Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Charlies Bunyon–Dry Sluice Gap, 5 sights
12.6 mi · ▲ 3,291 ft · 5 hr 51 min
Charlies Bunyon–Dry Sluice Gap, 5 sights is a 12.6-mile out-and-back in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson Place, NC. The route passes Dry Sluice Gap before reaching Charlies Bunyon at the turnaround, 6.3 miles in. It climbs 3,291 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 82/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Charlies Bunyon–Dry Sluice Gap, 5 sights
12.6 mi · ▲ 3,291 ft · 5 hr 51 min
Elevation 2,724–5,635 ft
Out & Back · Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Trailhead: Kephart Prong Trail Trailhead · 35.58574, -83.35833
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 86°F / low 66° · precip 9% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 7:09 AM · sunset 7:58 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Kephart Prong Trail, heading N.
- 2 miBear right onto Grassy Branch Trail, heading NE.
- 2.6 miTurn left onto Dry Sluice Gap Trail, heading N.
- 1.3 miPass Dry Sluice Gap.
- 50 ftBear left onto Appalachian Trail, heading W.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading W.
- 450 ftReach Charlies Bunyon, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.5 miBear right onto Dry Sluice Gap Trail, heading SE.
- 1.3 miTurn right onto Grassy Branch Trail, heading S.
- 2.6 miBear left onto Kephart Prong Trail, heading SW.
- 1.9 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Kephart Prong Trail Trailhead Trailhead
- Kephart Prong Trail 3.9 mi · ▲ 837 ft
- The Jumpoff–Boulevard Trail, 5 sights 13.9 mi · ▲ 3,672 ft
- Newfound Gap Overlook–Kephart Prong Trail, 3 sights 14.4 mi · ▲ 3,978 ft
- Cabin Flats Trail–Dry Sluice Gap Trail, 4 sights 15.2 mi · ▲ 4,913 ft
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