Abrams Falls
Abrams Falls is a beautiful creekside hike to one of the most powerful waterfalls in the Smokies.
Best Time to Visit
Spring (March–May) is the best time to visit Abrams Falls. Water volume is at its highest from snowmelt and spring rain, making the falls thunderously powerful. Wildflowers are abundant along the creek, and the Cades Cove loop road is less congested on weekdays.
Summer is the busiest season. The Cades Cove loop road can back up for miles, so arrive before 8am or plan your visit for a weekday. The pool below the falls looks inviting but swimming is strongly discouraged — the currents are deceptively dangerous and several people have drowned here.
Fall (October–November) is beautiful along this trail. The hardwoods along the creek turn golden, and the crowds thin compared to summer. Water levels are typically lower but the falls are still impressive.
Winter is a quiet time on this trail. The Cades Cove loop road is open to vehicles Wednesday through Saturday in winter, and closed to vehicles (but open to foot and bike traffic) the rest of the week. Water levels can be high after winter rains.
Abrams Falls Trail Notes
Abrams Fall trail is an absolute classic in the Smokies. Located in the back of Cades Cove, (at around the halfway point) a gravel road takes you to the trailhead. While popular, parking at this trailhead is unlikely to fill up under typical circumstances. Even if it does, there are so many spots, you’ll likely find someone leaving after a short wait.
The trail begins by crossing Abrams creek via a nice footlong. Following the creek, the trail starts to trend uphill slightly, before bringing you back down to the creek. Most of the hike is a rolling, up and down walk with no abrupt or overly challenging elevation change. There is one climb that stands out as steeper than the others, which leads to the high point of the trail. From here, hikers can scald the rocky outcropping for views of the “horseshoe”; a horseshoe shaped bend in the Abrams Creek.
Descending from there, hikers head down a relatively steep decline to approach the falls. After crossing two more footlogs, the trail banks left, and the falls appear. At the falls, hikers can expect to see a fair amount of other people enjoying the view. Abrams Falls isn’t overly tall, standing at 25 feet, but it flows very hard compared to other waterfalls in the park.
The natural waterfall is quite a spectacle, and has created a very nice natural pool below. While swimming is not recommended due to strong currents, competent swimmers often enjoy the cool water below the falls. If you’re lucky, otters can be seen swimming in the pool. Rainbow trout can also be caught below the falls; fly fishing is very popular along all of Abrams Creek.
How We Saw It
