Abrams Falls
A rolling 5-mile round trip along Abrams Creek in Cades Cove to a short, powerful 20-foot waterfall and its big plunge pool.
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- Length
- 5.2 mi
- Elevation gain
- 675 ft
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route
- out-and-back
Trail conditions
No recent condition reports. Hiked it lately?
Report current conditions →Elevation
2.2 mi · 268 ft of climbing · high 1,763 ft · low 1,540 ft
Find the trailhead
Parking
Trailhead lot off the Cades Cove Loop Road; the one-way loop is the only way in, so start early to beat the traffic.
The Cades Cove Loop Road has seasonal and vehicle-free hours; check the park calendar.
Directions to parkingWeather at the trailhead
77°FOvercast now
Sunrise 6:19 AM · Sunset 8:51 PM
- TodayOvercast86° / 71°F22% precip
- SatOvercast88° / 71°F5% precip
- SunDrizzle85° / 68°F85% precip
Forecast from Open-Meteo. Mountain conditions change fast; check again before you go.
Abrams Falls is not tall, but the volume of Abrams Creek pouring over the 20-foot ledge into a wide pool makes it one of the most photographed waterfalls in the Smokies. The trail leaves the west end of Cades Cove and rolls through pine-oak forest and rhododendron, crossing log bridges over the creek. The footing is rooty and the short climbs over Arbutus and Stony Ridge add up, so it earns its moderate rating. The pool is deceptively dangerous, with a strong undertow and slick rocks; admire it, but stay out. A parking tag is required park-wide.