The Great Smoky Mountains: Need some route ideas

If you can locate a copy this is what you want. ….trails, maps, campgrounds, AT info.
Hiker's Guide to the Smokies (Sierra Club Totebook Series) (Paperback) – 1973
by Dick Murlless, Constance L. Stallings
ISBN-10: 0871560682 | ISBN-13: 9780871560681
This guide features 127 hikes within Great Smoky Mountains National Park

OR

Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park Guide Book
by Kevin Adams (Falcon Publishing)
This guide features 82 hikes within Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Coming from Va, I would use the trailhead at Big Creek. Its your closest access, just off I-40, and maybe best access. Chestnut Branch cuts over to the AT. Make sure to stop on the side trail to Mt Cammerer for some great views. You can get off the trail at Camel Hump; this takes you down to the Big Creek drainage. From there, I would go up Gunter Fork trail; there is a great waterfall. This trail will take you up another high ridge around Balsam Corner and to Mt Sterling. Mt Sterling has a rickety fire tower that has great views.. From Mt Sterling, walk straight down to Big Creek. You can extend this out further, depending on how much mileage you want. This route does have quite a bit of elevation change though.

Another discussion is here:http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=87132&skip_to_post=743179#743179

+1 on the Big Creek area.
Cammerer is sweet, Mt Sterling is awesome, as well as the low trail along the Big Creek (lots of COLD swimming holes in May).

+2 to Ben's recommendation. That really is the best loop in the Smokies in my opinion. We stayed at Cosby Knob shelter on night 1, then down to the Balsam Mtn trail, and over to Laurel Gap Shelter (I think) on the BMT for night 2. After Mt Sterling, we came down Baxter Creek Trail to finish. Great hike. ~37mi

Word to the wise – You would rather not climb up Baxter Creek Trail. 700ft of elevation gain per mile, for (6) miles, gets old.

Ryan

Not sure what you consider epic but I enjoy views and those are hard to come by in the Smokies as you're normally surrounded by trees/brush. My favorite loop so far was AT from Clingman's Dome to Siler's Bald. Then I went down Hazel Creek a ways to check out cascades and such, then back up and over Jonas Creek and then up Forney Creek taking the side trip to Andrews Bald (which is quite nice).

I also really liked the out and back to Chimney Tops (open only Fri-Sun this year).

Many people talk about Mt LeConte and Alum Cave trail but it's not a loop.

My youngest (almost 6 at the time) and I did a Big Creek loop 2 summers ago and it was OK. Went up Big Creek to 37. Up Gunter Fork, which took forever because it was officially closed and overgrown. No views but the falls/slide is nice. Stayed at Laurel Gap. Then Mt Sterling and Baxter Creek trails (decided to not stay at 38 to get out earlier). Fire tower is nice if you have a sunny day.

Last summer I hiked up to My Cammerer and back to Cosby to see the view and it was nice, but the trail again had no views.

What I do like about the Smokies are the creeks, cascades and falls.

Personally a more epic trip to me would be the Grayson Highlands. My youngest and I did that one last summer. You're not surrounded by trees most of the time and the wild ponies are cool.

If you check my profile, the link goes to my video trip reports.

Great suggestions. That'll give me stuff to work with.