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Laurel Falls

RECOMMENDED ROUTE
Easy/Intermediate Easy/Intermediate
 4.4 (29)
  1. Areas
  2. NC
  3. …West and Mountains
  4. …Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  5. Elkmont
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“A mellow hike along a paved path to the 80ft Laurel Falls—perhaps the most scenic waterfall in the Great Smokies! ”

Amber Scott
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Map Key

2.5

Miles

4.1

KM

Out and Back

2,629' 801 m

High

2,290' 698 m

Low

351' 107 m

Up

351' 107 m

Down

5%

Avg Grade (3°)

9%

Max Grade (5°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Geological Significance · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Family Friendly Short, mellow, and rewarding, this trail is a perfect outing for families—just know that there are some steeper drop offs so keep an eye on your little ones! Not stroller accessible.

Overview

At 2.5 miles round-trip, this trail provides easy access to one of the best waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. With 350ft of ascent, it is a little bit of a climb to the falls, but it's entirely manageable—even for kids—and the effort rewards hikers with excellent views.

If you are looking for trail running, keep in mind the first half of this trail is a paved/gravel trail, not dirt.

Need to Know

This is a very popular trail and parking can be limited, especially on weekends and peak summer weekdays.

Please stay on the trail and don't climb the rocks at and around the waterfall! This is a highly trafficked area, so try to minimize your impact. Climbing the rocks is dangerous and has resulted in serious injuries.

Black bears live in the park and visitors have encountered them before! Check with the NPS for further info and tips on how to behave if you do encounter a bear: nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/b…

Description

Turn off Highway #441 S at the Sugarlands Visitor Center onto Fighting Creek Gap Road. Continue along the road for about 3.5 miles and look for the obvious trailheads (there are two and the Laurel Falls Trail is on the right side of the road). The beginning of the trail is well-signed.

From the parking lot, begin hiking up the Laurel Falls Trail which gently winds its way along the mountainside. You'll pass through typical, lush Great Smoky Mountains foliage and cross a couple of creeks before reaching the falls. The falls have two parts, and a bridge crosses between them, offering a very close-up waterfall experience. Once you've had your fill at the falls, head back down to the trailhead. Or, if you'd like more of a hike, continue up the Laurel Falls Trail to the Cove Mountain Fire Tower.

This trail is usable year-round, but the pavement is pretty rough in places and can be very slippery if it's wet, icy, or snow covered.

Flora & Fauna

You can find mountain laurel blooming along the trail during May, hence the name of the falls and the trail.

History & Background

This trail was originally paved in the 1930s for a project that aimed to pave routes all the way to the summit of Cove Mountain to provide access in the case of a fire. The project was never completed, and the trail is now paved to increase its durability given the popularity of Laurel Falls and the high visitation it receives.

Contacts

Land Manager: NPS - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Shared By:

Amber Scott with improvements by Jonny Wayburn
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.4 from 29 votes

#1

in Elkmont

#500

Overall
  4.4 from 29 votes
5 Star
48%
4 Star
41%
3 Star
10%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Recommended Route Rankings

#1

in Elkmont

#16

in North Carolina

#500

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Photos

Laurel Falls by Smoky Moments Photography. Please don't attempt to climb on and around the falls. Several people have been seriously hurt falling on the slippery surfaces.
Oct 5, 2017 near Gatlinburg, TN
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Laurel Falls
Jan 21, 2016 near Gatlinburg, TN
View over the Smokies.
Mar 25, 2018 near Gatlinburg, TN
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Laurel Falls.
Aug 4, 2016 near Gatlinburg, TN
Laurel Falls Trail.
Nov 22, 2015 near Gatlinburg, TN
View from the trail.
May 30, 2022 near Gatlinburg, TN

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Check-Ins

Oct 26, 2024
Moayad Mar
Jun 11, 2024
Taylor Eversole
May 25, 2024
Caitlin Poore
Parked 0.6 mi from trailhead and walked from there. Path is mostly paved but very broken up towards the top. 3.7mi — 1h 30m
May 3, 2024
Keith Conway
1h 14m
Mar 3, 2024
Kelsey McDonald
Oct 27, 2023
Avinash Vallur
Oct 9, 2023
Andrew Rogers
Oct 3, 2023
Roger Bald
tried Tuesday. No parking. Wednesday. first thing.

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