Accessibility – Moderate
Height – 100′
Distance – 9.0 miles (out and back)
Beauty – 9
Photo rating – 5
Solitude – 7
GPS Info: LAT 35.83839 LONG -85.33065
Last Updated – 12-28-2024
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Where to park: Parking for the five waterfalls accessed on this hike is at the Virgin Falls trailhead on Scott Gulf Road in Sparta TN. This GPS of the parking lot is 35.85387, -85.28206. This is a popular destination and the parking lot fills up.
The hike: The hike is going to follow the Virgin Falls Trail all the way to the falls, and for the side trip to Upper and Lower Sheep Cave, a different trail will come into play. From the parking lot to the falls, the trial is going to drop about 900 feet, meaning the hike out will be uphill, and steeply so in places. At 0.2 of a mile, the Virgin Falls trail is going to make a left after meeting the Upland Trail, which heads off to the right. The terrain isn’t very steep at this point, and 1.4 miles into the hike, you will come to a side path to Big Branch Falls. It’s worth a quick stop if the water is up, but otherwise, you’re not missing too much.
Once past Big Branch Falls, the trail starts to increase in steepness, maintaining a fairly steady rate of descent all the way to Big Laurel Falls. The spur path to Big Laurel Falls is 2.2 miles from the trailhead, and while Big Branch Falls wasn’t something to devote a lot of time to checking out, Big Laurel Falls is worth enjoying. For a NC reference, it’s like a giant version of Moose Cove, with the rock house, but this waterfall has a big difference. After the creek drops over the cliff, it runs backward into the rock house and vanishes underground. It’s unlike anything I had ever seen. You can check out the rock house at the Big Laurel Falls page.
From Big Laurel Falls, resume the hike heading downhill. The Virgin Falls Trail will pass a junction with the Himlock Springs Trail on the left close to Big Laurel Falls. About 0.8 miles later the Sheep Cave Trail will head off to the right. The next junction is with the Caney Fork River Trail, which if you have the time is a nice walk down to the river. At this junction, make a right and after passing the other end of the Sheep Cave Trail, the Virgin Falls Trail will come to the overlook that faces the falls. It’s a great view from up top and you can pick your way down to the base where the waterfall goes underground after making the hundred foot plunge.
After Virgin Falls, there is more to see on this hike, and continuing the trek, head back to the first intersection with the Sheep Cave Trail and make a left. Almost immediately, the Virgin Falls Trail is going to make a left, and you want to follow this trail. It swings around toward the top of the falls, and ends above the hundred foot drop where the creek comes out of a cave. The spur to the top is only 0.2 miles and worth the effort. I went into the cave a little ways, and the way the creek has sculpted the rock is awesome. The area at the top of the falls was a great place to relax in the shade before the hike resumed by backtracking to the Sheep Cave Trail and making a left.
The next 0.6 of a mile getting up to Sheep Cave is pretty Steep, and like Virgin Falls, the water that goes over Upper Sheep Cave Falls emerges from a cave and falls into the depths. The route to the best view of the waterfall is a little sketchy, but it was worth it to take in the waterfall from the view versus the top. The side trail to Lower Sheep Head Falls is slightly longer and overgrown, but from the front view of the falls, you can see the caves at the bottom where the creek vanishes after tumbling down the rock face. The creek didn’t have a lot of flow, and hopefully one day I can get back to see all of these waterfalls with more flow. Both falls are nice, but I preferred Lower Sheep Cave Falls to the upper one.
To get back to the parking lot, return to the Sheep Cave Trail and make a left. In 0.4 of a mile it will run into the Virgin Falls Trail, completing the Sheep Cave Loop. Make a left and head for the parking lot.