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If there's a more popular waterfall to hike to in the Smokies near
Gatlinburg than Laurel Falls, I'd be surprised. Only minutes from Gatlinburg past the Sugarlands Visitor Center, it is a great first hike to acclimate yourself to hiking in the Smokies.
This trail has
everything going for it – it's short (about 1 mile each way), it's not
very steep, it's one of the few trails in the Smokies that is paved,
and there's a waterfall at the end of it! Because of all that, though,
it's also incredibly popular and most weekends you'll find it very
crowded. The best time to trek to Laurel Falls is during the middle of
the day on a weekday in the spring. The creek that feeds Laurel Falls
is pretty small, so the falls themselves also get small in the late
summer/fall. The best viewing is in the spring during spring runoff.
This trail is very popular with the stroller crowd since you can take
even young babies on the trail without having to carry them the entire
way. Just remember if you take children, that parts of the trail -
especially as you approach the falls - get very, very steep and people
have been injured from falling. There's a log bridge crossing the creek
just under the falls and several flat rocks just below the falls that
are a great place for resting or even eating a snack as you enjoy the
view. You can easily hike the trail in under two hours with plenty of
time left for enjoying the view.
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