Backbone Rock Trail
A Cherokee National Forest trail pairing the "world's shortest tunnel" and a 45-foot waterfall with a climb up to the Appalachian Trail.
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- Length
- 5.1 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,391 ft
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route
- out-and-back
Trail conditions
No recent condition reports. Hiked it lately?
Report current conditions →Elevation
2.3 mi · 1,398 ft of climbing · high 3,510 ft · low 2,153 ft
Find the trailhead
Parking
Backbone Rock Recreation Area lot by the tunnel on TN-133; day-use is free. The short Backbone Falls loop near the lot is very accessible.
Directions to parkingWeather at the trailhead
60°FClear now
Sunrise 6:08 AM · Sunset 8:47 PM
- TodayOvercast84° / 58°F1% precip
- ThuThunderstorm82° / 66°F76% precip
- FriRain showers75° / 61°F59% precip
Forecast from Open-Meteo. Mountain conditions change fast; check again before you go.
Backbone Rock is a narrow spur of Holston Mountain that a railroad tunneled through in 1901, now billed as the shortest tunnel in the world. From the parking area, a short developed loop with rock steps reaches viewpoints of the roughly 45-foot Backbone Falls, while the blue-blazed Backbone Rock Trail climbs about 2.3 miles one-way to join the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Leashed dogs are welcome.