Today was our second time back to Alum Cave Trail, and we did the 2.3 miles to Alum Cave Bluff and…read morethen turned back, for a total of 4.6 miles. You can go on for a total of five miles to reach Mt. Leconte, but since the weather was turning and it was starting to rain we cut our hike short. Like others, I suggest getting to this trail head early, as at 7:30 am half the parking lot was full!! We love this trail in particular for its endless water features, lots of scenic spots to take pictures, unique bridges, and the breathtaking view from the top. Even with the bad weather today, it was something spectacular watching the fog lift above the golden trees. If you haven't been, this trail is definitely worth your time and attention. You will want to wear some sturdy walking shoes for this one and maybe even bring a walking stick!!

Gorgeous trail with diverse beauty. We did the medium length hike to the bluff and loved it. Once…read moreyou pass the cave the whole hike is pretty much going uphill so come prepared to get a workout in and wear proper shoes and bring some water. The views are great from the bluff and totally worth it. We came during the week around noon and parking lot was full so we had to park further out and walk about a half mile or so to the trail so be prepared for that or plan your time. Totally worth it! One of my favorite hikes that we did in the area. Loved being by the creek, the log crossings, the cave, the moss, the trees, and the Mountain Views. the scenery was so pretty. There is a bathroom on-site at the start of the trail in case you are wondering.

I wasn't expecting the 5.6 mile hike to Rainbow Falls to be strenuous, but it was. The 2.7 mile…read moretrail winds 1500' up the mountains and is rocky and root covered. In spots, the trail was muddy and slippery. We forded two creeks along the trail and saw several small waterfalls before siting Rainbow Falls. Rainbow Falls is beautiful, falling 75' over an impressive cliff. Huge rocks offer great photos. We did not see the "rainbow" from the mist, but the sun was low in the sky. Along the trail were blooming spring wild flowers, rhododendrons, hemlock and fern starting to emerge. The trail follows a lovely creek. The hike took us three hours up and two hours back down. We were traveling with a five year old that wanted to be carried most of the way up. We stopped several times to take breaks. Fortunately, the day was cool and clear. The air gets thin the higher you climb and it is easy to get winded. I recommend bringing a walking stick, good hiking books and water. We did not encounter bugs, but maybe later in the season, hikers need bug spray. Parking is inadequate for the number of hikers. We circled several times before finding a spot. Parking passes are required for parking. There is a rustic restroom near the parking lot and that is the only facility along the trail. Like most of the Park, there is no mobile phone reception, so purchasing a Park map is useful. Despite being sore the next day, Rainbow Falls will be one of my best memories of my visit to Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

This was a great hike and the scenery was amazing! LOVED this one…read more The hike is about 6.5 miles roundtrip and is mostly uphill all the way up, so plan on that. All the rocks on the ground were slippery and there were a ton of those, so watch where you are walking. This one is more of a moderately hard hike for the elevation and the rocks throughout. Parking was hard to find when we came, so plan accordingly. There are multiple lots and both were full. We ended up parking a mile a way and walking to this trailhead. There is a bathroom at the trailhead.

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.

This is the third waterfall on the loop at Deep Creek. It's just off to the right of where you go…read morein with your tubes during the summer. Very easy to get to, once you're already up at the top. You can see all three waterfalls and do the loop in about an hour.

Indian Creek Falls is very easy to reach from any of the multiple parking areas, making it perfect…read morefor everyone in the family. It's the 3rd tallest of 3 waterfalls you can easily reach from the same trailhead. It is also just a couple hundred feet upstream from the put-in for the tubes. If you continue past Tom Branch Falls about a quarter of a mile, you will see a bridge crossing Indian Creek. Here the Deep Creek trail intersects with Indian Creek Trail, which leads uphill to Indian Creek Falls. You will encounter a set of stairs just a few hundred feet along the trail that will take you down to view the falls. On the return hike you can break off on another connecting trail that leads to a third waterfall named Juney Whank Falls. You can then continue along the trail and it will loop you back to the parking area. We decided against Juney Whank Falls due to time since we were on a mission to visit a few other places, but we did take time to rent tubes from Smoky Mountain Campground. FAIR WARNING FOR ANY FAMILY RENTING TUBES - Deep Creek can be very fast moving, especially after heavy rains and our crew found it very difficult (the word traumatic was used) to get out of the river. Our 27 year old daughter and her husband as well as our 17 year old son did everything they could to safely get our 8, 7 & 6 year old grandsons to shore safely... even lost two of the tubes in the process. [ THINGS TO KNOW ] WATERFALL HEIGHT Indian Creek - 25' (attractiveness: 6 out of 10) Tom's Branch - 60' (attractiveness: 7 out of 10) ROUNDTRIP HIKE - 1.6 miles to both falls, add a quarter mile for all three falls PARKING - plentiful, but limited near the trailhead RESTROOMS - YES PICNIC AREA - YES TRAIL TO FALLS - flat, wide and all gravel BIKES ALLOWED - YES WARNING: Black bears are sometimes active in this area. Pets are not allowed on this trail. CAMPGROUND 92 individual campsites Each has grills, tables and campfire rings. Hookups & showers are not provided, but flush toilets and drinking water are available. [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Indian Creek Falls was a great stop along our route from Metro Atlanta to Pigeon Forge, TN. We were so impressed with the Deep Creek campground area that we may return for an overnight stay. There are a number of hiking trails and nearby Bryson City has plenty of restaurants to make a food loving hiker happy! 2022 / 92

If you start in the parking lot at Deep Creek, you can see three waterfalls easily in one day…read more First is Juney Whank which is the most challenging to get to due to steepness. it's probably five out of 10 in difficulty, but it's the hardest part of the three waterfall hike. The rest is pretty easy. After Juney, you go to Tom Branch Falls, then Indian Creek Falls, and then can circle back towards the parking lot.

