Point Lookout Trail
A 2.8-mile loop climbing to the park's highpoint at Point Lookout, with a sweeping overlook of Cherokee Lake and Clinch Mountain.
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- Length
- 1.9 mi
- Elevation gain
- 590 ft
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route
- loop
Trail conditions
No recent condition reports. Hiked it lately?
Report current conditions →Elevation
1.8 mi · 473 ft of climbing · high 1,496 ft · low 1,093 ft
Find the trailhead
Parking
Smallman Area lot; free. A steep spur drops to the lakeshore for those who want water access.
Directions to parkingWeather at the trailhead
71°FClear now
Sunrise 6:40 AM · Sunset 8:39 PM
- TodayOvercast86° / 59°F0% precip
- SatOvercast88° / 66°F46% precip
- SunDrizzle82° / 65°F46% precip
Forecast from Open-Meteo. Mountain conditions change fast; check again before you go.
From the Smallman Area lot the trail climbs steeply through shaded hardwoods to Point Lookout, the highest point in the park, where a bench-lined overlook reveals Cherokee Lake spreading below toward Clinch Mountain. Most hikers complete the rolling loop back through the woods; a steep side path drops to the lakeshore. The climb to the overlook is the one sustained effort.