Davenport Gap to Green Corner Road - Appalachian Trail

In early January 2019, we returned to the Appalachian Trail to hike a bit more of this approximately 2200 mile long National Scenic Trail. This time we hiked north from Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Davenport Gap to Green Corner Road. The Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers' Companion 2019 edition shows this to be 2.4 miles, but my Garmin GPS shows it as 2.57 miles. The entire route is in the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, except for the first 50 yards or so in North Carolina.

Topographic map with GPS route

Trail profile

Parallel parking for six or more passenger vehicles on the Tennessee side of the gap

End of pavement on TN-32 marks the state line

The AT is on the North Carolina side of the gap

Nice easy grade up from the gap

Even when the trail is level it looks to be climbing

Starting the descent with long winter shadows

Stairs seem to be camouflaged

Passing under the power lines

Snowbird Mountain and Runyan Ridge

Ridgetop trail

An unnamed tributary of Tobes Creek

More of the tributary

Sidehill trail

A small cascade

More whitewater

Lots of blown down trees

A very small stream crossing

Crossing over the unnamed tributary

A rock hopping stream crossing of Tobes Creek

A five-foot waterfall

Another cascade

Approaching Waterville Road

A large cascade on Tobes Creek

Crossing Tobes Creek

Switchback across the creek from Tobes Creek Road

More switchbacks

Approaching the intersection of Tobes Creek Road and Waterville Road

The AT crosses the Pigeon River on the Tobes Creek Road bridge

Pigeon River

Walking southeast on the shoulder of Green Corner Road

Crossing under Interstate 40 on Green Corner Road

The pavement ends at the Interstate off- and on-ramps

A paved walkway crosses the roadside ditch

Blazes are easy to see if you know where to look

Stream crossing

Diverting around a rock outcropping

Open forest with little understory

Mount Sterling (5842' 5.6 miles)

Log retaining wall

Switchbacks leading back down to Green Corner Road

A wide trail along the stream

Trail intersection post

The final stream crossing

Looking upstream at the two spot parking area

There is no fee to enter the Cherokee National Forest or Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Cherokee National Forest website is https://www.fs.usda.gov/cherokee.

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail website is https://www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy website is https://appalachiantrail.org/.