| Trail Features: | Waterfalls, Old Growth Forest | |||||
| Trail Location: | Little River Road | |||||
| Roundtrip Length: | 7.7 miles | |||||
| Total Elevation Gain: | 1776 feet | |||||
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 461 feet | |||||
| Highest Elevation: | 4139 feet | |||||
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 11.25 (strenuous) | |||||
| Parking Lot Latitude: | 35.67208 | |||||
| Parking Lot Longitude: | - 83.58068 | |||||
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From the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg, drive 3.8 miles to the top of Fighting Creek Gap. The parking lot for the Laurel Falls / Cove Mountain trailhead will be on your right.
From the Townsend "Y" intersection near Cades Cove, the Laurel Falls / Cove Mountain trailhead is 13.7 miles away.
With Laurel Falls just over a mile from the road, this trail is one of the most popular destinations in the park. Finding parking during peak season can be a problem. If you're looking to avoid crowds, your best bet is to begin your hike early in the morning, during the early evening, on a weekday, or during the off-season.
Due to the extreme popularity, the trail to Laurel Falls has been paved by the National Park Service.
In just over 1.1 miles, and a climb of about 315 feet, you'll arrive at the 60-foot falls. If you've never seen this waterfall you'll immediately discover why this trail is so popular.
After leaving the pavement, and the crowds, you'll climb through a canopy of rhododendron for the next half-mile or so. As you walk through this section of trail, the hum of Laurel Branch Creek can be heard cascading down the valley on your right. From time to time you'll have some decent views of the mountains to the south. Further up the trail you'll be able to catch a glimpse of Mount LeConte towards the southeast. Most of these views, however, will be obstructed once the summer foliage arrives.
At 3.7 miles the Laurel Falls Trail dead ends into the Cove Mountain Trail. Go left here for another 0.1 miles to reach the old fire tower. The 60-foot tower, built in 1935 and one of only four towers remaining in the Park, is no longer used for monitoring forest fire threats. Instead, the National Park Service has transformed it into an air quality monitoring station. Hikers, unfortunately, aren't allowed access to the tower.
Although there's not much of a view at the summit, the trail is still a very pleasant hike.