Indian Creek Falls - Hike to Indian Creek Falls in Smoky Mountains


Trail Features:		Waterfalls, Wildflowers
Trail Location:		Deep Creek
Roundtrip Length:		1.9 miles
Total Elevation Gain:		150 feet
Avg. Elev Gain / Mile:		158 feet
Highest Elevation:		1998 feet
Trail Difficulty Rating:		2.20 (easy)
Parking Lot Latitude:		35.4643
Parking Lot Longitude:		- 83.4342

Directions to Trailhead:

The trailhead for Indian Creek Falls is located just north of Bryson City, North Carolina. From the intersection of Hwy 441 and Route 19 in Cherokee, drive 10 miles south on Rt. 19 to Everett Street in Bryson City. Turn right onto Everett and drive for 0.2 miles. Turn right onto Depot Street. After a short distance, take a left onto Ramseur Street and then an immediate right onto Deep Creek Road. Drive 2.3 miles to the park entrance, and then another 0.5 mile to the parking area for the trailhead to Indian Creek Falls.

Trail Description:

The Deep Creek Trail was one of the first trails constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the newly legislated park in the early 1930s. The current Deep Creek Campground was also the site of the Deep Creek CCC Camp from 1933 to 1936.

In 1910 Horace Kephart, author of Our Southern Highlanders, lived for a short while with the Bob Barnett family in one of the last houses up Deep Creek. Until his death, as a result of an automobile accident in 1931, he used the old Bryson Place as his summertime camping spot. A permanent marker, near Backcountry Campsite 57 located just north of the junction between the Deep Creek Trail and Martins Gap Trail, commemorates the site.

The destination for this hike, Indian Creek Falls, is accessed via the Deep Creek Trail.

The trail begins as a wide path as it traces Deep Creek upstream. Rewards are almost immediate on this trail. Just 0.3 miles from the trailhead, 80-foot Toms Branch Falls (see picture to the right) spills down into the creek from the opposite bank. The park service has provided several benches for admiring these beautiful falls.

Wildflowers are quite abundant along this trail. As you proceed to Indian Creek Falls you'll find a variety of trilliums, blooming at different times throughout the spring, as well as foamflower, galax, crested dwarf iris, beard tongue, Solomon's seal, cinquefoil, bloodroot, bluets and blue-eyed grass. Jack-in-the-pulpit is also abundant, but is sometimes hard to locate among the wild geranium, clinton's lily and the large houstonia.

To reach Indian Creek Falls, continue beyond Toms Branch for another 0.5 miles and then turn right onto Indian Creek Trail. After walking just 0.1 mile there's a short spur trail on your left that takes you down to Indian Creek Falls. This is an awesome 45-foot falls. If you were to climb back to the main trail, and walk a short distance up the trail, you'll notice that Indian Creek Falls is actually more of a water slide than a true waterfall.

If you're looking for additional adventure, you have the option of continuing along this trail to access the Deep Creek Loop trail.

As another option, Juney Whank Falls is in this area, and can be accessed from the same parking lot.