While on the way to Cades Cove we decided to check out the nearby waterfalls and the Wye on our way. Our second stop was Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls.
After driving through the Townsend entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a short distance away you’ll come to a fork in the road. Going toward the right takes you to Cades Cove and going to the left heads toward the other park entrance and Gaitlinburg. Head to your left and drive about 0.6 miles. Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls is located on your right side. It is clearly visible from your car as you drive past it.
There is no parking area beside the waterfall so you’ll need to pass the waterfall until you reach a place where you can safely turn around and park at a nearby pull off on the left side of the road.
From your car you cannot see the entire waterfall. The waterfall is smaller at the top and gets larger as it gets closer to the road. It’s about 20 feet tall and is in sections going down toward the road. Out of the roadside waterfalls located on Old Old State Highway 73 I think this one is the most impressive. While I don’t think this waterfall is worth a trip on its own, it is definitely worth a visit if you’re already in the area.
Unfortunately the waterfall is right next to the road continuing under the bridge so there is no good place to photograph the entire waterfall. Also the cars drive by really quickly so if you have kids, be sure they stay close. You can walk around the guard rail and view the waterfall from the side, which is probably the best place to view Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls if you have little kids since you won’t have the cars driving right next to them. From the side also gives you a better view of the bottom section of the waterfall, otherwise you are leaning over the guard rail or kneeling down in the roadway and peering through the guard rails.
We visited in February and had this pretty waterfall all to ourselves. This is a wet weather waterfall so it is best viewed in the winter or early spring or after a good rain.
If you are planning on staying inside the national park for an extended period of time, please note that parking passes are required to park in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for longer than 15 minutes. There’s a parking pass machine at the end of the parking area of the Wye (just down the road).
While in the area in addition to Cades Cove, we also checked out two other roadside waterfalls besides this waterfall that are located on the same road – Cane Creek Twin Falls (which is a really nice swimming hole) and Meadow Branch Cascades. While none of these are really worth a special trip I do recommend checking them out since they are really close. Like Whiteoak Flats Branch Falls, these waterfalls are best viewed in the winter and spring months or right after a good rain.
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