Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Sinks, Tennessee

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I haven’t posted in a while, and need to start posting more. I am hoping to be able to visit more waterfalls this summer. I haven’t seen many waterfalls in the past few years, partly due to surgeries, partly due to Covid, partly due to laziness!

It’s wild to think that I visited The Sinks six years ago this month! I took a weekend trip into Knoxville, Tennessee, and headed into Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Little River Gorge Road has many waterfalls that are very easy to view from the road, some of them I didn’t even expect to find! I think when looking at the map recently, there were others I could have visited in a short amount of time. Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls and Meigs Falls are both nearby.

Even in February, the drive was beautiful. The weather may have been unseasonably warm, as I remember when I left Michigan, it was very warm for a February day. In Tennessee, I believe that was also the case. Some of the waterfalls on this road don’t have designated parking areas…you just pull onto the side of the road. With The Sinks, there is a designated parking area and there are some trails that start from there. While The Sinks isn’t a tall waterfall, it’s definitely a good stop in an area with many waterfalls.

Directions:

  1. I took US-321 from Knoxville into the park. Once you’re on the Lamar Alexander Parkway, it’s pretty difficult to miss the entrance. There are signs everywhere!
  2. After entering the park, about a mile or so in, you’ll have a choice to take a right toward Cades Cove (which will lead to a number of waterfalls, including Abrams Falls) or a left toward the other park entrance and Gaitlinburg.
  3. Take a left, and drive about 5 miles along the beautiful winding, curvy road, and you will notice a parking area for the Sinks on your right.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 30′
Length of Hike: roadside

The Sinks in February 2016

Where in the World is The Sinks?

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Tom Branch Falls, North Carolina

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Toms Branch Falls (25)

Tom Branch Falls in March 2017

Just inside the boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Bryson City, North Carolina are three waterfalls that can be seen in a not-so-difficult hike. Tom Branch Falls, Juney Whank Falls, and Indian Creek Falls can be found by starting at the Deep Creek Trail head. I think the trail continues on, but you can see all three falls within a 2 mile or so hike.

Tom Branch Falls is the first waterfall you’ll encounter, and you don’t have to hike the whole 2 miles to see Tom Branch Falls. The hike to Tom Branch Falls is only about 1/4 of a mile one-way, and the elevation gain is minimal. I remember the trail being rather flat up until this point. It does then change more in elevation to see the other two falls. I think I showed up when there wasn’t as much water flowing over Tom Branch Falls, so the other two falls were more exciting, even though they required a longer hike to view.

Directions:

  1. There isn’t one specific set of directions that will get you to the falls. It all depends on where you start. So head toward Bryson City, which is not far from US-19 or US-74.
  2. Route 1337 (W Deep Creek Road) is the most direct way to lead to the trail head. It is off of 1336 (Old River Road), which is on the north side of the Tuckasegee River.
  3. Drive 2.5 miles along Route 1337, W Deep Creek Road. Pass a number of other parking areas, and park in the Deep Creek Trail head parking area.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 80′
Length of Hike: 0.5 miles round-trip

Where in the World is Tom Branch Falls?

Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls, Tennessee

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DSC_0133 (1)

Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls in February 2016

As I enter in to Great Smoky Mountains National Park at the Townsend entrance, my plan is to go see Meigs Falls. It seems like it should be an easy-to-view waterfall in the park, and I can enjoy the beauty that is the Smoky Mountains while I’m there.

Meigs Falls was easy to view, though it’s not a waterfall you can get close to. As I was driving in, though, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed another waterfall. On the way out of the park, I decided to see if I could pull over and get a better glimpse of the falls. Luckily, there was adequate gravel parking off of the road, and I was able to get some shots of Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls. At the time, I don’t think I knew the name of the falls. It wasn’t until I got home and looked at Google Maps that I discovered it was Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls. If I had looked at Google Maps, I would have also noticed Cane Creek Falls, Mannis Branch Falls, Spruce Flats Falls, and Meadow Branch Cascades. (This site gives a pretty good overview of some of the falls in the vicinity.)

Directions:

  1. I took US-321 from Knoxville into the park. Once you’re on the Lamar Alexander Parkway, it’s pretty difficult to miss the entrance. There are signs everywhere!
  2. After entering the park, about a mile or so in, you’ll have a choice to take a right toward Cades Cove (which will lead to a number of waterfalls, including Abrams Falls) or a left toward the other park entrance and Gaitlinburg.
  3. Take a left, and drive about 0.6 miles, where you’ll notice Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls on your right. (The parking area was on the left.)

