The Waterfalls
at the Great Smoky Mountains NatiONAL PARK

Throughout the Smokies the visitor continuously will be enticed, as he or she drives the park's roads, by the sight, sound, and feel of clear, cool mountain streams that tumble downslope as frothy cascades and waterfalls.

The park receives an abundant annual precipitation that averages about fifty inches at lower elevations and up to eighty-three inches at Clingmans Dome.  Warm, moist air masses that move inland from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean tend to cool as they rise over the mountains.  This cooling air loses its ability to retain moisture so the higher elevations receive an increasing amount of precipitation.

Precipitation in the form of rain either enters the ground, runs off into streams, or evaporates. Winter snows temporarily delay this recycling. Once the rain or melted snow enters the ground it begins to slowly percolate down to the water table.

Natural springs occur throughout the mountains where the water table is close to the surface. This water and the run-off of frequent rains results in streams that flow constantly the year round.

Through eons of time the eroding action of running water, cutting numerous valleys and ravines, has had much to do with establishing the present-day Smokies topography. Where lawyers of hard rock occur and streams have been unable to cut downward to the same extent they have in softer surrounding rock, the result is often a sharp precipice and a waterfall.

Please allow me now to mention some of the various waterfalls that we enjoyed during our visit to the Great Smoky Mountains.

Mingo Falls

These magnificent falls are actually outside the boundaries of the park. They are in the Cherokkee Indian Reservation. The water of Mingo Creek drops over 180 feet on the Greenbrier fault. Although it's an easy 1/2 mile roundtrip walk to the falls you need to climb a steep stairs and then hike up a slippery side trail that will take you to the botton of the falls.

A small bridge provides an excellent spot to view the falls and take photographs. Using a wide-angle lens or a disposable wide-angle camera will be advisable here to take the full extent of the spectacular drop of the falls.

A longer side trail branching off at the halfway point will take you to the top of the falls.

Mingo Falls can be reached by following the Pigeon Creek Trail out of Mingo Falls Campground (on the Cherokee Reservation, south of the Park). In the event that you need clearer instructions, please ask at the Ocanaluftee Visitor Center. We encourage you to visit these falls.

Laurel Falls
 
To visit these falls, we recommend an early morning start. The parking lot at the beginning of the Laurel Falls Trail may be completelly full by mid-day. From the Sugarlands Visitor Center take the Little River Road that forks out of the Newfound Gap Road.

From the parking lot take the trail toward the falls. This paved trail is an easy 2 1/2 miles-round trip, that should take no more than 3 hours for the full visit, depending of the time you want to expend at the falls or in your way observing the plants and flowers along the trail. The trails passes through a pine-oak forest and thickets of rhododendron. The mountain laurel which is abundant along this trail blooms in mid-May. The trail crosses through Laurel Branch at the base of the upper cascade of the falls. Watch for slippery spots and pools of water.

I will say that is the most photographed falls in the park... and the most visited as well. Consequently your opportunities to obtain a visitor-less picture of the fall diminishes as the day advances.

The serenity and tranquility of these falls deserve a moment of solace at their base or in a nearby turn of the trail where you could observe this inspiring cascade that is featured in many posters and publications of the park.

There are three waterfalls that can be seen from the roads. Two of them (The Sinks and Meigs Falls) are located in the same Little River Road that brought you to the Laurel Falls. Let us take now a look at those falls as well as "The Place of a Thousands Drips," another small but beatiful fall at the end of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.

The Sinks

Twelve miles west of Sugarlands Visitor Center on the Little River Road to Cades Cove is The Sinks. It's located approximately 1.5 miles east of Metcalf Bottoms picnic area on Little River Road.

Folklore tells the story of how a logging train once derailed and plunged into the Little River at this spot. The train was never found as the bottom could not be reached. Thereafter, this spot was always referred to as "The Sinks."

Otherwise for the fact that it is located along the road and is extremelly accessible, if you can find a parking space in the lot, there is no much to say about this particular spot.

Meigs Falls

As you continue driving on the Little River Road toward Cades Cove, one mile further west, Meigs Creek dramatically joins Little River by plungind down Meigs Falls.

You have to be attentive not to miss these falls. Although you can observe them from the road, they are hidden a little far into the forest. As you drive west, the falls are going to be at your left.

Please, be extremely careful at this spot with the cars behind or in front of you due to sudden stops. Use caution when you stop here for taking photographs... there is not much more to do here!

Thousand Drips

This is the third of the waterfalls that can be found in the park along road and consequently can be seen easily from your car or by just parking along the falls for a brief visit and taking few pictures.

The Place of a Thousand Drips is a "sometimes" waterfall located near the end of the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. It is a tall, rocky cliff with water seeping out of every crevice during dry periods and gushing forth to form a series of waterfalls during wet season.

Grotto Falls

The Grotto Falls Trail begins at stop #5 on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. This easy 3-mile trail allows a hike through a hemlock forest, crosses over three small streams and leads behind the falls. You can walk behind this fall.

The cool environment at the falls is perfect for salamanderss and summer hikers. However, this easy trail could be found a little moderate and even strenuous after a period of rain. The trail climbs 560 feet toward the falls. Access road is closed in winter.

You will find somehow difficult to find an open space at the parking lot during the Summer and probably you will have to leave your car along the road and walk back to the begining of the trail. Keep in mind that a full parking lot will mean lot of visitors around the falls area frolicking and playing behind the falling water. This is a little disturbing when you want to take a picture of the falls.

I strongly recommend visiting these falls and to do it early in the day.

The source of most of the information above is Streams & Waterfalls, a folder published by the Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association, a nonprofit organization cooperating with the National Park Service in the interpretive programs of Great Smoky Mountain National Park.