The Cooper Creek Trail is another really short Smoky Mountain hike that runs 0.5 miles and is really only noteworthy for a few streams that run across the trail.
To reach the trailhead, drive down Cooper Creek Road till you reach the end. You’ll be 3 miles from North Carolina Highway 19.
This is another one of those connector trails found throughout the park. This one in particular connects Cooper Creek Road with the Deeplow Gap Trail. Finding a parking spot can be tricky as there are no public lots around here, it’s all private property so plan accordingly.
Walking up the road you’ll pass a gate and the park boundary. Follow the roadbed that runs beside Cooper Creek – this puts you beside the park boundary and private property. Some various wildflowers highlight this walk as well as various tree species like oak and other hardwoods.
A house appears across the creek at 0.2 miles on the trail before coming upon more rhododendron. The trail comes to its ending once hikers cross Little Creek by way of a footlog.