Roundtop Trail - Geographic and Natural Information

Geographic and Natural Information

Roundtop is situated in the southwest corner of Sevier County and the southeast corner of Blount County, Tennessee. Along with Cove Mountain to the east and Rich Mountain to the west, Roundtop is one of a series of high ridges that form a "wall" that spans the park's northernwestern boundary. The mountain overlooks Wears Valley to the northeast, Tuckaleechee Cove (Townsend) to the northwest, and the Little River Gorge to the south. Wear Cove Gap, which is traversed by Lyon Springs Road, divides Roundtop from Cove Mountain. The Townsend Y, formed by the confluence of Little River and the Middle Prong of Little River, is situated at the mountain's southwestern corner. Little Greenbrier is located near the Roundtop Trailhead.

Like most of the Great Smokies range, Roundtop is made up of Precambrian rocks of the Ocoee Supergroup. Large outcroppings of this rock form rock overhangs along the trail as it descends to the Townsend Y. Roundtop's forest consists largely of Table Mountain Pine and Pitch Pine trees, which gives way to a mixed mesophytic forest in the coves and hollows at the base of the mountain. Mountain laurel dominates the forest's understory.

While large parts of the mountain's northern slopes are private property, the entire summit of Roundtop is protected. The south side of the summit is within the national park's boundaries. The north side is part of a 237-acre (0.96 km2) tract purchased by the state of Tennessee in 1974 and managed by the National Park Service.