Tennessee Waterfalls: 12 Falls to Save, Shortest Walk First

These 12 Tennessee waterfalls run from falls you can see from the car to a strenuous trek of about 9 miles, listed shortest walk first. Eight are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, two are in Cherokee National Forest and two are state natural areas on the Cumberland Plateau. Every hike length, warning and swimming rule here comes from the page of the agency that manages the falls.

In short: you look at most Tennessee waterfalls. You don't swim in them. The National Park Service says drowning is one of the leading causes of death in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and none of the 12 picks below is a place where an official page invites you in.

How we chose

We kept only waterfalls whose managing agency publishes the walk to them: the National Park Service, the USDA Forest Service or the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). Each pick was checked on that official page as open to visitors.

• Hike length is round trip, as the agency gives it. Where a page gives only one-way distance, we doubled it and say so.
• Effort is our own read of the agency's trail description (flat, roots and rocks, steep, strenuous). The Smokies pages don't publish formal difficulty ratings.
• Swimming is what the official page says. Where a page is silent, we say that too, and we don't treat silence as permission.

State park falls such as Burgess Falls and Cummins Falls deserve their own guide. For the record, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation says Fall Creek Falls drops 256 feet and calls it the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains.

The list: 12 Tennessee waterfalls, shortest walk first

1. Meigs Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Walk: none. You see Meigs Falls from a pull-off on Little River Road.
• Effort: none.
• Swimming: no. The National Park Service says to stay at the pull-off, because people have been seriously hurt in falls at waterfalls.

Meigs Falls sits beside Little River Road between Townsend and Gatlinburg. The pull-off has no sign. The National Park Service places it about 7 miles east of the Townsend Wye, and it's the only pull-off on that stretch with a stone wall.

2. Bald River Falls, Cherokee National Forest

• Walk: little to none. The Forest Service says the falls are easily accessed from Tellico River Road (Forest Road 210).
• Effort: none.
• Swimming: the Forest Service page doesn't address it. Treat this as a place to look, not swim.

Bald River Falls is a 90-foot waterfall in Cherokee National Forest near Tellico Plains. The USDA Forest Service gives the route: from Tellico Plains, take TN 165 for about 5 miles, turn right on Forest Road 210, and the falls are 6 miles upstream on the right. Parking is limited and busy on weekends and holidays, so the Forest Service suggests a weekday visit, and there's no drinking water.

3. Cataract Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Walk: 0.7 miles round trip.
• Effort: easy. The side trail has been measured for grade and slope, and you can borrow free GRIT Freedom off-road wheelchairs, first come, first served.
• Swimming: no. The park says visitors have been severely injured climbing around Cataract Falls. Take your photos from the bottom.

Cataract Falls is a narrow, 40-foot waterfall reached from Sugarlands Visitor Center, just outside Gatlinburg. Walk behind the visitor center, take the Fighting Creek Nature Trail, cross the large bridge and turn right at the junction. It's at its best after heavy rain, which makes it the right pick for a wet day in the Smokies.

4. Lynn Camp Prong Cascades, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Walk: 1.4 miles round trip.
• Effort: easy. Mostly wide and flat, climbing gently along an old railroad bed.
• Swimming: the park page doesn't address it. The park's general advice is that water recreation isn't recommended anywhere in the Smokies.

Lynn Camp Prong Cascades starts at the Middle Prong Trailhead at the end of Upper Tremont Road, near Townsend. The road is unpaved but well kept. GRIT chairs can go the first 1.3 miles. The nearest restroom the park lists is the Great Smokies Welcome Center in Townsend, so stop there first.

5. Ozone Falls State Natural Area

• Walk: about 1.5 miles round trip. TDEC calls it a rugged 3/4-mile trail, and you backtrack to the trailhead.
• Effort: moderate to hard. It's short, but it drops into a gorge.
• Swimming: TDEC's page doesn't address it. It does describe the plunge pool as deep and full of rocks, and rappelling is prohibited.

Ozone Falls drops 110 feet over a sandstone caprock in Cumberland County, on US 70 about four miles from the Crab Orchard exit off Interstate 40. TDEC calls it one of Tennessee's most heavily visited state natural areas. TDEC also notes two details worth repeating: scenes for the movie Jungle Book were filmed here, and Fall Creek disappears underground below the falls and comes back up a few yards downstream. The area is open sunrise to sunset.

6. Grotto Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Walk: 2.6 miles round trip, per the park's description. The same page also lists 4 miles in its length field, so plan for the longer figure.
• Effort: moderate, with roots, rocks and some inclines.
• Swimming: not addressed on the trail page. The trail can be muddy and slippery after rain.

Grotto Falls is a waterfall the National Park Service says you can walk behind. It's on the Trillium Gap Trail off the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail near Gatlinburg. Roaring Fork closes in winter, so check the park's seasonal road dates, and the park warns of extreme crowding and limited parking. Use the toilets at the Rainbow Falls Trailhead before you enter the one-way loop, because there are none closer.

7. Benton Falls, Cherokee National Forest

• Walk: 3 miles round trip (the Forest Service calls it an easy 1.5 miles each way).
• Effort: easy.
• Swimming: the Forest Service page doesn't address it.

Benton Falls is a 65-foot waterfall in Cherokee National Forest, reached from the Chilhowee Recreation Area. From US 64, take Forest Service Road 77 for 7.2 miles. Expect a day-use fee at the Chilhowee day-use area, typically $3, and check the Forest Service page before you go. With drinking water and picnic tables, this is our pick for an easy family day. After heavy rain, check the Forest Service flood alerts first.

8. Hen Wallow Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Walk: 4.3 miles round trip.
• Effort: moderate, with steep sections, switchbacks and roots.
• Swimming: not addressed on the trail page.

