As far as trails go, if you’re looking for a short Smoky Mountain hike there aren’t many as quick as the Cabin Flats Trail. At 0.9 miles it’s a quick jaunt across the Bradley Fork to backcountry campsite No. 49.
Hikers start out from the upper end of the Smokemont Campground (off U.S. 441 in North Carolina) with the junction of the Bradley Fork Trail. It’s basically the continuation of an old gravel road that ran alongside the Bradley Fork. You’ll pass over an older trestle bridge that has had a number of updates including rails and new wood flooring. Crossing the bridge, the trail turns left and rises above the creek. A large tuliptree marks the switchback.
Continuing on the trail, a log bridge with a handrail crosses a side creek before coming to Dry Sluice Gap Trail on the left. Dry Sluice climbs for 3.2 miles to the Appalachian Trail.
A log jam on the Bradley Fork is seen soon thereafter along the trail before dropping back to creek level and intersecting with campsite No. 49. Horse rails are locates just down from the campsite. You could almost hike the entirety of the trail before you finished this post.