11 Must See Waterfalls In The Smokies

One of the draws to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the incredible amount of hiking trails at your disposal. In fact, one of the most daunting tasks facing hikers in the Smokies is choosing a trail. First, ask yourself, what do I want to see? A waterfall, those beautiful mountain views, or some old growth forests? There are 150 official hiking trails to choose from and a hike for every skill and comfort level. But you definitely don’t want to skip these waterfalls…

The Basics:

Where Is Great Smoky Mountains?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. The sprawling landscape encompasses lush forests, and wildflowers that bloom year-round. It’s the perfect climate for streams, rivers, and waterfalls appear along hiking routes that include a segment of the Appalachian Trail. These mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountain Range.

How Do I Get To The Smokies?

Air

The closest major airport to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is McGee-Tyson Airport (TYS) in Alcoa, TN, which is just south of Knoxville. The airport is served by five major commercial airlines: Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, and United. But is not a major airport and you will pay for that convenience.

Roadtrip

As always, I prefer a good roadtrip and Great Smoky Mountains National Park is centrally located for a good portion of the United States. It’s an easy drive from most of the East Coast, Southern Coast, and even Midwest.

Waterfall Hikes:

Waterfall hikes are one of the main attractions in the Smokies. And every year over 200,000 visitors hike these well worn (see what I did there?) trails to view popular waterfalls in the park. While larger waterfalls attract the crowds, smaller cascades and falls can be found on nearly every river and stream in the park. Keep your eyes peeled for those because they can be just as beautiful as the bigger falls.

How Many Waterfalls Are In Great Smoky Mountains?

There are an impressive 40+ waterfalls in The Smokies. There are popular waterfalls, hidden gems, and even waterfalls that require no hiking and that you can see from the road.

All The Right Ingredients

The Smokies have all the right ingredients to create gorgeous waterfalls including, rainfall and an elevation gradient. According to NPS, the abundant rainfall at higher elevations trickles and rushes down the mountain sides, sometimes dropping over a mile in elevation from the high peaks to the foothills.

There are so many waterfalls to choose from! I had the following on my list: Laurel, Rainbow, Grotto, Courthouse Rock, and Abrams. These are some of the most popular hikes in the park and for good reason, most are relatively short, and the waterfalls are stunningly beautiful. However, because they are so popular, they get insanely crowded and Great Smoky Mountains is, after all, the most visited National Park in the United States.

I love hiking, and I don’t know about you, but I find it way less enjoyable when you are elbow to elbow on a trail. It’s just not my thing.

Let’s dive into the must see waterfalls in the park and why you shouldn’t miss them…

11 Must See Waterfalls In The Smokies

Will start with the most popular waterfalls in the park – these trails tend to get really busy during the peak hours of the day. I recommend you try them early or later in the day for a better experience.

Most Popular Waterfall Hikes:

1. Laurel Falls –

• Distance: 2.4 miles
• Rating: Easy
• Elevation Gain: 396 Ft
• Good for all skill levels

I tried to hike Laurel Falls a few different times on my June 2020 trip. The first time I drove past the trailhead was at 5(ish) am and the actual trailhead parking lot was already filled. Then later in the day when I tried there must have been at least 2 miles of cars parked next to the road just for THIS hike.

Check Out: 14 Fun Things To Do In Cades Cove

2. Grotto Falls –

• Distance: 2.6 miles
• Rating: Moderate
• Elevation Gain: 544 ft
• A bit harder for kids with the moderate rating

3. Abrams Falls –

• Distance: 5.5 miles
• Rating: Moderate
• Elevation Gain: 629 ft
• Accessible year round

4. Rainbow Falls –

• Distance: 5.1 miles
• Rating: Difficult
• Elevation Gain: 1,617
• At roughly a mile into the you reach a nice overlook

Hidden Gem Waterfall Hikes:

5. Spruce Flats Falls –

• Distance: 1.8 miles
• Rating: Moderate
• Elevation Gain: 413 ft

After striking out at all of the popular waterfall hikes I decided to ask the rangers at Elkmont (after checking out Elkmont Historic District, click here for more) for other waterfalls I had on my list. After checking out my list the ranger said, all of the waterfall hikes I had listed would be full at this time of the day, it was around 2 pm. 

