley Cane Trail (2.8 mi)
- Forney Ridge Trail (5.4 mi)
- Gabes Mountain Trail (Hen Wallow Falls) (6.6 mi)
- Gatlinburg Trail (1.9 mi)
- Goldmine Trail (0.8 mi)
- Grapeyard Ridge Trail (7.6 mi)
- Gregory Bald Trail (Gregory Bald) (7.3 mi)
- Gregory Ridge Trail (Gregory Bald) (5 mi)
- Grotto Falls (Trillium Gap Trail) (1.4 mi)
- Hannah Mountain Trail (9.5 mi)
- Hatcher Mountain Trail (2.6 mi)
- Huskey Gap Trail (4.1 mi)
- Indian Grave Gap Trail (3.7 mi)
- Jakes Creek Trail (3.7 mi)
- Kephart Prong Trail (2 mi)
- Laurel Falls Trail (4 mi)
- Lead Cove Trail (1.8 mi)
- Little Bottoms Trail (2.3 mi)
- Little Brier Gap Trail (Walker Sisters Cabin) (1.4 mi)
- Little Greenbrier Trail (4.3 mi)
- Little River Trail (6.1 mi)
- Low Gap Trail (5.4 mi)
- Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail (7.4 mi)
- Lumber Ridge Trail (4.1 mi)
- Lynn Camp Prong Trail (3.7 mi)
- Maddron Bald Trail (Albright Grove) (7.3 mi)
- Meigs Creek Trail (3.5 mi)
- Meigs Mountain Trail (6 mi)
- Metcalf Bottoms Trail (0.7 mi)
- Middle Prong Trail (Indian Flat Falls) (4.1 mi)
- Miry Ridge Trail (5 mi)
- Mt. Cammerer Trail via Low Gap + AT (5.6 mi)
- Mt. Sterling Ridge Trail (5.3 mi)
- Newfound Gap to Clingmans Dome (7.9 mi)
- Noland Creek Trail (9.2 mi)
- Old Settlers Trail (15.8 mi)
- Old Sugarlands Trail (3.9 mi)
- Panther Creek Trail (2.3 mi)
- Porters Creek Trail (Fern Branch Falls) (3.7 mi)
- Rabbit Creek Trail (7.8 mi)
- Rainbow Falls Trail (Mt. LeConte) (6.6 mi)
- Ramsey Cascades Trail (4 mi)
- Rich Mountain Loop (8.7 mi)
- Roundtop Trail (7.5 mi)
- Russell Field Trail (3.5 mi)
- Schoolhouse Gap Trail (Whiteoak Sink) (2.1 mi)
- Shuckstack Fire Tower via the AT (3.5 mi)
- Spence/Russell Field Loop (13.7 mi)
- Spruce Flats Falls Trail (Buckeye) (1 mi)
- Sugarland Mountain Trail (11.9 mi)
- Swallow Fork Trail (4 mi)
- Sweat Heifer Creek Trail (3.7 mi)
- The Jump Off (Boulevard Trail) (3.3 mi)
- Thunderhead Mountain (Rocky Top) (6.1 mi)
- Trillium Gap Trail (Grotto Falls, Mt. LeConte) (8.9 mi)
- Turkeypen Ridge Trail (3.6 mi)
- Twentymile Loop Trail (2.9 mi)
- Twentymile Trail (5 mi)
- Whiteoak Sink via Schoolhouse Gap Trail (2.3 mi)
The above list of hiking trails in the Smokies is incomplete and constantly being updated. If you have information or photos you would like to contribute, please contact [email protected].
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