Accessibility – Moderate
Height – 35′
Distance – 5.0 miles (shuttle)
Beauty – 8
Photo rating – 8
Solitude – 6
GPS Info: LAT 35.63440 LONG -83.68191
Last Updated – 12-24-2025
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Where to park: Parking is at the Trmont Institute, which is across a wooden bridge from Tremont Road. There are half a dozen spots on the right side of the area when you pull in. The parking lot GPS is 35.64147, -83.68959. The map shows this waterfall to be in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but the Buckeye Trail is not part of the National Park trail system.
The hike: The hike leaves the parking lot on a gravel road, which is Lumber Ridge Trail, and after 0.1 of a mile, it will come to a T. The Lumber Ridge Trail goes to the left, and the Buckeye Trail heads to the right. Make a right and continue ascending, first through a set of switchbacks, and then on a moderate grade for 0.8 miles. The next 0.2 of a mile is a steep descent to the base of the falls, leaving you on river right. There are a lot of places to sit and enjoy this one, and on my visit, it was late in the day, and I had it to myself for an hour.
The waterfall is 35 feet high, and while I didn’t have time to explore upstream, I have been told that there are more drops above this one. I don’t know that I could have asked for better conditions with respect to the lighting and flow.