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: ~20′
Length of Hike: roadside

Where in the World is Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls?

Place of a Thousand Drips, Tennessee

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Just outside of Gaitlinburg, Tennessee, you can easily enter Great Smoky Mountain National Park and take a drive along the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. It’s a fascinating drive, and there are a number of waterfalls that can be accessed from the motor trail. Some of them require medium length hikes to view the falls, and on the day I was there, there was moderately consistent thunder, so I decided against those hikes.

There are a few waterfalls that can be easily viewed from the trail, though. One of them is unnamed, and is discussed here. The other, better advertised waterfall, is the Place of a Thousand Drips, which happens to be an amazingly cool name for a waterfall. I would assume it gets its name from the way it seems to split into many different drops, recombine, split again, and so on. It’s a rather fascinating view.

Directions:

  1. Head into Gaitlinburg along US-441/TN-71. (You should notice signs for the Motor Trail, but if you don’t….)
  2. If headed north into Gaitlinburg, you would turn right onto Historic Nature Trail/Cherokee Orchard Road, and essentially continue southeast along the road. The road turns into the Motor Trail inside of the park.
  3. Look for this falls on your left. It’s pretty clearly marked.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 30′
Length of Hike: roadside

The Place of a Thousand Drips in April 2013

Where in the World is the Place of a Thousand Drips?

Waterfall on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Tennessee

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A waterfall along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (April 2013)

Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a great place to find waterfalls, and in the short time I visited, I wasn’t able to see very many of them. (It gives me a good reason to go back!) If you take the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which is very close to Gaitlinburg (a surprisingly commercialized town), you will have the chance to visit a number of waterfalls such as Grotto and Rainbow Falls. Just plan more time!

On the day I visited, I had stopped to see Mingo Falls and Laurel Falls. The hike to Mingo Falls was shorter, Laurel Falls somewhat longer. I then stopped went into Gaitlinburg and ended up taking way more time than planned to find dinner! So once I got to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, I didn’t have a huge amount of time left to hike to some of the falls, which clock in at 5+ miles round trip. There was also some thunder around, and my brain does not particularly like thunder. So let’s just say I stuck to the main road.

You can only go one way on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and I was paying attention for the Place of a Thousand Drips. Before I got to my planned destination, I noticed this other waterfall to my left. Luckily, the road wasn’t busy at that time (in late April), and I had the chance to stop and photograph the falls. I didn’t stay for a long time, just enough to capture the falls. I’d say it’s about 30′ tall or so (?), and I don’t know if it’s named. If you have the chance, though, take the time to enjoy this unexpected waterfall!

Directions:

  1. Head into Gaitlinburg along US-441/TN-71. (You should notice signs for the Motor Trail, but if you don’t….)
  2. If headed north into Gaitlinburg, you would turn right onto Historic Nature Trail/Cherokee Orchard Road, and essentially continue southeast along the road. The road turns into the Motor Trail inside of the park.
  3. Look for this falls on your left. If you reach the Place of a Thousand Drips, you’ve passed it, and you have to circle around again if you want to see it.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 30′
Length of Hike: roadside

Where in the World is the Waterfall on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail?

Laurel Falls, Tennessee

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a significant number of waterfalls. While not all might be roadside, the park does an outstanding job at making the waterfalls easily accessible. I’ve never seen a park with so many pullouts right near smaller, unnamed falls. Laurel Falls is one of the named falls. It may not always be the most exciting falls, but after the intense rainfall this weekend (2″+ in certain places in a short period of time), Laurel Falls was really spectacular.

The hike to the falls is consistently uphill, but not so steep that it makes one regret the hike! The hike is about 1.3 miles one-way. With the rain falling, it was an almost mystical journey. The green in the just-emerging leaves was really intense.

There are two separate drops of the falls, separated by 10 feet or so, but distinct enough that you can’t capture both falls in the same photo. The upper portion of the falls is very easily viewed from the bridge just over the creek. The lower portion can be seen just before the bridge, but is better viewed by taking a somewhat obvious path before you reach the bridge. The path is steeper, but not too difficult to hike.

Directions:

  1. The Sugarlands Visitors Center is located at the intersection of US-441 and Little River Road (which might now be named Fighting Creek Gap Road). Turn onto Little River Road and drive to the signed parking area for Laurel Falls.
  2. From the parking area, follow the trail to the falls.

Accessibility: 5/10 (moderate)
Height: 55′
Length of Hike: 2.6 miles round-trip

The lower portion of Laurel Falls (in April 2013)

The upper portion of Laurel Falls

Where in the World is Laurel Falls?