Sugarland Mountain Trail

Sugarland Mountain Trail
Sugarland Mountain Trailhead at Fighting Creek Gap
Length	12 mi (19 km)
Location	Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, United States
Trailheads	Fighting Creek Gap (along Little River Road, W. of Gatlinburg) Junction with the Appalachian Trail near the summit of Mount Collins
Use	Hiking
Elevation
Highest point	Appalachian Trail junction, 5,900 ft (1,800 m)
Lowest point	Fighting Creek Gap, 2,300 ft (700 m)
Hiking details
Trail difficulty	Moderate-to-Strenuous
Season	Open year-round
Sights	Views of Mount Le Conte, Gatlinburg and Sevier County to the east, Blanket Mountain and Upper Little River Valley to the west; multiple forest types
Hazards	Steep ledges, ice hazards in colder months

The Sugarland Mountain Trail is an American hiking trail, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of Sevier County, Tennessee. The trail traverses Sugarland Mountain, a massive ridge running perpendicular to the main crest of the Smokies and effectively dividing the park's north-central section from its northwestern section. Sugarland Mountain is flanked by the deep upper valleys of two of the park's major watersheds— the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River (to the east) and Little River (to the west). The trail passes through several forest types, including deciduous forest at lower elevations, heaths ("hells") along the mountain's backbone formations, and a stand of Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest in the upper elevations. Occasional breaks in the foliage allow for views of Mount Le Conte and Sevier County to the east and Blanket Mountain and the ridges above Elkmont to the west.

The trailhead is located at Fighting Creek Gap along Little River Road, between Gatlinburg and Elkmont. The trail's terminus is located just off Clingmans Dome Road, where the trail intersects the Appalachian Trail.

Sugarland Mountain is a ridge that consists of a series knobs and peaks, each increasing in elevation as the mountain approaches its junction with the main Smokies crest. The northernmost knobs, which overlook Fighting Creek Gap and Mids Gap, have elevations of around 3,000 feet (910 m). Beyond Huskey Gap, the mountain rises sharply to its prominent 4,833-foot (1,473 m) northern peak as the crest narrows, and maintains an elevation of 4,300 feet (1,300 m) to 4,800 feet (1,500 m) for several miles. At the headwaters of Rough Creek, the mountain rises above 5,000 feet (1,500 m) for the first time, eventually reaching 5,494 feet (1,675 m) at its summit. The Chimney Tops, which consist of two barren slate capstones, crown a narrow ridge that branches off the southeastern slope of Sugarland Mountain, opposite the Rough Creek headwaters. Sugarland Mountain's various knobs and peaks are typically connected by narrow "backbone" ridges, some of which are just a few feet wide. The relatively broad Huskey Gap— between the mountain's northern peak and its lower northern knobs— is the exception.