The Appalachian Trail is accessible within 5 minutes from near the Big Creek entrance to the Smoky Mountains National Park at the Tennessee/North Carolina border. Of the 2015 miles of the at (as it is called), a section 69 miles in length serves as a boundary for Tennessee and North Carolina in the Great Smoky Mountains.
The Appalachian Trail is also accessible from the Cosby Campground (about 6 miles away) and Big Creek/Waterville (about 4 miles away). For more information on the Appalachian Trail click below.