Hatcher Mountain Trail is a connector trail high above Cades Cove
To get to the Hatcher Mountain trail, you need to travel one of the trails it connects to reach its footpath. Trails associated with this trail are located in the west-end of Cades Cove. Those include Abrams Falls, Little Bottoms, Beard Cane, and Cooper Road trails.
Hatcher Mountain Trail. Image courtesy of 900 Miles.
The Hatcher Mountain Trail is an easy trek. You will gain only seven hundred twenty feet in elevation. The hike takes about an hour and a half to complete.
One way to get to the trailhead is to walk four miles from the Cades Cove floor up the Abrams Falls Trail to the Abrams Falls campground. The trail provides a delightful departure from the more congested Cades Cove hike, the Abrams Falls Trail. Though the trail doesn’t end in a beautiful waterfall, it has its own beauty and character. Many Smoky Mountain visitors wanting to hike in Cades Cove choose the Hatcher Mountain Trail spur. It is a good alternative to continuing on the more popular and crowded Abrams Falls Trail.
The trail ends when it intersects with the Cooper Road and Beard Cane trails.
An Alternate Route is Also Interesting
Another interesting way to hike Cades Cove via this trail is to use it as part of a loop trail. This loop also includes the Cooper Road Trail and the Little Bottoms Trail. Contact officials at the Great Smoky Mountain Visitors Center at the Cades Cove campground for details.
To get to the trailhead, take the Cades Cove Loop five miles just past Abrams creek to a field with a road running through it. There are a number of hikes originating from that location, so you can probably spot the right place just by seeing other cars come in and out. Drive to the rear of the field and park. Follow the signs to the Abrams Falls Trailhead. Go 4.2 miles on that trail to the Hatcher Mountain trailhead.
Be sure to bring your camera for some great pics along Hatcher Mountain Trail.
