When people visit the Smokies, they usually want to spend some time in the national park. One of the most popular things people want to experience are Great Smoky Mountain waterfalls. There are so many, and they are all drastically different. Here are 6 Great Smoky Mountain waterfalls you need to see:
1. Baskins Creek Falls
Baskins Creek Falls is a beautiful waterfall you should see while you’re in town. To get to the falls, the roundtrip length is 3 miles. It is considered easy to moderate. You’ll hike through old forest growth, and you’ll get to see mountain views near the beginning of the hike. The last portion of the trail is steep and rugged going down to the waterfall. Baskins Creek Falls is 40 feet tall and has two tiers.
2. Laurel Falls
Laurel Falls is one of the most popular Great Smoky Mountain waterfalls. The trail is easy with a roundtrip length of 2.6 miles. The entire path is paved, preventing people from tripping over roots and rocks. You’ll see a ton of mountain laurel in the spring, which is why the waterfall is named Laurel Falls. Once you reach the top, you’ll see the 80-foot-tall waterfall separated into two tiers. You can even take pictures in front of the first tier!
3. Spruce Flats Falls
Spruce Flats Falls is more of a unique waterfall in the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s not technically on the official map of the Smokies, but it is a beautiful waterfall you’ll want to check out. This trail is also considered easy at 1.4 miles roundtrip. To get to the waterfall, you’ll descend on the trail. Spruce Flats Falls has several tiers water flows over with a top height of 30 feet.
4. Abrams Falls
Another Great Smoky Mountain waterfall you’ll want to see in person is Abrams Falls. The trail to get to the waterfall is considered moderate with a roundtrip of 5 miles. You’ll hike through a ton of old forest growth, and then you’ll come up on Abrams Creek. As you follow alongside the creek, you’ll finally see Abrams Falls. This waterfall is 20 feet tall, and the amount of water gushing over the rocks is pretty impressive.
5. Grotto Falls
One of the most unique waterfalls in the Great Smoky Mountains is Grotto Falls. This is the only waterfall you can actually walk behind in the national park. It is 25 feet tall and falls into a deep pool of water. You’re pretty likely to see salamanders in the area. The trail to get to Grotto Falls is 3 miles roundtrip, and it takes about 2 to 3 hours to hike to and from the waterfall. You might even see llamas along your trek because they use this trail to take supplies to the summit of Mount LeConte!
6. Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls is another Great Smoky Mountain waterfall you’ll want to see. This waterfall is the tallest single drop waterfall in the national park at 80 feet tall. This trail is moderate at 5.4 miles roundtrip, and it is also one of the ways you can hike to the summit of Mount LeConte.
These Great Smoky Mountain waterfalls are all beautiful in different ways. You’ll definitely want to try to see as many of them as possible on your trip. Wondering what else you should do when you stay in one of our cabins? Check out these other attractions in the Smoky Mountains for some ideas!
