There are no shortages of hikes or waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and luckily my next stop wasn’t far after leaving Cataract Falls. Only several miles up the road, Laurel Falls is another popular short day hike. Parking at the trail head was a battle – likely due to the Thanksgiving holiday and kids being off school.
The trail here is almost fully paved but still has moderate elevation gain. Scenery heading up wasn’t anything to write home about because of the fallen leaves, but a good day in nature still beats a day at the office. The falls themselves are cool but large crowds clogged the area today.
The reverse hike was all downhill and I made good time. On the way up you are looking into the forest/rockwalls; going down, several clearings in the trees allowed views across the valleys.
Hiking Data
Thankfully this hike was slightly longer than my last. Elevation gain & rapid pace got my heart moving. Not a bad short trail, would recommend as part of a larger tour of the park!
