AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Polls Gap & Rough Fork Trail

12.6 mi · ▲ 2,285 ft · 5 hr 21 min

Polls Gap & Rough Fork Trail is a 12.6-mile out-and-back in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Nellie, NC. The route reaches Polls Gap at the turnaround, 6.3 miles in. It climbs 2,285 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 94/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi2,825 – 5,128 ft · steepest grade: 19%12.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Rough Fork Trail 35.61625, -83.12087
Nearest town Nellie, NC
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Polls Gap & Rough Fork Trail

12.6 mi · ▲ 2,285 ft · 5 hr 21 min

Elevation 2,826–5,129 ft

Out & Back · Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Trailhead: Rough Fork Trail · 35.61625, -83.12087

Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 89°F / low 70° · precip 12% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 7:08 AM · sunset 7:57 PM

Horses allowed on the whole route · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Rough Fork Trail, heading SW.
  2. 6.3 miReach Polls Gap, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  3. 6.3 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/polls-gap-out-back

Trail surface

100% dirt

Weather

OvercastTemperature 89°F70°
Precip12%Wind5 mphUV7Humidity76%
Hourly temperature
90°70°
Sunrise 7:08 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 7:57 PM
Sat 90°71° 27%
Sun 85°67° 32%
Mon 75°63° 34%
Tue 81°59°
Wed 83°62°
Thu 85°66° 20%

Good to know

  • Horses allowed on the whole route
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Rough Fork Trail Trailhead

Hikes near Nellie, North Carolina