A short climb to face the peak where the 2016 fire began
The Chimney Tops are a pair of bare rock pinnacles above Newfound Gap Road, one of the few rock-capped summits in a range of rounded, forested mountains. The Cherokee name translates as “forked antler,” and from the road you can see why. For decades the trail ended with a scramble onto the rock itself. That changed in November 2016.
The Chimney Tops 2 Fire was reported near the pinnacles on the evening of November 23, 2016. It burned for days in steep, remote terrain, then on November 28, with winds gusting up to 87 mph, it left the park and merged with other fires. Together they caused 14 deaths and millions of dollars in damage in the Gatlinburg area. Inside the park it burned 11,410 acres, the largest fire in its history. Near the summit, the NPS says, fire and wind removed most of the trees and soil, down to bare rock.
The trail reopened in October 2017 with a new end point: an observation point below the summit, looking across at the pinnacles. The last quarter mile or so to the rock was closed off behind a gate, and the park re-photographs the slope to judge when the summit area might be stable enough to reopen. What you walk to now is a view of the peak, not the peak, and a close look at a burned mountainside growing back. The scars are still easy to read: pale dead trunks standing over bright green fire cherry and birch.
How to do it: early parking, steady pace, stop at the gate
The parking is the first obstacle. The trailhead sits on Newfound Gap Road, about 7 miles south of Sugarlands Visitor Center, with a small lot and a roadside pullout. The NPS warns of extreme crowding and limited spaces, and even suggests a shuttle. From a Gatlinburg cabin, aim to be parked early in the morning. If everything is full, don’t park on the shoulder: drive on to another trail and come back another day.
Buy the parking tag first. Entry is free, but any car parked in the park for more than 15 minutes needs a parking tag (daily, weekly or annual), bought online or at the visitor centers. Pick it up at Sugarlands on the way, which is also where the nearest restrooms are.
Expect two different hikes. The NPS gives 3.5 miles round trip, with a few early bridge crossings and then steep inclines and stone stairs. The lower section follows a boulder-filled stream and is pleasant going. After that, the trail climbs almost without a break on steps, roots and rock. By our own reading of USGS elevation data (not an NPS figure), the climb is about 420 m, roughly 1,400 feet, most of it in the upper half. Go at a pace you can hold, and take water, since there’s none on the trail.
Turn around at the observation point. The gate is the end of the trail. The ground beyond is unstable, and the NPS asks hikers to read the closed sign and go no further. The view from the observation point is the destination.
Leave the dog behind. Pets are not allowed on this trail. In the Smokies, dogs are limited to the Gatlinburg Trail, the Oconaluftee River Trail, and roads, campgrounds and picnic areas.
The trade-offs: effort, crowds and who should skip it
It’s hard work for a short hike. The distance sounds easy, but most of it is climbing, and the descent on wet stone steps is where knees and ankles complain. It’s a good workout for fit hikers and a miserable one for anyone who doesn’t hike regularly.
You don’t reach the top. If you remember the old rock scramble, or you’ve seen photos of people on the pinnacles, know that this is now an out-and-back to a viewpoint. For a true summit, Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome) or Mount Le Conte are the options.
It gets crowded. On summer and October weekends the lot fills early and the stairs become a line. A weekday in spring or late fall is a better day. Newfound Gap Road also closes at times for snow, ice or road work, so check NPS road status before driving up in winter.
Who should skip it: families with small children, anyone with knee or heart trouble, dog owners, and visitors who can only arrive late morning in peak season. If you want to see the pinnacles without the climb, they’re visible from below along Newfound Gap Road.
