In Tennessee, it doesn't take too long to find a beautiful bit of wilderness. We have gorgeous trails to hike, stunning waterfalls to ogle and great barbecue once we make it home after a rough day. Here's the thing, though - if you haven't experienced Grotto Falls on the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, then you haven't plumbed the depths of Tennessee. Just take a look, and you'll see.
We love the Great Smoky Mountain National Park for so, so many reasons - but this here may just take the cake. If you take the whole of the Roaring Fork Trail, you'll be trekking about 2.6 miles through the stunning East Tennessee wilderness.
You'll find Grotto Falls about 1.2 miles down the trail - it's not too far, and you can even take a couple of pictures and turn around, if it so suits you. The falls are roughly 25-feet high, and you'll hear the water before you see it.
One of the neatest things about Grotto Falls is that you can walk behind it. But please, please be careful. The rocks are slippery, and it can be a bit rough if you don't watch your step.
The Roaring Fork Trail is one of our favorite walks in Tennessee, and it offers such a beautiful bit of scenery - how could you not make a visit? Especially with fall colors like these!
Want to see up close and personal? Here you go, thrill seekers!
Compression Falls isn’t your average swimming hole in Tennessee. This is a place for thrill seekers looking to utilize a natural resource for a wild day of wet adventuring. You can certainly take a pleasant dip in the water, but for the effort it takes to get here, you might as well make a day of it -- this is the perfect spot for a natural waterslide and cliff jumping, after all! If you are up for the challenge, head to northeast Tennessee, near the border of North Carolina, for an adrenaline-lanced adventure.
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Looking at the stats on this trail is a bit deceiving. A hike that is less than a mile and only has a little over 400 feet in elevation gain seems like a breeze. However, this quick trail is almost straight down and is considered strenuous. There is even a rope to help guide you down the path if needed. You may be tempted to bring sandals for a day of swimming, but make no mistake: you will want to have some good hiking shoes for this trail.
For those looking for a thrill, a popular activity in the area is to jump right off the top off the waterfall! You can take the big leap and plunge into the cool water 30 feet below or you can simply sit at the top and allow the water to propel you forward down the falls.
Even if you would prefer to keep your two feet firmly planted at the base of the waterfall, this is an impressive site to see. I love finding a good rock and watching the water plunge into the pool below. The calming backdrop makes a great spot for a snack before you start the hike back up.
For those who want to cool off *without* defying the laws of physics can dip into the pool at the base of the waterfall. This alternative makes this area more accessible for everyone who wants to escape the heat of our humid summers.
Of course, what goes down must come back up. You will have to trek up the steep mountainside to return to the trailhead. Use that rope, take your time, and enjoy this adventurous area in the Volunteer State.
If you are looking for a swimming hole in Tennessee with a bit more of a *wow* factor, allow Compression Falls to (ahem) make a splash on your summer bucket list. You may hear locals refer to this waterfall as Twisted Falls or Twisting Falls. Either way here is the detailed map of Compression Falls from AllTrails for you to look over and contemplate if you are up for the challenge. I would recommend downloading the map from AllTrails since you won't get much cell service in the area.
Another close-by hike that I love is Round Bald. I have done it during every season and also love to take people up to Roan Mountain whenever I get the chance. Trust me you won’t regret the hike one bit.
Laurel Falls in Tennessee is one of my favorite waterfalls in the state. I still don’t know who was in charge of naming all the waterfalls in Tennessee, but there is a little bit of overlap in the names. Laurel Falls in the Smokies is different than Laurel Falls in Hampton which is one of the best waterfalls near me, but today we will focus on the one in our national park. This is the second time we have hiked this trail, but this time we were in for a little unexpected surprise.
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My wife and I were on our anniversary trip and we decided to spend it in the romantic and relaxing Great Smoky Mountains. We were having a slower-paced day just driving through the park and decided if we drove by Laurel Falls and the parking lot had a space open we would go on the hike.
I couldn’t believe it but there was only one spot left and we quickly took it. If anyone knows anything about this trailhead then they know it is notoriously full with many people looking to see this iconic waterfall. So we were pretty happy to hike and grabbed our backpacks to take off on the trail.
We were in for more of a surprise than just the last parking spot, however. Along the trail we were familiar with we heard some noise further up the trail, we didn’t think anything about it at first.
Then when people were heading down the trail they warned us that a big black bear was hanging out on the trail! We stopped and waited for a little while, and even though we didn’t see the hulking beast we were minutes from where he was just walking. Once the path was clear we continued along our hike.
We have been on this hike twice now and both times we have been very close to a black bear without actually seeing it. Last time a ranger had stopped us asking if we saw the bear since someone in front of us said they had just seen one. Phew, it was a close call but we lived to tell the tale.
To me, this is one of the prettiest waterfalls in the state. I love how the water cascades down the wet dark rocks making a dynamic contrast. We were also glad to be able to hike this trail since the park had announced they would be closing the trail for a while in order to make some repairs.
We just sat listening to the flow of the water and let the sound wash over us as we enjoyed the beautiful scene in front of us.
Another spot we like to go is further down where you will find a second waterfall. Along the path near the base of the falls, you will find a small area where you can climb down the steep incline to the very bottom of the falls. There we found a good flat rock to take off our packs and indulge in an afternoon snack. There were also butterflies fluttering around and even landing on us while we ate. This made the enchanted woods feel even more magical. We love the Smokies and places like Laurel Falls make these mountains one of the best places in the world to explore.
We hiked Laurel Falls in Tennessee, almost saw a bear, and continue to love this ionic waterfall in the Smokies. I would highly suggest making the trip out to this hike and seeing for yourself just how pretty the cascading water can be. If you do decide to take the trail then make sure you download the AllTrails app and download the map for Laurel Falls so you won't get lost. You can also check the recent activity people have had to see if a bear was spotted. Check out the full hike with this Adventuring in the Moment video:
Another must-see hike we love in the Smokies is Alum Cave. If you are planning a hiking trip in the park this is one of the best trails.