Hen Wallow Falls is a 90-foot waterfall on the Gabes Mountain Trail in the Cosby area. Park at the hiker parking at Cosby Picnic Area and walk back about 100 yards along the entrance road to the signed start. The National Park Service says the creek is just 2 feet wide at the top and fans out to 30 feet by the bottom. Look for salamanders in the pool at the bottom.

9. Abrams Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Walk: 5 miles round trip.
• Effort: moderate, with roots and rocks on the trail.
• Swimming: strongly discouraged. The National Park Service cites slippery rocks and a deadly undertow.

Abrams Falls in Cades Cove is only 25 feet tall, but it flows over a sandstone ledge into a deep pool, and that pool is the hazard. The trailhead is at the end of Abrams Falls Road, between posts 10 and 11 on the one-way Cades Cove Loop Road, about halfway around the 11-mile loop. Cades Cove Loop Road is closed to cars on Wednesdays, typically May through September.

10. Rainbow Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Walk: 5.6 miles round trip.
• Effort: hard. About 1,500 feet of climbing on a trail the park calls very steep and rocky.
• Swimming: not addressed on the trail page.

Rainbow Falls starts from the Rainbow Falls Trailhead on Cherokee Orchard Road above Gatlinburg. The name comes from the misty rainbow that often appears at the base on sunny afternoons, so time your arrival for after lunch. The trail is often icy in winter, and it continues to Mount LeConte, 6.7 miles from the trailhead.

11. Ramsey Cascades, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

• Walk: 8 miles round trip.
• Effort: strenuous. The park calls it challenging, with more than 2,100 feet of elevation gain.
• Swimming: not recommended. The park advises against water recreation, and the rocks near falls are slick with mist and algae.

The National Park Service says Ramsey Cascades is the tallest waterfall in the Smokies. Start early, carry more water than you think you need, and turn around if the weather turns.

12. Virgin Falls State Natural Area

• Walk: about 9 miles round trip (4 miles each way, per TDEC).
• Effort: strenuous. The trail drops about 900 feet over rocky, uneven ground, and TDEC says to allow 5 to 9 hours.
• Swimming: TDEC's page doesn't address it. All caves in the natural area are closed to recreational use.

Virgin Falls is a 110-foot waterfall at 2080 Scotts Gulf Road, Sparta, in White County. An underground stream comes out of a cave, pours over the cliff and vanishes into another cave at the bottom. At 1.5 miles there's a cable crossing at Big Laurel Creek. TDEC says not to try it when the creek is flooding. Backcountry camping is allowed only at designated sites, with an online reservation.

What does it cost to park at Smokies waterfalls?

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has no entrance fee, but you need a parking tag for any car parked longer than 15 minutes. At last check the National Park Service charged $5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year. The tag has to be a printed or physical tag showing your license plate, and America the Beautiful passes don't count. Most trailheads have no machine, so buy before you drive: daily and weekly tags online at recreation.gov, or any tag at a park visitor center.

Why isn't Laurel Falls on this list?

Laurel Falls Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been closed for a major rehabilitation, so check the park's closures page before you plan on it. The National Park Service says more than 300,000 people hike Laurel Falls every year, on a path first paved in 1963. While it's closed, the park lists Hen Wallow Falls and Cataract Falls among its alternatives.

Can you swim at Tennessee waterfalls?

The official answer at every pick on this list is no, or close to it. The National Park Service says most drownings in the Smokies happen when a leg or ankle gets caught in an underwater rock ledge or between boulders. Rivers can rise fast from storms far upstream, even under a blue sky. If you're swept into fast water, don't try to stand up: float on your back with your feet pointed downstream.

Before you go: a waterfall checklist

1. Check the managing agency's alerts page on the morning you go. Closures, flooding and seasonal roads change.
2. In the Smokies, buy and print your parking tag before you leave cell service.
3. Go early or on a weekday. Grotto, Rainbow, Bald River and Ozone Falls all draw crowds.
4. Stay off the rocks at the top and sides of any waterfall.
5. Don't swim at Abrams Falls, and don't cross Big Laurel Creek at Virgin Falls when it's flooding.
6. Wear shoes with grip, and pack water. Bald River Falls has no drinking water.
7. Save Cataract Falls for after a heavy rain, when the park says it's at its most dramatic.

For more trails and drives, see our outdoors guides and road trips. If you're basing yourself in the Smokies, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville are short drives from the Gatlinburg trailheads, and our lodging listings can help you find a bed.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest waterfall to see in Tennessee?

Meigs Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is visible from a pull-off on Little River Road, and Bald River Falls in Cherokee National Forest near Tellico Plains sits right off Tellico River Road. For a short walk, Cataract Falls behind Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg is 0.7 miles round trip.

What is the tallest waterfall in Tennessee?

Fall Creek Falls on the Cumberland Plateau drops 256 feet, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation calls it the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. Inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Park Service says Ramsey Cascades is the tallest.

Can you swim at Abrams Falls?

The National Park Service strongly discourages swimming at Abrams Falls in Cades Cove because of slippery rocks and a deadly undertow. The park says drowning is one of the leading causes of death in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Do you need a parking tag for waterfall hikes in the Smokies?

Yes. Any car parked longer than 15 minutes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park needs a parking tag. At last check it cost $5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year, and it has to be a printed or physical tag.

Is the Laurel Falls Trail open?

Laurel Falls Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been closed for a major rehabilitation, so check the National Park Service closures page before you go. While it's closed, the park lists Hen Wallow Falls and Cataract Falls among its alternatives.

Which Tennessee waterfall can you walk behind?

Grotto Falls on the Trillium Gap Trail near Gatlinburg is a waterfall the National Park Service says you can walk behind. The trailhead is on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which closes in winter.