Texas trails · Smoky Creek
Smoky Creek
A 9.0-mile network in Texas, with 1,897 ft of climbing. Managed by the National Park Service.
Length
9.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,897 ft
Difficulty
Expert
Max grade
32%
Steepest mile
+419 ft
Tread at ≥10% grade
0.9 mi
Shape
network
Managed by
National Park Service
Elevation profile
The climbing is spread fairly evenly along the route.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Heads up
Stream ford: expect at least one unbridged crossing.
Terrain graded T2 (SAC scale).
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:06 a.m., the sun rises at 7:30 a.m. and sets at 8:16 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:40 p.m. (CDT) — 12 h 46 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 9.0-mile route takes roughly 4 h 17 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 11:47 a.m. — 8 h 29 min before sunset.
Nearby trails
- Mule Ears — 2.9 mi
- Chimneys — 3.2 mi
- Blue Creek — 3.2 mi
- Upper Burro Mesa — 3.9 mi