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Smoky Mountain Hiking
There's probably no more hospitable place for hiking than the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park in East Tennessee and North Carolina.
There are hundreds of miles of trails to choose from: easy strolls to
arduous, steep treks high in the mountaintops. Each trail exhibits the Smokies unique, natural beauty rich in flowering Rhododendrons, mossy,
weathered limestone outcroppings, and towering Canadian hemlocks.
Many trails lead into ancient forests a good example of a
temperate rain forest that existed throughout the ages.
ABRAMS FALLS
This trail climbs two ridges and follows Abrams Creek to Abrams Falls. A
beautiful fall into a large pool is perfect for an afternoon swim. The trail
is popular to people of all ages. The trail is only 2.5 miles long one way and
is considered easy rather than difficult. Young children as well as seniors
find this trail to be a favorite.
Take U.S. Highway 321 from Maryville through Townsend. To enter GSMNP, turn
right onto Laurel Creek Road just after the Townsend Visitors Center. Join the
Cades Cove Loop and continue almost half of the way around the loop. Turn
right between signposts 10 and 11 at the sign for Abrams Falls, just before
the Cades Cove Visitors Center. Take the dirt road to the large parking lot
for the trailhead.
From Gatlinburg turn right at Sugarlands Visitor Center and go to Cades Cove.
The trail starts by crossing a large footbridge over Abrams Creek.
The trail climbs gradually to reach a height above the stream, then turns a
corner to the right and descends again to follow the river. The trail stays
level for a considerable distance. Children frequently depart the trail to
enjoy the water while their parents watch patiently. The trail then climbs
toward a rocky point of Cades Sandstone at the top of Arbutus Ridge, and
switches back to the right and descends again to Abrams Creek. It switches
back again to the left over a side creek on a log bridge and curves right to
follow the creek again.
The trail then makes a final climb above Abrams Creek. It curves right at a
point where you can hear the falls below you, then descends steeply to another
log bridge. After crossing this bridge, the trail curves left to follow the
creek on the other side. In a very short distance, another bridge appears to
the left. Cross this bridge to follow the short spur trail to the 20-foot
Abrams Falls. The pool at its base is 100 feet across and is a popular
swimming hole for children.
Be careful in the water at Abrams Falls because the rocks are extremely
slippery, and it is easy enough to catch the edge of a rock in a fall. Parents
should probably escort small children across the faster part of the stream to
the shallow sand bar at the center of the pool.
Great
Smoky Mountains National Park web site.
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