This hike is beautiful and the scenery all throughout this hike is great! You can even walk behind…read morethe falls; so cool! The trail is about 3 miles roundtrip and is pretty easy with a bit of an incline/hill. Should be manageable for all ages and levels. Enjoy the beauty!

This was our second hike on a trip. We were looking forward to exploring the waterfall trail. It…read morewasn't as long as yesterday's hike, but there was still a notable elevation. We arrived early in order to beat the crowd. It was raining off and on, so the rocks were slippery. That's why we use hiking poles. All in all it was wonderful. We did see bears before and after this hike. Fortunately, we were in our vehicles. We made enough noise so that they didn't come around- this of course as their home. We had an excellent time. Parking is sparse near the trailhead.

The view was amazing, the kids enjoyed seeing the falls. It was easy to navigate but hard to find…read morewhen you first pull up if you've never been there before. It is not wheelchair accessible, and can be a bit of a steep climb. Parking is on the side of the mountain. We had a great time while we were there and there is a small swimming hole at the bottom of the falls.

It's not where it says it is on the google and apple maps. We asked a park ranger where it was and…read moreshe put us on the path. We went on a Tuesday and luckily for us we had the place to ourselves, an occasional hiker would pop in and look around and one other couple came to swim. The water was crystal clear, cool mountain aqua. No trash or other intrusive nonsense was present and the spot is absolutely serene. We swam for a few hours and wrapped by jumping off the big rocks into the "deep end" . Good times for sure, beware of bears and all that jazz.

So incredibly beautiful. So many dang bears…read more Or so I've been told. Fortunately for me, a person who is very much afraid of bears and wants nothing to do with them, I did not see any bears during my visit to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But they're there! Lurking ... somewhere ... in the forest, I'm sure. I visited during the spring, when the bears were waking up from their long slumber, and I'm sure they were just waiting, with growling tummies, to eat someone. Because of the bears, I didn't travel too far away from the visitor center area of Newfound Gap. But there are trails and other things to see that are beautiful if you like hiking and whatnot. As for me, I was satisfied staying close to where there was more concrete and cars than nature. (I know! I'm kind of dumb sometimes.) Newfound Gap straddles both Tennessee and North Carolina, so you can be in two states at once -- literally, you can have one foot in Tennessee and the other in North Carolina! There's also a cool rock structure that you can climb to the top of called the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial, where you'll get great views of the mountains. They really do look smoky! They ain't lyin'. The Newfound Gap area of the Smoky Mountains also has a trailhead for the Appalachian Trail, plus restrooms. I saw backpackers who definitely looked like they had been on the the Appalachian Trail for a while. I've since learned that although this is not the largest national park, it's the most visited, and I believe it! There were quite a lot of people at the Newfound Gap area. That said, I visited a few other places around the park where there were zero people, so you might have to change locations, depending on how many people you want to share your park experience with.

The #1 most visited National Park in the USA!…read more We spent three days in Gatlinburg and visited the Kuwohi Observation tower and did the Cades Cove 11 mile drive. Both awesome! Definitely try to get to Kuwohi for sunset. Amazing panoramic views of the blue ridge mountains, and on a clear day you can see as far as four states away! Cades Cove is an early morning must. We beat the crowds by getting there at 6:30am and were done with the 11 mile drive by 9:30am, taking our time to check out most of the stops along the way. Just to note it is closed on Wednesdays to cars when they turn it over to bikes and pedestrians. We also did the Roaring fork motor nature trail which was also very nice and not as chaotic as Cades Cove.

Beautiful very easy to walk trail. More like a walk actually, close to the main entrance in the…read moreSmoky Mountains National Park

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.

Drove through this trail this past weekend and saw lots of running water and scenic views of the…read moreforest. Did not get to see any wildlife during our drive though, maybe because we went later in the morning after 10am. Just very green and peaceful. Nice to have the window down to hear all the birds and running water.

This was a great trail to drive as we spent most of the day hiking. You are able to see a great…read moreamount of the river and wildlife on the drive. Usually you can see some black bears driving through. Parking is extremely limited so definitely get there early. But if you're driving through there are plenty of places to stop quick for the scenic overlooks.

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.

Walk to the fall is nice - the fall is a bit average - it is not very large. We enjoyed the walk…read more There are some logs and puddles along the way for kids to enjoy.

This is a nice sized waterfall. The best part is how easy it is to get to it. While others require…read moremiles of hiking... this one is under 10 mins. It's easy to access by foot with children or for older folks that can't walk far. The short walk to the waterfall from the parking lot is beautiful and shaded by trees. You walk alongside the river the entire way. Once you reach the waterfall there is a small bench to sit and admire. If your trying to find waterfalls that are safe and easy walking distance this is the perfect one to visit! Although the sign says "do not climb" plenty of kids were walking up and down the areas above and around the waterfall. I would not suggest this. Nearly gave me a heart attack when my son ran up.

The Gatlinburg Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is wide, mostly level, and…read morestunning. Flanked by forest and the river, the trail is lushly green with the sound of water flowing over rocks as you meander. When we were there, there in April we passed by several people on the trail so it doesn't feel too remote. If it's your first day at the park, this trail is a great way to begin your adventures. It will take you to the national park visitor's center where you can get more info (and souvenirs). We didn't take the full trail but what we did, we loved. Get to it!

Today was our 3rd time walking the Gatlinburg Trail (April, 2025; Sept, 2023; and some earlier…read moredate!) It's a wide, two-mile trail along the Pigeon River, that connects the Great Smokies Sugarland Visitors Center with the town of Gatlinburg. In each case, we walked both directions to make it about a 4.0 mile "hike." It's more-or-less flat, with a total elevation change of about 180', with one hill in the middle. The trail is mostly, but not completely, shaded. The trail is very popular, so you'll see quite a few people, which also makes it impossible to get lost. There are families with strollers and young kids; people walking dogs on leashes; older couples (like us)! It seems that we see something new every time. In Sept, 2023, we saw a bear on the riverbank on the side across the river near the footbridge. Today, we saw an eastern garten snake (nonvenomous) on the trail. We also discovered an old cemetery that was in plain sight but we had somehow missed during earlier visits. Two recommendations to make the trail even better: (1) more benches. There is one bench that was relatively close to the Gatlinburg entrance, but only rocks or tree stumps to sit on until you reach the Visitors Center. (2) more mileage marker signs. And, a TIP. Parking can be a challenge. You can park at the large lot at the National Park Service (NPS) Sugarland Visitors Center or in one of the few parking spaces near the Gatlinburg entrance to the trail. In either case, you need to display a NPS parking pass ($5). Most recently, in April 2025, when we arrived around 11 am on a Monday, these areas were packed with dozens of cars circling and looking for a spot. We ended up parking in an expensive private lot near the Gatlinburg entrance to the trail -- $20 for parking until 2 am. Shorter durations were not available.