Laurel Falls (Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee)

 

After checking into my campsite at Elkmont on the western side of Great Smoky Mountain National Park and rummaging around the nearby towns looking for a butane fuel cannister, I was ready to stretch my legs a bit. The Laurel Falls Trail, not far from Elkmont, seemed an ideal place to do this. This is an incredibly popular park and even within the park, this is an extremely popular trail. Most likely due to it's short distance and proximity to a main road, visitors seem to flock to this small waterfall. I get lucky and find a parking spot relatively easily. Perhaps this is due it being late afternoon.

The trail departs immediately from the parking area and starts a march uphill along a partially paved path, which I find quite annoying. I suppose the park service decided to pave it due to the high traffic it receives. Either way, I'm hiking like a man on a mission. I race past numerous other hikers as I push a pace of nearly four miles per hour. The trail is pretty with steep drop-offs into the gully below at several turns. I do get a bit annoyed when groups are hiking two and three wide, blocking the entire trail. I suppose that's the struggle of serious hiker being in a national park these days - too many tourists who are often oblivious to what's going on around them.

After a little over a mile, I reach the waterfall, which of course has several people bathing in it. Again, it's difficult to enjoy any solitude in these popular places any more. It's okay though, I just need to accept it and look for more places off the beaten track. The waterfall itself is nice, but nothin spectacular. It's multiple tiers combine for an approximately forty foot waterfall. The cool mist coming off of it is particularly nice though on this warm day. After taking a couple of pictures, I turn and head back down the way I came. Returning to my car, I see the hike was 2.6 miles, which matches what was advertised on the sign. I was able to keep that quick pace nearly the entire way. With my legs now stretched, I'm going to head back to my campsite and call it a day. I have a big hike planned for tomorrow.