Accessibility – Moderate+
Height – 60′-70′ over three drops
Distance – 9.0 miles (out and back)
Beauty – 8
Photo rating – 8
Solitude – 4
GPS Info: LAT 35.59241 LONG -83.63296
Last Updated – 12-23-2024
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Where to park: The parking is at the trailhead for the Middle Prong Trail, which is at the end of Upper Tremont Road in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The parking area is 5 miles from Laurel Fork Road at 35.6183, -83.66974. Google knows Middle Prong Trailhead. You do need a parking pass, and it is a good idea to check the park website to make sure the roads are open. You can visit the park website at this address.
https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm
The hike: The Middle Prong Trail starts out by crossing Lynn Camp Prong on a metal footbridge. Once across the trail splits, with the Thunderhead Quiet Walkway splitting to the right. Stay left onto the Middle Prong Trail, which is an old road. Four tenths of a mile from the trailhead, you will see Lower Lynn Camp Falls off to the left. There is a steep scramble path that leads down to the base. You can see the waterfall just fine from the trail, but the view from river level is better. A mile later you will pass a waterfall on an unnamed trib that drops right next to the trail. At 3.8 miles from the trailhead, the road is going to make a hard righthand switchback. A tenth of a mile later, the road will make a hard lefthand switchback. Instead of staying on the road, follow a narrower trail that leaves from the outside of the switchback. This path will meander along and make it’s way down to Indian Flats Prong at the base of the upper drop at Indian Flats Falls.
It didn’t take too much to figure out how to descend to the middle and lower drops, all of which were very pretty. There were quite a few people at the falls despite the nearly nine mile round trip hike. The easiest way to get from level to level was on river right. The first gallery is three shots of the upper drop. The second gallery is the middle and lower segments.
