You Need to Hike Charlie’s Bunion & The Jump Off Trail

Back in August, my husband and I traveled to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park to hike a lesser-known trail, Charlie’s Bunion. Along the way, we also took a side trail to an even more off the beaten path spot, The Jump Off. In this post, I am going to take you step by step so you can get out there and embark on this journey yourself.

To get there, you first must travel to the Newfound Gap Parking area in The Great Smoky Mountains. If you are traveling from the Chattanooga area, I would recommend following I-75 northbound and I-40 eastbound to TN66/Winnfield Dunn Parkway in Sevierville, TN (this will be exit 407 from I-40 east). You will continue on TN66/Winnfield Dunn Parkway until you reach Newfound Gap Parking Area.

If traveling from McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, follow General Aviation Drive to US-29 S Follow W General Aviation Dr to US-129 S to US-321 N to Line Springs Road in Sevier County. Proceed to Little River Gorge Road to US-441 S (Little River Gorge Road turns right and become US-441 S). Newfound Gap Parking Area will be on the left. 

Once you are ready to hit the trail, you will find the start of the trailhead near the restrooms. Charlie’s Bunion is not listed on the first sign at the parking area, so follow the arrows for Sweat Heifer Creek Trail to travel the correct way, which is also part of the Appalachian Trail (a cool added bonus!). 

The trail is a combination of rocky and sandy in places, so I would recommend either trail runners or boots with traction. My husband and I visited after heavy storms in our area, and we did not find ourselves slipping even after the rains, but traction definitely helped in spots. 

As you ascend up the mountain, you will approach your first sign for additional trails approximately 1.7 miles along. Instead of veering to the right to continue following the Sweat Heifer Trail & Kephart Shelter, you will continue straight, following signs for Icewater Spring Shelter.

Continuing down the Appalachian Trail, you will come to a 2nd sign. This is where a decision must be made! You can choose to travel 1.3 miles to Charlie’s Bunion to the right or continue straight for a few hundred feet on the Boulevard Trail to find the small sign on the right labeled as Jump Off Trail, which is 0.3 miles. I highly recommend seeing both, but whatever you choose is up to you. Jesse and I decided to venture to Charlie’s Bunion since it was still fairly early to try and beat potential crowds as we soaked in the view. As you travel down the trail, there is a privy and a shelter (privy was closed due to fullness, so good ole’ pee funnel in the woods it was for me!). There is also a hydration pipe along the trail to fill up water bottles or bladders.

Elevation changes were not too strenuous, and soon you arrive at the rock referred to as Charlie’s Bunion. The view is absolutely spectacular!!! If you are a bit of a dare devil, you can climb out on the rock for some solitude and amazing photos, but I would definitely wear good shoes to do this, as it is not exactly level…leave the flippy floppies for later.

Once we refueled with some snacks, we ventured back the 1.3 trail to the split and veered towards the Jump Off trail. This was definitely more strenuous than the Charlie’s Bunion path, navigating through rocks, gulleys, and overgrown brush in places.

The actual lookout area at the end is gorgeous as well, and gives a slightly different perspective than Charlie’s Bunion; however, space is limited in the small cleared section. We decided to pop a squat and make lunch while we enjoyed the view of the mountains and cooled off a bit. After about 30 minutes, more hikers started to arrive, so we packed up our cooking supplies and headed back down the trail to the car.

Overall, gorgeous does not describe this hike. Although there are elevation changes and spots that are a bit more challenging as you hike up the mountain, as a whole, this hike was moderately challenging. I definitely recommend this as a hike to add to your list as you explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.