Wait, What? One of the most dangerous trails in the US is in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? “What special equipment do I need? Am I going to be stepping over bodies to get to the falls like they do to get to the top of Mt. Everest?” I can hear you stammering. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered, and I’ll reveal the secret to surviving at the end of this post.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States, which is good because it’s also the most visited national park. At over 500,000 acres it offers plenty of opportunities for hiking, camping, and all the other outdoor adventures that you crave. It contains 10 campgrounds, and 850 miles of trails and unpaved roads, of which 70 miles are the Appalachian Trail. All that and it straddles two states.
Getting through the park is relatively easy. For how big the park is there is pretty much only one road in the park: the Blue Ridge Parkway. From the north you enter through Gatlinburg, Tennessee. If you’re coming from the south, you enter the park near Cherokee, North Carolina. If you travel the entire length of the road, you’ll cross over the Newfound Gap. If you find yourself there, take the time to hike to Clingmans Dome.
Driving through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park is a two-lane adventure of winding roads, elevation gains and losses, and wildlife sightseeing. You’ll cross numerous creeks and traverse multiple switchbacks. All while witnessing breathtaking scenery.
The drive is so beautiful and relaxing it might even take you 30 minutes before you realize that your phone has no signal, so you better have downloaded your maps before you get to the entrance of the park (tire screeching sound). Oh, I can hear your feverish breathing, person who grew up way too attached to your phone. Take some deep breaths. Better? It’s going to be alright; I swear. I’ll even give you a tip so that you can get your phone fix.
Camping
Camping in the Great Smoky Mountains is easy. They offer backcountry campsites, frontcountry campsites, horse camps, and group campsites.
Make sure that you have everything you need for camping by reading this nifty article here.
Backcountry
Just like the name suggests, you’ll need to backpack several miles to get to these campsites and they are scattered throughout the park. There is a permit needed to camp here, you’ll also need to be on the lookout for bears.
For more information contact the Backcountry Information Office (unfortunately for the Millennials and Gen z they prefer phone calls) at (865) 436-1297.
Frontcountry
There are 10 frontcountry campsites that accommodate tents and RV’s. These are your traditional campsites where you drive your car to your space and pitch your tent or park your RV. They have cold running water and flush toilets. If you’re in the mood to shower, you’re out of luck, unless you brought your camp shower as there are no showers. As long as we’re on the “not available” subject, no electric or water hook ups either for you RV’ers. They do have 5-amp outlets for medical purposes at Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont.
Some campsites allow generators, it tells you on the campsite selection (linked above) which ones do.
Group Campsites
If the size of your party is 7 to 30 and you actually want to camp near them, there are a number of campsites that are available specifically for bigger groups. Check them out here for sizes, pricing, and dates.
Horse Camps
Taking Silver and Trigger camping with you? No problem, just make your advance reservations here. Six people and four horses max per campsite.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Campground Rules
As stated above, there are no electrical or water hook ups in the park.
Firewood
If you’re thinking of bringing that termite infested firewood that you’ve had in your backyard for the last five years, forget it. Only heat-treated firewood is allowed in this park. Don’t fear, you can buy approved firewood at the stores in and around the park. You can also burn any dead wood that’s on the ground. So, when the kids are too hyped up on nature and sugar, you can send them on a firewood quest.
Pets
Pets are allowed in the campgrounds, keep them on a 6′ maximum leash. Dogs are only allowed on two trails in the park, the Gatlinburg Trail, and the Oconaluftee River Trail. They don’t want you leaving them in your car alone while you’re gone either.
Generators
They are only allowed in some areas. You can’t run them between 8 PM and 8 AM. I see your eyes light up “Mr. Loophole Finder”, no idling of engines either, especially in generator prohibited areas.
Prohibited Items
No fireworks, chainsaws, or traps allowed. So, you need to put your authentic skunk hat idea back on the shelf where it belongs.
Looking for someplace warm to camp in the winter, Bahia Honda in the Florida Keys is the place for you then!
Cades Cove Campground
Cades Cove campground sits at an elevation of 1,713 feet. It’s open year-round, has a total of 159 campsites, depending on the season, and allows RV’s and tents. Certain sections allow generator use also. There’s a convenient camp store at the entrance that’s stocked with the requisite camp site items like big matches, ice, and firewood. Or pretty much any other necessity you left at home that you told your spouse you would definitely would not forget.
You won’t forget anything when you download our free handy camping gear list here. Bonus, it’s printable!
