Top 10 Waterfall Hikes in the Smoky Mountains

Grotto Falls is a 25-foot waterfall in a cool mountain cove and the only one in the park where the trail passes behind the falling water. The 2.6-mile round trip on Trillium Gap Trail crosses several streams and winds through old-growth forest and rhododendron. On some days you may share the trail with the llamas that haul supplies to LeConte Lodge.

Named for the rainbow that often forms in its mist on sunny afternoons, Rainbow Falls drops nearly 80 feet, the longest single plunge in the park. The 5.6-mile round trip climbs about 1,500 feet on a steep, rocky trail with narrow footbridges over LeConte Creek. Save it for the stronger hikers in your group.

At 105 feet, Ramsey Cascades is the tallest waterfall in the park. The 8-mile round trip in Greenbrier climbs more than 2,000 feet over roots and rocks, on a trail rebuilt from 2022 to 2024 with new footlog bridges and more than 600 steps. The park specifically asks hikers not to climb to the top of the falls.

Abrams Creek carries a lot of water, and it pours 25 feet over a sandstone ledge into a deep pool at the end of this 5-mile round trip from Cades Cove. Hemlock and rhododendron line the banks, and reintroduced river otters are occasionally seen near the falls. The pool looks inviting, but the park strongly discourages swimming because of an undertow.

Mingo Falls drops more than 120 feet on the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, just outside the national park. The walk is less than half a mile but starts with 161 steps, with a handrail and a bench at the top. A bridge in front of the falls gives everyone a clear view.

A 4.3-mile round trip on Gabes Mountain Trail climbs through hardwood forest with hemlock and rhododendron to Hen Wallow Falls, a 90-foot ribbon of water only two feet wide at the top that splits and fans out to about 30 feet at the base. Look for salamanders in the pool below, and expect steep sections and roots.

Three waterfalls in one 2.4-mile loop: Juney Whank Falls, an 80-foot cascade you view from a footbridge; Tom Branch Falls; and Indian Creek Falls, a 25-foot slide into a large pool. The loop has some steep sections and stairs, but it suits mixed-age groups on a Cherokee or Bryson City day trip.

Off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Baskins Creek Trail sees far fewer hikers than nearby Grotto or Rainbow Falls. At 1.4 miles, an unmaintained side trail drops to a two-tiered, 40-foot waterfall; that spur is steep and slippery, so take it slowly with kids. Expect wet feet at the Falls Branch crossing after heavy rain.

The easiest walk on this list is 1.4 miles round trip on an old railroad bed to Lynn Camp Prong Cascades, where the stream rushes and tumbles over big rocks beside the trail. The path is mostly wide and flat, with wildflowers from spring through summer. Keep going upstream if the group wants more miles.

Spruce Flats Falls is a 30-foot, four-tiered waterfall in a rocky nook above Tremont, reached by a 1.8-mile round trip from the Great Smoky Mountains Institute. The trail has steep, rocky sections and a slippery descent near the end, so sturdy shoes matter. Tremont maintains the trail with private funds and repaired it in 2025.