Looking for a waterfall day trip in the Smoky Mountains National Park? This one is very scenic and allows you to see five. Only one involves a hike of over a mile, so it is a very family friendly trip.
Keep in mind that this trip will look different each season. During the Spring there will be lots of green around, which looks very pretty. You will also most likely experience more water flow on the waterfalls, making them look bigger and more impressive. During several of the later Spring months, there will also be lots of wildflowers. During the Summer there is less water flow, but still lots of greenery. During the Fall you get the changing colors of the leaves. In the Winter you get good water flow and many of the trees will be without leaves. Please note that the Roaring Fork Motor Trail is closed in the Winter and does not re-open until April. Also sometimes in the Winter there are road closures due to bad weather. You may want to call ahead and check before venturing out.
Click on either the photo of the waterfall or the link in each section to view more information about each waterfall including trail details and directions to the waterfall.
If you plan on parking for more than 15 minutes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you need to get a parking pass. You can get them at the park’s visitor centers or purchase online.
Grotto Falls
Our day trip starts out on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. This trail by itself is well worth the trip. There are many beautiful overlooks, nearby scenic creeks to enjoy and interesting cabins. Grotto Falls is an amazing 25 foot waterfall. The trail is scenic and tranquil. Grotto Falls is the only waterfall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that you can walk behind. The trail is 2.6 miles round trip and is moderate difficulty.
While on the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, be sure to also check out the Place of a Thousand Drips, a roadside waterfall at the end of the Motor Trail.
Cataract Falls
Cataract Falls is an easy, family friendly trail that is perfect for a beginning hiker. It only takes about 15 minutes to hike to the base of the waterfall. This is a low flow waterfall, so don’t expect it to be big like its neighbors in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It is still pretty and scenic, especially after a good rain.
The trail is located behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center. Look for a paved walkway next to the bathrooms and follow the paved walkway to a sign. Turn left to take the trail to Cataract Falls.
The Sinks
The Sinks is a pretty waterfall that is very easy to access. It is a small waterfall that includes the entire flow of Little River. You can walk right up to a close-up overlook to the waterfall right from the parking lot. The Sinks are located 12 miles from the Sugarlands Visitor Center.
There is a trail you access to take you to Upper Meigs Falls, which I have not personally tried yet (on my list of things to do) at The Sinks. It is a 3 mile round trip moderate/strenuous hike on the Meigs Creek Trail. This trail requires you to cross the creek several times. So if you have extra time and are looking for more of a challenge, you may want to check out Upper Meigs Falls while you are there. Please note that adding Upper Meigs Falls may make your trip longer than one day.
Meigs Falls
Meigs Falls is a 30 foot waterfall that can be seen from a pull-off on Little River Road between Cades Cove and Sugarlands Visitor Center. The view is partially obstructed by trees in the summertime; otherwise the view is good, if not great. This waterfall is off in the distance, but is still visible from the roadside.
How cool! I can’t wait to try this next summer! Thanks for the tips.
I love waterfalls and really appreciate the Day Trip information. I’ll have to try this in a few weeks. I’m really looking forward to seeing the fall leaves changing! Thank you!
We were planning to do this trip this summer then we saw the reports on all the fires in the area. It’s nice that you have photos from before when this happened. Hopefully all of the areas weren’t destroyed. It’s so sad that all of this beauty may have been destroyed.
Jodi, it is our sincere hope that we haven’t lost all of these beautiful areas. We hope to visit the area again in the next few months. We will post our findings on the website after we have visited. It was heartbreaking to hear of all the damage. This is one of our favorite areas.