The 6-mile trail, which begins along U.S. 441 and extends up to Mount Leconte, had been heavily damaged over time by erosion and a spiderweb of user-created trails, which often made it difficult for hikers to see which trail was the one they should follow — this led to many search-and-rescue calls in the area. 

The trail rehabilitation, funded by the Friends of the Smokies, is part of the Smokies Trails Forever program that launched in 2008 following a challenge to match a $2 million grant from the Aslan Foundation of Knoxville. Now a $6 million endowment, Trails Forever funds a full-time trail crew to reconstruct and rehabilitate some of the park’s most impacted trails. 

Previous Trails Forever projects include the Forney Ridge Trail, the Chimney Tops Trail and the Alum Cave Trail.