page_title: Snake Den Ridge Trail
section_title: Cosby Campground to Inadu Creek — 2 miles
hierarchical_section_title: Snake Den Ridge Trail / Trail synopsis / Cosby Campground to Inadu Creek — 2 miles
caption_attribution_description: Cul-de-sac at the end of the gravel road section of the Snake Den Ridge Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains of Cocke County, Tennessee. Past this turnaround, the trail becomes a rugged backcountry trail.
context_page_description: The Snake Den Ridge Trail is an American hiking trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of Cocke County, Tennessee. Winding its way up the backbone-like crest of Snake Den Ridge, the trail connects the Cosby Campground to the Appalachian Trail and provides the quickest access to the high peaks of the Eastern Smokies. The trail passes through three forest types— a mixed deciduous forest at its lower elevations, a substantial stand of heath bald on the more narrow sections of the ridge crest, and an old growth northern-style coniferous forest at its higher elevations.
  The trailhead is located at the Cosby Campground across the street from Campsite B51, at the southwest end of the campground. Spur trails connect the trailhead to the Low Gap Trail to the east and the Gabes Mountain Trail to the north. A substantial parking lot for hikers is located on the opposite side of the campground, near the ranger station. The park's Cosby entrance is located just off Tennessee State Route 32, which splits off from U.S. Route 321 in the town of Cosby.
context_section_description: Campsites at the Cosby Campground are organized into "A" group and "B" group, with the B group being south of the A group. The Snake Den Ridge Trailhead is located across the street from Campsite B51. The hikers' parking lot is situated on the other side of the campground, so dayhikers must cross the campground (appx. 0.2 miles (0.32 km)) to reach the trailhead. From the trailhead, the trail follows a gravel maintenance road 0.3 miles (0.48 km) to its intersection with the Cosby Horse Trail, which connects the Snake Den Ridge Trail to the Low Gap Trail on the slopes of Mount Cammerer. The Snake Den Ridge Trail continues westward, rising gradually along the gravel road. At approximately 0.5 miles (0.80 km), the trail passes a small cemetery, which contains several burials of residents who lived in the Cosby Campground vicinity before the creation of the park. One notable burial is Ella Costner (1894-1982), the "Poet Laureate of the Smokies," who wrote extensively of the Eastern Smokies region.
  Beyond the cemetery, the trail continues its gradual ascent along the old gravel road. At approximately one mile, the road ends in a cul-de-sac. A brief spur path on the right (north) leads to a low cliff overlooking Rock Creek. The Snake Den Ridge Trail continues westward near the top of the cul-de-sac, where it departs from the gravel road to follow a rugged backcountry trail (there is no sign, but the trail is marked by a string of mid-sized rocks). Shortly thereafter, the trail descends briefly to cross Rock Creek. The creek can be crossed via the log footbridge or an adjacent low fording area.
  After the Rock Creek crossing the Snake Den Ridge Trail begins a steep ascent toward Inadu Creek, which it briefly parallels. At around 1.5 miles (2.4 km), the trail turns sharply to the south for several hundred yards before switching back to the west and reapproaching Inadu Creek. From this section of the trail, the crest of Snake Den Ridge is discernible through the treeline. After a series of relatively steep inclines, the trail finally turns northward and briefly descends to the creek.
caption: Cul-de-sac end of the gravel road, appx. 1 mile from the trailhead.
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