Beautiful short hike that is around 2 miles total roundtrip in Townsend near the Smoky Mountains…read more A lot of uphill climbing, but worth it for the waterfall. When we were here this trail was still quite crowded and parking was limited/hard to find so be mindful of that. Otherwise, it's a beautiful site to see.

Looking for short, less populated, but still fabulous waterfall hike while visiting Gatlinburg or…read morethe Great Smoky Mountains? This is it!!! SPRUCE FLATS FALLS is a very short hike that begins at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute @ Tremont. The waterfall trail begins at the exact same point as the Lumber Ridge Trailhead, but the Lumber Ridge Trail goes left while the Spruce Flats trail goes right. The trail is easy to follow for the most part due to the Institute providing additional signs along the way to help guide you. Various hiking websites have differing difficult ratings as well as differing distances to the falls. My personal hiking experience would rate this as mildly moderate and the distance, according to our tracking systems was around .8 miles to the falls for a grand total of about 1.6 miles round trip. ~ MILDLY MODERATE HIKE The distance is easy, and while there are some steep uphill and downhill sections, my heartrate was never elevated to the point of heavy breathing. Experienced hikers would likely rate this trail on the harder side of an easy scale, primarily because of the difficulty of the terrain. It is heavily laced with exposed tree roots and/or embedded with jagged stones making it important to watch your step and balance. ~ OUR EXPERIENCE Our primary reason for visiting the Smokies was to hike Mount LeConte, which we successfully did the day prior to hiking here to Spruce Flats Falls. LeConte is a beast of a hike with an elevation gain of just under 2,900 feet over 5.5 miles. Comparatively, Spruce Flats Falls trail was a delight, but our legs were still extremely sore from our LeConte hike! The pain made our this hike less joyful, but each painful step was well rewarded with a gorgeous waterfall. Our group included myself, an experienced hiker, a grandmother (64), two single moms (29 & 31), their two kids: Adorable 3 year old Jojo and 10 year old Zeke + my yelp daughter Jess (30). My wife was still sore from the LeConte hike and opted to stay back in Gatlinburg. *** LET ME JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY HOW INCREDIBLE MOTHERS ARE!!! Little 3-year-old Jojo's mom carried her probably more then 1/3rd of the hike, particularly over some of the tougher terrains and didn't break a friggin' sweat!!! I carried her tiny 30 pound body up one of the steeper parts of the trail for about 5 minutes and thought I was gonna die! Jojo's 64 year old grandmother who does not hike at all handled the trail like a champion, even leading the way on occasion. Truthfully I was worried by some of the hiking reports for this trail saying it may be difficult for children, seniors and inexperienced hikers, but our group had all of those and it was not a problem. PLUS it had been raining most of the morning (wetting the trail) and continued with a light dewy drizzle most of our hike. ~ FINAL THOUGHTS Yep, my group included three generations of women on a rainy, misty Saturday and we all had a great time! The falls are beautiful! One of the more beautiful ones I've seen in the area, but hard to see in full from the base. This is definitely a waterfall where the pictures are best if you have a drone that can capture it's full grandeur. My difficulty scale: 0 = no effort required 1-3 = easy 4-6 = moderate 7-9 = difficult 10 = extremely difficult WATERFALL ATTRACTIVENESS: 8 out of 10 OVERALL DIFFICULTY: 4 out of 10 (mostly because of terrain) OUR TRACKING DISTANCE: 1.6 miles round trip from parking area across from the Institute @ Tremont. 2020 / 68

Hike was great. It is not for everybody it is alot of up hill terrain and it is 2.5 miles there and…read more2.5 miles back. Hike took about 3.5 hrs for the both of us. Some make sure you start early enough so it doesn't get dark on you. Well worth the hike but bring water and a snack because it will take a bit.

This is an absolutely gorgeous trail even in November we had a sunny day and stunning views along…read morethe trail.

Bring good footwear. This is not a loop. It's 2.5 miles in and 2.5 miles back. If we were prepared…read morewe would have loved it even more. We wish we had brought more water. It really is beautiful. The falls were pretty. The terrain was a challenge. It is what you make of it.