We saved this hike for our last day of vacation and it was amazing! The park is very nice and has…read moreample parking space. The trail is clearly marked with wooden signs throughout. The hike to the falls is all up hill so be prepared for a pretty steep incline. There is a small waterfall very close to the entrance of the trail. I enjoyed the blooming flowers and trees on the way to the falls. Juney Whank waterfall was a site to see and well worth the hike. If you get the chance take this hike, you won't regret it!

Will make it brief: this is a lovely hike, slippery when wet (which is often, it rains a lot) -…read moretake your time so you don't slip (I did, and it HURT). There are a LOT of stairs, and when it's humid you will need to stop for breaks along the way. The final view is closed from fires but they have a reconstructed viewpoint near the end that is gorgeous - the views of the mountainside are stunning. Overall - would do again, but it's a relatively difficult hike because of the uphill climb so come prepared!

This is a busy trail. Go early to avoid crowds. It is short but steep so if you don't normally…read moreworkout or hike it may be difficult. The view is pretty. It's an out and back not a loop.

I really wanted to take a ride on The Wheel during the evening hours (you know, summertime cool…read moredown), but the weekend of festivities, I was spent! (The Mountain Music Festival and Jeep Invasion in the same weekend is crazy). I visited on Monday, late afternoon and the timing worked out superbly. The lines for tickets and then boarding the wheel was quick and easy. Extra perk.....the gondolas are air conditioned! I was able to have a gondola all to myself, but they look like they would comfortably fit a family of four, with a capacity of up to maybe six. The views are pretty once you reach the top. Riders can get some fantastic shots of the surrounding hills, The Island and most of the Pigeon Forge area. The wheel makes four turns during a ride. Helpful hint: make a stop by Guest Services (near Margaritaville) and pick up an Island catalog. There is a coupon inside that saves you $2. Military and senior discounts are also available. The Wheel is wheelchair accessible too!

I really try to avoid putting myself in situations where I am way high up in the sky. There's no…read morereason for me to be suspended above the ground, for any reason. That said, there are certain situations where I've found myself needing to be hoisted into the air. My last visit to Pigeon Forge's The Island was one such situation. I visited for a work trip, and a ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel was included in the itinerary. Because fun! Ferris wheels are fun! Don't you want to ride a fun Ferris wheel?! Truthfully, this Ferris wheel was pretty fun. I was dead tired when I rode it, and it was nice to just zone out and look out the windows at The Island and Pigeon Forge and the mountains below. You can see really far from such great heights. You go around for a good 10 or more minutes. At one point, we stopped near the top, and I did not like that at all, but it's just to let the people on the ground on and off. I kind of really hate heights, but riding this Ferris wheel was fine because you're in an enclosed, climate-controlled vestibule. Plus, there is minimal moving of the vestibule, as long as everyone stays seated. There was no line at all when my group and I visited, so we were able to just walk right up and hop right on.

We started out great with a black bear up the hill from us most of the trail on the way to the…read morewaterfall was not strenuous, there are a lot of roots in the path so don't trip!! Along with the bear we saw several turkey, squirrels, chipmunks and a rabbit so not a bad day for wildlife spotting! The fall is peaceful and nice but not a big one. We spent a few mins there and headed back out. Remember this is a "in & out" trail. The majority of the way back is incline walking a little tough at times. There is a trail off the main path to an old graveyard, we trigger way up a hill to see it. If your already tired at that point I don't recommend it. There a few places with great Mountain Views.

Baskins Creek Falls is a cool little waterfall that was said to have been commonly used as an…read moreoutdoor shower by the early settlers. The trail is kinda tricky to follow, so here are easy-to-follow hiking instructions. It may be difficult to get internet reception, so I would suggest you print these instructions and bring then with you: PARKING Find the trailhead by turning right onto Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (from Cherokee Orchard Road). Parking for the trailhead will be about 150 yards on the left. It's tiny, barely enough for two cars. However, this is not a popular trail like the others, so there may be room when you arrive. Otherwise, you can park off Cherokee Orchard and walk the 150 yards to the trailhead. THE HIKE While researching this hike, several websites listed this hike as easy and all downhill. That is incorrect. For the first 1/3 of a mile it's all uphill. About the time you get clear views of the nearby mountains the descent to the waterfall begins. Near the one mile you will cross a small creek. There is NO log bridge provided, so be careful when crossing over the loose stones and downed trees. The trail will begin to descent a little more rapidly past a cave-like stone outcrop. Next you will come to a split in the trail. To the left is a sign leading you towards a cemetery. Keep right to remain on the trail to the falls. Again you will cross a small creek and soon after arrive at a second split in the trail. Go left here for your final descent to the falls. This section of the trail is the steepest drop in elevation and definitely one of the trickiest to navigate. If you have small children, it would be a good idea to assist them here. When you round your final corner of the trail, the waterfall will be in plain view. Although total height of the falls seems to vary between websites, I think it's at least 45'. Length: 3 Miles round trip Total Elevation Gain: 953 Feet Trail Difficulty Rating: Moderate (I personally WOULD NOT recommend this trail for the elderly or children under the age of 6). FINAL THOUGHTS While the hike to the falls may be ranked on trail guides as easy, I'm not so sure they are considering the return hike back! It's a real booger of a hike in reverse. I need a rest break more than once! A beautiful small waterfall to be sure, but not in the same ranks of other nearby waterfalls like Grotto, Hen Wallow, Laurel or the two Mac Daddies of all Gatlinburg waterfall hikes.... Abram & Ramsey Cascades (8.5 miles round trip). Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nap! I'm worn out!