Those in Gatlinburg in the summer (or throughout most of the spring and fall) looking for an especially cool geological feature and possibly a place to cool off a little can make the trek to Grotto Falls.
The trailhead with the easiest access to Grotto Falls sits on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, a scenic one-way loop that travels from the western side of Gatlinburg, dips into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and then takes motorists to the eastern side of Gatlinburg, depositing them on Highway 321.
This road opens to vehicular traffic only from April 10 through Nov. 30, so don’t expect to park near Grotto Falls when visiting the Great Smoky Mountains during the winter. Still, ambitious hikers can park in the Rainbow Falls parking area, embark on a 1.7-mile walk to the Trillium Gap trailhead, and then onto Grotto Falls anytime of the year, if they wish to do so.
From the access to the Trillium Gap Trail located on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, the walk to Grotto Falls is only 1.3 miles (a 2.6-mile round-trip).
The hike to the falls gently slopes up for most of the way, achieving about a 600-foot elevation gain over the 1.3 miles, but it’s never too drastic of an uphill battle.
View a wide variety of flowers, plants and trees along the way, a striking, fern-covered hill, some old-growth trees with roots twisting and tangling in every direction around large rocks near the trail and other natural features on the hike to Grotto Falls. It contains a couple of very small creek crossings, but no big deal.
Plenty of hikers say the Grotto Falls feature is worth the effort; and downhill on the return is a less strenuous trek.
The grotto is a noteworthy and special area. “Grotto” means cave, and though the waterfall is not located completely underground, it is mainly surrounded by rocks, making an intimate, watery, cool and shady room, a tucked away nook in the massive national park.
Visitors can walk directly underneath the waterfall if they want and the area contains lots of spots to sit and get their toes in the water.
“The most distinctive feature about Grotto Falls is that it’s the only waterfall in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that a person can actually walk behind,” according to hikinginthesmokys.com. “The 25-foot high waterfall offers a cool, shady and moist retreat for hikers in the summer. This same environment also provides ideal habitat for salamanders.”
Quite a few folks want to visit this feature, and the falls and craggy cavern surrounding it make a popular photo opportunity. But lots of different rocks to sit upon, scattered among the cascades downstream from the falls, provide plenty of room for a lot of people to spread out and enjoy the creek and the view of the falls.
Some report being unable to locate a parking spot on the Motor Nature Trail during peak times; parking for Grotto Falls is a bit limited along this narrow roadway.
The 2.6 miles to Grotto Falls and back is passable enough for beginning hikers determined to make it, but for those wanting a longer excursion, adventurers can continue past Grotto Falls onto Trillium Gap, the Messer Cabin, up Brushy Mountain (an additional two miles of uphill journey to visit its summit) or Mt. LeConte (an additional 5.6 miles to its peak), to Rainbow Falls, or for however many miles they want to spend walking throughout the Tennessee and North Carolina mountains.
Note: as of 2023, a parking tag is required to park anywhere within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park; the cost for tags is $4 a day or $15 for a week. Also, vehicles longer than 25 feet and vehicles towing trailers are prohibited on Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
Grotto Falls
Trillium Gap Trail
Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
