Hi there!
Gatlinburg Tennessee can be considered one of the gateway towns to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This means that there are many things to do near Gatlinburg in the Smoky Mountains!
And that includes hiking trails that lead to Smoky Mountains waterfalls and hiking trails with views of the Smoky Mountains!
Pack some snacks or a light picnic lunch and eat with views!
Downtown Gatlinburg basically borders the national park.
I did a bunch of hiking and here are the hikes you need to know about if you’re staying in Gatlinburg!
📌 Save this post for later! Save on Pinterest! 👈📌
Things to do near Gatlinburg in Great Smoky Mountains National Park!
Drive time listed is from downtown Gatlinburg and is approximate!
I did hikes near Gatlinburg 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!
1. Cataract Falls Trail
Waterfalls near Gatlinburg! It’s around a 5 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Cataract Falls trailhead.
This is a short little trail.
The shorter version is around a 5 minute walk to get to the waterfalls that you can start from the Cove Mountain trailhead.
You can make it a slightly longer nature trail of maybe 10 minutes or so to get to the waterfalls by starting at the Sugarlands Visitor Center.
There’s a designated trail that you can take from the visitor center.
2. Rainbow Falls Trail
Waterfalls hike near Gatlinburg! It’s around a 10 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Rainbow Falls trailhead.
As with most hiking trails on this list, the hike to Rainbow Falls is a hiking trail that goes UP the mountain.
You’ll also hiking alongside a creek for a bit, you’ll be hiking with mountain views for a bit, and then you’ll get to see waterfalls!
You will pass the Rainbow Falls trailhead to get to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
3. Baskins Creek Falls Trail
Waterfalls hike near Gatlinburg! It’s around a 15 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Baskins Creek Falls trailhead.
Baskins Creek Falls is a quieter waterfall hike located on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
A hike you can do that will likely allow you to escape the crowds.
It’s a mostly downhill hike to get to the waterfalls, which means a mostly uphill hike on the way back.
The Basins Creek Falls trailhead is located directly off of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
There is limited parking directly at the trailhead though, so you may want to use the parking spots that are available right before you turn onto the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
See more about this waterfall hike near Gatlinburg:
⛰🐻
>> mountaintop ziplining
>> Best tours in Gatlinburg
>> Where to stay in Gatlinburg:
- Brookside Lodge
- Downtown Gatlinburg condo with fireplace and pool
4. Grotto Falls Trail
Waterfalls hike near Gatlinburg! It’s around a 20 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Baskins Creek Falls trailhead.
Grotto Falls is the popular waterfalls located off of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and among the most popular waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This also means that you can likely expect many people, and you also may have to park a bit further away from the Grotto Falls trailhead since the parking lot will likely be full.
It’s an uphill trail to get to the waterfalls, and you’ll also pass smaller waterfalls along the way.
Once you make it to Grotto Falls, you have the chance to walk behind waterfalls.
The Grotto Falls trailhead parking is located directly along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
See more about this waterfall hike near Gatlinburg:
5. Laurel Falls Trail
Waterfalls hike near Gatlinburg! It’s around a 15 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Laurel Falls trailhead.
Laurel Falls is another one of the popular waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that’s near Gatlinburg.
This is one of the very few paved trails in the national park, although it’s more like broken pavement in many spots.
Along the way, you’ll get a glimpse of mountains views.
Once you get to the viewing area of the waterfalls, there are many people who also climb down to the river for a resting spot.
As extremely popular waterfalls near Gatlinburg, the Laurel Falls trailhead parking had the tendency to get full.
You will want to check with the National Park Service to see if there is a Laurel Falls parking reservation that is required.
See more about this hiking trail near Gatlinburg:
- Hike to Laurel Falls (pictures!)
- Getting to Laurel Falls trailhead parking
- Grotto Falls vs Laurel Falls
6. Chimney Tops Overlook Trail
It’s around a 20 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Chimney Tops trailhead.
This is one of the hiking trails that can be access on Newfound Gap Road.
This is a hiking trail UP to the Chimney Tops overlook.
It used to be possible to hike all the way to the landmark called Chimney Tops, but because of a wildfire it’s no longer deemed safe to hike all the way there.
Instead, the destination is the overlook.
7. Alum Cave Trail
It’s around a 20 minute drive from Gatlinburg to the Alum Cave trailhead.
The Alum Cave Trail is another one of the hiking trails with trailhead parking directly on Newfound Gap Road.
This is one of the most popular hiking trails in the Smoky Mountains.
There are many ways to hike the Alum Cave Trail.
You can see a unique rock formation and hike through a rock, and then turn around.
👆 This is Arch Rock.
Or you can keep hiking further up the mountain and see another unique rock formation and hike to the cave bluffs, and then turn around.
👆 This is the Alum Cave Bluffs.
OR… you can keep hiking even further up the mountain and hike to the Mt LeConte summit! This is said to be the 3rd highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
👆 This is in the Mt LeConte summit area.
See more about this hiking trail near Gatlinburg:
And those are some of the hikes near Gatlinburg that you need to consider!
See more for your trip to Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains:
- More great hikes with VIEWS in the Smoky Mountains
- More waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains
- Things to do on the drive from Gatlinburg to Clingman’s Dome
- Things to do on the drive from Gatlinburg to Cades Cove
HAPPY HIKING NEAR GATLINBURG!
Here are more ideas for a few days in the Smoky Mountains!
More of the best things that the Smoky Mountains is known for is hiking!If you're looking for just one solid day hike in the Smoky Mountains, there's the Mount LeConte hike. Most often this is done as a day hike, but you can also stay overnight near the Mount LeConte summit! There is the LeConte Lodge, which claims to be the highest guest lodge in the eastern part of the United States! (It does book up!)
There are also lots more hikes that come with mountain views. See more about some of the best hikes in the Smoky Mountains.
There are also a lot of hikes to waterfalls. See more about the best waterfall hikes in the Smoky Mountains.
You can also go camping in the mountains. See more about the best campgrounds in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. (No showers in the national park, though!)
Cost to go to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
There is no national park entry fee for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but as of 2023, there is a parking fee.You'll need a parking pass when you go to the Smoky Mountains.
You can wait until you arrive to buy the parking pass, or you can buy it online before you go at recreation.gov.
Depending on how many days you will be in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the cost of parking will be $5 or $15 per vehicle.
Plan out your time in the Smoky Mountains!
Some of the best known things in Great Smoky Mountains National Park include Clingmans Dome, Cades Cove, and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail!For Clingmans Dome, you can get great views from the parking lot, or you can hike up to the highest point in the Smoky Mountains! (No matter what, you do need weather on your side, though! For me, 3rd time was the charm at Clingmans Dome!) See more about Clingmans Dome.
For Cades Cove, it's all about the slow-going Cades Cove Loop Road! You can drive it, bike it, or walk it! You can make stops to walk inside historic cabins, see a historic mill, and even do a waterfall hike! See more about Cades Cove.
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is also a slow-going road that you drive and make stops along the way, including quiet stops along a creek or waterfalls hikes. See more about the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
There are partner websites included in this post. I may earn a commission.