Bear Creek Trail,
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Elevation
The Bear Creek Trail has a maximum elevation of 4,869 ft., a minimum elevation of 1,834 ft. and an elevation range of 3,035 ft.
Metrics
| [ A to B ] or [ B to A ] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Length 2 | Min Ele 3 | Max Ele 4 | Range 5 |
| 6.0 mi | 1,834 ft | 4,869 ft | 3,035 ft |
| [ A to B ] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Time 6 | Floors 7 | Gain 8 | Loss 9 |
| 3.7 hrs | 251.8 | 3,022 ft | 0 ft |
| [ B to A ] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Floors | Gain | Loss |
| 2.7 hrs | 0.0 | 0 ft | 3,022 ft |
Calories
The following chart shows the total calories that you may expend on the trail while hiking in both directions. The chart is based on data derived from a statistical model of energy expenditure that relates gross weight, typical speed and trail topography.
Topo Maps
Download the PDF Bear Creek Trail topo map and the adjoining quads to plan your hike. These are full-sheet, 7.5 Minute (1:24,000 scale) topographic maps.
Adjoining 7.5' Quadrangle Legend
- Northwest Topo Map: Thunderhead Mountain, NC
- North Topo Map: Silers Bald, NC
- Northeast Topo Map: Clingmans Dome, NC
- West Topo Map: Tuskeegee, NC
- Topo Map: Noland Creek, NC
- East Topo Map: Bryson City, NC
- Southwest Topo Map: Hewitt, NC
- South Topo Map: Wesser, NC
- Southeast Topo Map: Alarka, NC
FAQ
What is the length of the Bear Creek Trail?
The length of the trail is 6.0 miles (9.6 km) or 13,557 steps.
How long does it take to hike the Bear Creek Trail?
A person in good physical health can hike the trail in 3.7 hours in one direction and in 2.7 hours in the opposite direction.
Warnings
Prevent tick bites: Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents with products containing 0.5% permethrin.
(cdc.gov)
- The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) may be present in this area. The American dog tick transmits Tularemia and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
- The Blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) may be present in this area. The Blacklegged tick transmits orrelia burgdorferi and B. mayonii (which cause Lyme Disease), Anaplasmosis, Borrelia Miyamotoi Disease, Ehrlichiosis, Babesiosis, and Powassan Virus Disease.
- The Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) may be present in this area. The Brown dog tick transmits Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
- The Gulf Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum) may be present in this area. The Gulf Coast tick transmits Rickettsia parkeri Rickettsiosis, a form of spotted fever.
- The Lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) may be present in this area. The Lone star tick transmits Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Ehrlichia ewingii, (which cause human Ehrlichiosis), Heartland Virus, Tularemia, and STARI.
Footnotes
- Steps is a unit of distance equal to the sum of stride lengths that vary with the terrain.
- Length is the distance of the trail between the two trailheads, measured on the trail.
- Min Ele is the minimum elevation on the trail.
- Max Ele is the maximum elevation on the trail.
- Range is the difference between maximum and minimum elevation.
- Time is the typical total time required to hike the trail.
- Floors is the gain divided by twelve feet, the height of one floor.
- Gain (cumulative elevation gain) is the sum of every gain in elevation.
- Loss (cumulative elevation loss) is the sum of every loss in elevation.