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.

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.

Not long after we arrived at the base of Laurel Falls.

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.