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Great Smoky Mountains National Park Self-Guided Driving Tour
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All reviews sugarlands visitor center easy walk small children short trail mile round trip all ages trail starts great for kids beautiful waterfall national park falls creek visitors hike path stream beginners
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Reviewed 26 August 2017

My wife had visited the Smoky Mountains National Park -- including the Cataract Falls -- in September 2016 for our anniversary.

After making our way to the Sugerlands Visitors Center, we began walking down the trails, where river tributaries, old bridges, and rocky pathways surround you. After walking down the Nature path for about twenty minutes, we reached Cataract Falls -- do not expect Niagara-sized falls here (the path ends to a small pond/lake in front, with a large rocky cliff-face before you, and water mildly fast pouring down the rocks into the pond/lake). Similar to the smaller falls you will see at Starved Rock (in Illinois), and I bet the Cataract flows more after the rain. It is very easy to get to from the Visitors Center -- hour round-trip on foot -- and very few people were there when we visited. Quiet, peaceful and worth every minute.

Date of experience: September 2016
Thank Christopher D
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 25 August 2017

We read in the Smokies Guide we got at the visitors center that it is an easy, 0.7 mile round trip walk from the Sugarlands Visitor Center. Nope, not even close. I measured it with the Map My Walk app (which uses GPS) and the whole thing came out to about 2.0 miles.

It is a nice walk and our 2 1/2 year old grandson did it with us, so it is doable for kids. But it is not handicap accessible because there is a steep staircase well before you reach the falls.

The falls themselves are, well, a disappointment. We were there in August and the water flow was kind of low, but even if we were there at a high flow time, I couldn't get excited about them. They aren't particularly high or especially beautiful. I've seen "falls" bigger than this without any names just driving down the road where I live. We don't even consider them falls and they aren't on maps, and nobody goes out of their way to see them. So if you are a big waterfalls fan, expect to be underwhelmed.

Date of experience: August 2017
1  Thank 94,741,233
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Reviewed 19 August 2017

Easy walk through the forest. Crowded with tourists, but worth the stop. Behind sugar lands visitors center.

Date of experience: August 2017
Thank Kelly S
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 18 August 2017

Nice walk, very easy located behind the visitors center.
Easy pace, not strenuous at all.
When we were there it wasn't much of a water event.

Date of experience: August 2017
Thank Berry112008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 9 August 2017

My family and I hiked to these falls with our twin 3-year old grandsons. The hike is quite easy and doable for young kids. The trail is quite even and well maintained. Trail access is from the Sugarland Visitor Center, which in and of itself is well worth the stop. Round trip hike to and from the falls is just over 3/4 mile. The fall itself is pretty impressive - falls are about 80 feet tall. There is also an added nature trail tied into this hike with lots of information for those willing to slow down and check things out. I'd certainly add Sugarland Visitors Center and the hike to Cataract Falls to any family group visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Forrest

Date of experience: August 2017
Thank Dave V
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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