Hi there!
So you’re off to hike to Baskins Creek Falls that is one of the best waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains!
This is also one of the best hikes near Gatlinburg.
I did the hike to Baskins Creek Falls in September. What the weather will be like from year to year can vary (which means the colors can vary!), but this is what it was like for me!
The Baskins Creek Falls trailhead is located directly along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
You’ll take the Baskins Creek Trail to get to Baskins Falls.
The Baskins Creek Falls trailhead is located off of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
This is among the popular scenic drives in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
If you’re coming from Gatlinburg, the drive to the Baskins Creek Trail is around 15 minutes.
Your destination for google maps can be the Baskins Creek Trail trailhead if you will be driving the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail after the waterfall hike.
Also note that the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a slow going one-way road.
Similarly, when you are finished with the hike, finishing up the drive on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail may be slow… if you decide to park along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
If you aren’t interested in the motor nature trail on the day you hike to Baskins Falls, then you may want to make your destination for google maps Rainbow Fall Bullhead Parking B, although you may not want to park directly there. (You may want to go a little past it.)
So there is an option to NOT park directly along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
A little more below about getting to the Baskins Creek Falls trailhead parking!
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So getting to the Baskins Creek Falls Trail is not difficult. But parking may be!
There is very limited parking directly around the Baskins Creek Falls trailhead.
And anywhere nearby the trailhead really.
But since the trail itself isn’t too incredibly long, even if you park a little further away, you can just think of it as a slightly longer waterfall hike that’s a part of the trail to the waterfalls!
It will be a scenic walk on the road that’ll be added on to your hike!
So, where you want to drive to for your hike to Baskins Falls may depend on what you want to do afterwards!
Why?!
Once again, the Baskins Creek trailhead is located directly on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
This is a one way road, and it loops around in a not-so-direct way to take you back to Gatlinburg.
The Rainbow Falls trailhead, located shortly before you reach the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, is also located on a one-way road, but it’s right before the turn-off onto the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
This means that there’s a quicker loop back to Gatlinburg. (And people aren’t driving as slowly.)
There is a small parking area right next to the Baskins Creek trailhead
There is room for maybe 2-3 cars directly next to the Baskins Creek trailhead. This would be the most ideal place to park, if you are driving the motor nature trail afterwards.
But of course, 2-3 parking spaces is not a whole lot.
If there’s no parking here, your only option is to continue driving forward to the next (again, small) parking area up ahead.
And if there’s no parking left there, after that, you probably will want to just give up because you might think it’s too much distance to add on to your hike!
And so, I actually think the “safest” thing to do if you are really interested in hiking to Baskins Creek Falls, is to park near the Rainbow Falls trailhead or (more ideally) just before the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail begins.
If there are parking spots available here, it will add on around 10-15 minutes round trip to your hike.
There are limited parking spots for a few cars right before you make the turn-off onto Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
This may sound confusing if you’re not familiar with the roads, but looking at a map will make it less confusing, so have a look at the maps below for a better understanding!
The one-way roads are noted on google maps with the arrows.
On this map above, you see where the Baskins Creek trailhead is located. It turns into a one-way road heading east just past “Rainbow Fall Bullhead Parking B.” I think the most ideal spot to park will be right before it turns onto the one-way road to the Baskins Creek trailhead. Even this could be risky though, because if there’s no parking here, you just need to keep driving and hope for the best at the Baskins Creek Trail parking! Otherwise, the even “safer” approach could be to park where you find open spots closer to the Rainbow Falls trailhead!
Parking right at Baskins Creek Trail means driving the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail back to Gatlinburg. Explore the map.
Parking before the turn onto Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail means you can drive Cherokee Orchard Road back to Gatlinburg which you can expect to be the quicker drive. Explore the map.
And then once you’ve made it to the start of the Baskins Creek Trail, you’ll start your hike to Baskins Creek Falls!
And that’s a bit of getting to the Baskins Creek Falls trailhead!
See more waterfalls in the Roaring Fork area.
Be sure to see the list of more great waterfall hikes in the Smoky Mountains!
Another popular scenic area of the Smoky Mountains with waterfalls:
HAPPY DRIVING TO THE BASKINS CREEK FALLS TRAILHEAD!
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