Turkeypen Ridge trail in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a great hike, with very little incline. If you are near Townsend, this will make an excellent addition to your Smokies vacation.
Of course, each family has its own unique needs. You know your family best and are ultimately responsible for discerning the safety and appropriateness of these hikes.
Turkeypen Ridge Hiking Trail in The Smoky Mountains
round-trip length: just over 7 miles
difficulty: moderate
Let me start by saying that my family hiked this trail accidentally. We wound up reading the sign wrong and we thought that we were on an uber-family0friendly Trail. We weren’t.
We had our son in a baby carrier, so it wasn’t that bad for us. Although this trail is pretty mild as far as the incline goes, due to the extremely narrow path, at times, and the extremely steep drop off to one side, I absolutely do not recommend this trail for children. It is also 7.2 miles in length round trip, which is more than a bit much for little legs.
The vast majority of the trail was either flat or on a gentle incline. A few times the incline did steepen a bit, but it was very manageable. We definitely didn’t need to take too many breaks on this trail, which was great!
Related Read: Top Hiking Trails For Families With Kids
Flora and Fauna
I have to say this was one of the most enjoyable hikes we have taken as far as nature goes. There were so many interesting types of moss and mushrooms on this path, that we couldn’t possibly take enough pictures.
The wildflowers were also lingering about, although we missed their peak season. You can catch a wide variety of flowers here, during the spring.
We were mesmerized by all the creepy crawlies that we encountered on our travels, including this awesome red salamander that was mid-meal.
Related Read: Get Hands-on With Smoky Mountain History
We also saw about 8 trillion of these apheloria virginiensis millipedes in both pink and yellow. If you see these guys in your travels, do not pick them up. Their bodies secrete cyanide and those beautiful bright colors are a warning.
For adults and responsible teens, this really is a great trail with moderate difficulty and a wealth of natural beauty. We truly enjoyed it. Happy hiking!
Be sure to check out our other great ideas for Smoky Mountain fun.
Erica has lived in East TN for over 9 years. She enjoys exploring this gorgeous region with her husband and 3 lively children. As a former teacher turned homeschool mom, she loves finding fun and affordable activities the entire family will love, especially if they cultivate a love for learning!
Beautiful photos!
Thank you!