Roan Mountain State Park: Moonshiners Run Trail (Blog Hike #1066)

Trail: Moonshiners Run Trail
Hike Location: Roan Mountain State Park
Geographic Location: south of Roan Mountain, TN (36.16661, -82.09411)
Length: 2 miles
Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)
Date Hiked: March 2025
Overview: An out-and-back along the Doe River.
Park Information: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/roan-mountain
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=981643
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming June 19, 2026)

Directions to the trailhead: From the town of Roan Mountain, drive SR 143 south 4 miles to the entrance for Roan Mountain State Park's cabin area on the left.  Turn left to enter the cabin area, then turn left again to reach the overflow parking lot for the cabin area.  Park in the overflow lot.

The hike: For my general comments on Roan Mountain State Park, see the previous hike.  While the previous hike led to an old ridgetop iron mine, this hike explores the rhododendron-filled riverside corridor along the Doe River.  The riverside area is nice any time of year, but it is especially nice in June when the rhododendron blooms, thus immersing you in a sea of pink flowers.

Cabin area trailhead

            From the overflow parking lot, walk a few feet back out to the cabin area access road and then look uphill to the right for the start of the Turkey Trot and Moonshiners Run Trails.  A wooden sign marks this trailhead.  The single-track dirt trail treads around a small ravine before it forks.  As indicated by a sign, the Turkey Trot Trail, which was closed due to storm damage from the remnants of Hurricane Helene on my visit, exits right.  Thus, you want to angle left to stay on the Moonshiners Run Trail.

Doe River

            Marked with yellow shield-shaped plastic markers, the Moonshiners Run Trail descends gradually to reach the bank of the Doe River for the first time.  The forest is dominated by sycamore, beech, and maple trees with some birch, and the riverside areas have a dense thicket of rhododendron in the understory.  Some debris from recent flash flooding needs to be negotiated, but overall the going is pretty easy.  Only traffic noise from SR 143 across the river detracts from the setting.

Approaching old concrete block foundation

            Near 0.4 miles, you pass an old concrete block foundation of unknown origin.  Next the trail undulates somewhat as it goes toward and away from the river, but the fact that you are heading downstream guarantees more down than up.  The rhododendron in this part of the hike is especially thick, and I wished I was hiking here in June when it blooms.

Rhododendron thicket

Destroyed footbridge

            1 mile into the hike, you reach the lower end of the Moonshiners Run Trail where it intersects the Forest Road Trail.  The Forest Road Trail was closed on my visit, and the reason why was obvious: the trail's wooden footbridge over the Doe River had been destroyed by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.  Normally you can continue straight to form a loop with the Turkey Trot Trail or turn left to head for the Visitor Center and the Peg Leg Mine Trail, but my only option due to the trail closures was to turn around and retrace my steps on the Moonshiners Run Trail.  1 mile of heading back upstream returned me to the park's cabin area to complete the hike.