This wasn’t the easiest trail to find, even with directions from the ranger, because there is no Spruce Falls trailhead. You will actually be looking for the Lumber Ridge Trail, which is out in the Tremont area. 

How To Get To Spruce Flat Falls Trail:

• To reach the trailhead from Townsend “Y” intersection, drive west on Laurel Creek Road toward Cades Cove. Roughly two-tenths of a mile from the “Y”, you will make a left and proceed in the direction of the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. 

• You can usually drive across the bridge and park at the visitor center.

• When you reach the stop sign you will see a parking area to your left. This is the best place to park for this trail. 

• The Lumber Ridge Trail is by the Institute at Tremont. Be aware that the Visitor Center and restrooms were closed at the time of my visit, June 2020. 

In my opinion, it’s good for all skill levels, and compared to most of the Smokies waterfall hikes this one is pretty secluded. We passed maybe 20 people all together on the hike and there were maybe 5 other people at the waterfall while we were there.  

Check Out: The Historic Ghost Town In The Smokies

6. Mingo Falls –

• Distance: .3 miles
• Rating: Moderate
• Elevation Gain: 98 ft
• Good hike for all skill levels

Known as Big Bear Falls in the Cherokee language, the people who live close by on the Qualla Boundary recognize the falls as one of the most beautiful places to visit within the tribal lands. 

Mingo Falls is approximately 120 feet tall and cascades down nearly 200 feet making it one of the tallest falls in the southern Appalachians.

Check Out: One Day In Cherokee, North Carolina

7. Deep Creek Waterfalls Hike (3-in-1 hike) –

On the Deep Creek Waterfall hike you get three for the price of one!

Tom Brach Falls, Indian Creek Falls, & Juney Whank Falls

• Distance: 2.2 miles
• Rating: Easy
• Trailhead: Starts at Deep Creek Campground (near Bryson City, NC)
• Give yourself 1 – 2 hours to complete this trail

8. Cataract Falls –

Probably the easiest hiking trail on this list…

• Distance: 1.1 miles
• Rating: Easy

Drivable Waterfalls:

9. Meigs Falls –

The pull-off to view Meigs Falls is along Little River Road, 13 miles west of the Sugarlands Visitor Center (7 miles east of Townsend). The falls are tucked away on the far side of Little River but can easily be missed while driving,

10. The Sinks –

This waterfall is short in stature, but its volume includes the entire flow of Little River. The parking area to view the falls is along Little River Road, 12 miles west of Sugarlands Visit Center.

11. Place Of A Thousands Drips –

This is one of my favorites on the list! During wetter months, this waterfall is dramatic as the flow of water splits into numerous small channels surging around rocks and creating “a thousand drips.” From the parkway in Gatlinburg, turn at traffic light #8 and follow Historic Nature Trail into the park. Take Roaring Fork Motor Nature. The waterfall is at stop #15. It was my absolute favorite part of Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail. 

Check Out: Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail

Know Before You Go: Smokies Waterfalls

• Bring plenty of water, the incline can be killer on days when it’s in the 90’s

• Water recreation is not recommended in Great Smoky Mountains National Park due to numerous hazards and dangers
• Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in the park. Innumerable injuries have resulted from people swimming and riding inner tubes in park waters.

• Do not climb on rocks near waterfalls

• Do not dive or jump into any water surrounding the waterfalls 

• Be aware of Didymo is a destructive and invasive algae species that can smother park streams. Didymo can be spread on fishing and water recreation equipment.

• None of these trails are dog friendly (except Mingo Falls). To see dog friendly hikes in the Smokies, including a waterfall option right outside the park, Check Out: The Best Dog Friendly Hikes In The Smokies

Mapping Out 11 Can’t Miss Waterfalls In The Smokies:

You can’t go wrong with a waterfall hike in the Smokies, and there are so many to chose from! While the more popular hikes may have stunning waterfalls, don’t underestimate those hidden gems. Happy Hiking! Do you have a favorite waterfall hike in the Smokies that didn’t make the list? Tell me about it!

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