Cliff Top

At 6,550 feet, Cliff Top is a summit in Tennessee. The Cliff Top Trail covers 0.4 miles round trip (out-and-back) with about 158 feet of elevation gain — a steady climb. It's rated Easy overall.

The Route

Along the way the route passes a hut (LeConte Lodge) near mile 0 — useful checkpoints for judging your pace.

Getting There

The trailhead is at 35.65436, -83.4412 (tap for driving directions). It's roughly 35 miles southeast of Knoxville, Tennessee. Arrive early on weekends — trailhead lots at popular peaks fill quickly, and cell service is often unreliable once you leave the highway.

When to Go

Late May through October is the main season. Snow and ice linger into spring and return early in fall at this latitude and elevation; in winter this becomes a different, more serious undertaking requiring traction devices and warm layers.

Know Before You Go

The Easy rating comes from the National Park Service difficulty formula, which weighs total distance against elevation gain. Most hikers should budget about 0.5 hours of moving time; add margin for breaks, photos and the descent. Download the GPX track from this page before you go — cell coverage is unreliable in the mountains and a saved route works offline in any GPS app. Conditions change: verify current access, closures and weather with the official land manager before you go. Trail data is sourced from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Looking to link objectives or plan a weekend? Nearby summits include Mount Le Conte, West Point and Myrtle Point — each has its own guide on this site.