Grotto Falls
A 2.6-mile round trip on the Trillium Gap Trail to the only waterfall in the Smokies you can walk completely behind, through cool old-growth hemlock forest.
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- Length
- 2.6 mi
- Elevation gain
- 600 ft
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Route
- out-and-back
Trail conditions
No recent condition reports. Hiked it lately?
Report current conditions →Elevation
1.7 mi · 623 ft of climbing · high 3,706 ft · low 3,109 ft
Find the trailhead
Parking
Trailhead on the one-way Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which is closed in winter and to RVs and buses year-round.
The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is typically closed late November through March.
Directions to parkingWeather at the trailhead
73°FOvercast now
Sunrise 6:17 AM · Sunset 8:50 PM
- TodayOvercast82° / 69°F29% precip
- SatFog82° / 65°F23% precip
- SunDrizzle80° / 64°F84% precip
Forecast from Open-Meteo. Mountain conditions change fast; check again before you go.
Grotto Falls is the only waterfall in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that you can walk completely behind, where the Trillium Gap Trail passes under a 25-foot overhang of cool, dripping rock. The path leaves the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and climbs gently through a moist old-growth hemlock and hardwood forest, crossing several small streams. It is also the route llamas take to resupply LeConte Lodge a few times a week in season, so do not be surprised to meet a pack train. The rocks behind and below the falls are slick; step carefully. A parking tag is required park-wide.