Flush toilets and cold water are all the rage here, so you’re good on that front. But. They. Don’t. Have. Cell. Service. I know, right, you toughed it out on the drive here without internet, but how’re you going to upload all those pictures of the cute squirrels in your campsite to the gram? Well, luckily for you the campgrounds are close to a local town with a great attraction. More on this next.
Tuckaleechee Caverns
Tuckaleechee Caverns is just outside the north entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Townsend, TN. It’s a quick 14-minute trip from Cades Cove. As you’re traveling there, you can stop and get your internet fix and upload those aforementioned pics of the squirrels. Now are you happy?
The caverns have a great history. Forming 20-30 million years ago, they were opened to the public in 1953. The tour lasts about 1.5 – 2 hours. Don’t worry, you’re not crawling through tiny passages, you’re standing up the whole time. It’s a 1.25-mile hike and you’ll see fantastic formations the whole journey.
The two main features of the cave are the “Big Room”, which is almost as big as a football field and “Silverfalls”, a double waterfall with a drop of 210 feet. The Big Room is big to say the least. The ceiling is 150 feet high! While Silverfalls doesn’t have the volume of the big waterfalls, it makes up for it with a drop that is so high that you can’t even see the top.
The cavern is open from March until November. Tickets are $22.00 for adults and $10 for children ages 5-11. Don’t forget to add the sales tax.
If you’ve never been in a cave before, or you’re an amateur spelunker, you don’t want to pass up Tuckaleechee Caverns.
Cades Cove Loop
There is an 11-mile one way loop through the cove. The road runs through the valley surrounded by mountains, and features 18th century buildings including churches, log cabins, barns, and even a working gristmill. It’s about a 2 – 4-hour drive, depending on traffic. You can also stop and explore the buildings. Bonus, there’s a self-guided tour book available at the entrance to answer all your questions. And to answer your first question, yes, it costs money, but it’s inexpensive.
This is also your chance to see some of the wildlife that the park has to offer. The most commonly seen animal is the white-tailed deer. Keep an eye out for black bears, turkeys, raccoons, coyotes, skunks, ground hogs, and other ferocious animals.
On Wednesdays from May through September the loop is vehicle free. So, bring your bike or plan a hike and you don’t have to worry about getting hit by a car. If you’re camping you can still get in and out of campgrounds with a vehicle.
You can access many trails from the Cades Cove loop, including trails to “good ol” Rockytop, Thunderhead Mountain, and of course we can’t forget, one of the most dangerous trails in the U.S., Abrams Falls.
Abrams Falls Trail in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
You get to the Abrams Falls trailhead from the Cades Cove loop. It’s almost right at the halfway point of the loop and right before the visitor center. There’s a good-sized parking lot for your vehicle, one of the bigger ones in the park. Walk through the grassy field and cross the bridge at the end of the parking lot and turn left. On a side note, no pets or bicycles are allowed on the trail.
This is where the Abrams Falls Trail begins. The trail named by Backpacker Magazine as one of the 10 most dangerous trails in the U.S. The trail is rated a moderate to difficult trek. It is a five-mile round trip hike that takes about 3-5 hours, it has an elevation gain of 340 feet, and it features a spectacular 20-foot waterfall.
After you cross the bridge, you follow Abrams Creek for most of the hike. There are multiple ridges that you ascend and descend along with several rustic bridges. The ridges are riddled with rocks in the path making the hike a little difficult but nothing too bad, you’ll want to wear a good pair of hiking shoes. Natural growth on the trail includes pine trees, oak trees, along with plenty of hemlock, and rhododendron.
About two miles into the hike, you’ll hit the peak at an elevation of 2,000 feet. You’ll know you’re there when you see a bunch of future “influencers” latching onto the elusive cell service. Follow the trail down for about a half mile and you’ll come upon the falls. There are many great places to get pictures from, and it’s a great place to sit and relax before the hike back.
You can continue on the path and there are backcountry campsites a little further down the trail if that’s your thing.
“But Get Out and Adventure,” you say. “Surely you’re glossing over something; I don’t see anything dangerous here!” Well, my eagle eye reader, the danger isn’t in the trail, it’s in the hiker.
The Secret to Surviving
And here’s the secret to surviving not only the Abrams Falls Trail, but also many other things in life. DON’T BE A MORON. That’s it. That’s all you need. 29 water related deaths have occurred on this trail since 1971. Hikers get in the water and get sucked in under the falls and drown. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the falls from the safety of the shore. This is a great hike, and it should never end in death.
This is just scratching the surface of the awesomeness of The Great Smokey Mountains National Park. You could spend years there and not see and do everything in and around the park. But make a point to take at least one trip to discover this gem.