Loved this trail! I am so out of shape and this was the perfect distance and terrain- the waterfall…read morewas beautiful in the end! We hiked it yesterday and there was the perfect dusting of snow. With no leaves on the trees at this time of year there were AMAZING views of the mountains and river the whole way along the trail leading to Abrams' falls. 2.5 miles, up and down along the way. Out and back. Took us 3 hours total. Went on a Sunday and passed about 30 people. But the trail was not overcrowded. Bathrooms are closed due to shutdown. But the visitor center just past the trailhead has open restrooms. The trail was clean and beautiful! Would do it again!

Love the paved paths and especially the Christmas Lights display. Great for all and the family…read moredog(s)

Best park in west Knoxville! Love the trees, trails, easy access, upkeep and friendly for walking…read moremy dog!

The drive for us proved to be fruitful as we saw 5 bears on our first day in the national park. We…read moresaw 2 baby bear cubs in the trees, we walked on a trail and saw them. Subsequently, we drove towards the Cades Cove visitor center and saw 3 juvenile cubs crossing the road and eating grass next to the cars. Absolutely amazing. Only traffic we encountered was when everyone was stopping to see the 3 juvenile cubs by the side of the road. Other than that, we finished the loop quickly...maybe because we went late in the afternoon between 3-4pm. Lots of wild turkeys along the pastures too. Maybe saw 11-12 of them that afternoon on 6/6/2026. Also saw some deer hiding among the trees. Definitely go here to spot wildlife!!

11 mile, one way drive with jaw dropping scenery and some old homes and churches along the way. We…read moresaw some horses and deer, but unfortunately no bears. We arrived around 6am on a Saturday, and while there were other cars around, we had no problem finding parking and there were no traffic jams. We finished up around 9am. The visitor center and mill are located about halfway through the drive. It opens at 9am though, so if you get an early start like we did, it probably won't be open. Definitely get the map for $1.25 so you know what you're looking at. On Wednesdays, they close the loop to cars and it's only accessible to pedestrians and bikes.

I tried coming here during summertime and it was a mad house and not one parking spot left. So I…read morewent by to check it out. There was a sign I forgot to take a picture of a ton of rules and regulations. Unsure if you could even bring a floatie because literally says no to everything else. They do have a dock you can walk on but the water is dark and murky. Just looks creepy and I don't think I would want to swim here in the summertime.

If you want to bring your own paddle board without having to spend money.. dont. Ive always seen…read morepeople with their own paddle boards/kayaks (i have asked) and i thought it was allowed. Some of my friends have even done it there as well. I went there for my first time paddleboarding and was kicked out because it was "prohibited" even tho people were walking past us with their own paddle boards. Just a money grab. I wont lie they have pretty views so if you just want to float or relax there with your kids it is a great place, but if your wanting to paddle board or kayak with your own stuff, they will kick you out.

Laurel Falls is a great starter trail for Families that are introducing their children to hiking in…read moreGatlinburg. There are plenty of interesting facts to be shared, different types of plants and wildlife along the trail. This time we didn't see many animals but the trail was a bit more crowded that day. I would not recommend taking a stroller or wheelchair on this trail. It is barely paved and there are many roots. Parts of it are very steep as well. It's a great place to practice mindfulness on the way up. There are enough roots and rocks on the path to force you to focus on being present and walking carefully. It's a peaceful trail that gives you a great view of the forest. The falls are still there but not as deep as they used to be. The rocks are very slippery! I definitely recommend water shoes if you have them. The way down is a bit harder than the way up. If you have issues with your legs or balance, I recommend using a support of some kind. There are no benches but you should be able to find large boulders to rest on.

This is a great, fairly easy, hike. The paved trail is nice, however it's in need of some serious…read moremaintenance/repair in many places. That said, it is a trail in the mountains... Laurel Falls is beautiful and worth of some good photos and selfies. I've seen bears on this hike, which is a nice bonus. PARKING: be prepared to wait or park at one of the several overflow lots (which can add extra "hiking" to your journey). Well worth the effort!

Concord Park might have my favorite bench in Knoxville. It overlooks the water, feels super…read morepeaceful, and is the perfect spot to just sit, tan, and read for a bit. Bonus: there's a taco truck nearby if you get hungry, which honestly makes it even better. Low-key one of my favorite places to unwind.

Great dog park. They have walking trails, ball, throwing areas, grassy areas and even a dog…read moreswimming area complete with a dog dock.