Joyce Kilmer Memorial Loop Trail #43

The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Loop Trail is the most visited trail in the Cheoah Ranger District, and one of the most popular trails in the United States.  Dedicated by an Act of Congress in 1936 to memorialize the poet Joyce Kilmer and his poem, Trees”, this extremely popular trail is in designated Wilderness, destined to remain wild “until time shall be no more.”  Added to the National Wilderness System in 1975, this trail is part of the Joyce Kilmer Slickrock Wilderness.

Accessed by a short, signed access road off State Road 1127, Joyce Kilmer Road, there are parking and picnic facilities, as well as restrooms and a descriptive kiosk at the beginning of the trail.  Consisting of a lower loop of 1.2 miles and an upper loop of 0.8 miles, this National Recreational Trail meanders through one of the last remaining tracts of unlogged forest in the country. 

Trail Length: 2.0 Miles

Difficulty: Easy

Usage: Heavy

Average Hiking Times: Two Hours