Hike to Laurel Falls in the Smokies, rain or shine

Q: What can hikers do at Great Smoky Mountains National Park when it’s raining?
A: Go shopping.

Wrong!

I mean, they can, but why would they when there’s a nearby hike that’s both scenic and fairly easy to do – rain or shine?

It’s called Laurel Falls Trail, and the 2.4-mile path up to the falls and back is mostly asphalt. So muddiness (and slippage) is less of an issue when the trail gets wet. And it’s very doable for people with Parkinson’s disease who are able to walk with relative ease.

Rain wasn’t expected in the Smokies

My husband and I visited the park for two days at the end of April for what we thought would be good hiking under cloudy skies. But on our first morning, there was a spring soaking going on outside our hotel window.

One local told us, “If you don’t like the weather in the Smokies, wait five minutes, and it’ll change.”

(Hmm, I’ve heard that said for about 50 other locales in the country as well. Is it true where you live?)

So we waited, not five minutes but an hour, and it still rained. The asphalt trail at Laurel Falls sounded like our best bet, and we’d heard the falls were lovely.

A note about the trail’s asphalt

The trail is in desperate need of repair. Bumps and deep cracks are everywhere, and whole chunks of the path are gone. It’s as if a giant dinosaur with a taste for tar had taken bites up and down the trail. Of course, the real culprit was years of erosion.

Back to our story. The trailhead was a few minutes’ drive from our hotel in Gatlinburg.

We knew the dismal day deterred many would-be hikers. Even so, the small parking lot was already full when we arrived after noon. We parked along the road nearby, on a wide shoulder. That’s legal, but ticketers will come looking to make sure all four wheels are on pavement.

Fortunately, we had brought our rain jackets.

The ascent started gradually as the trail went along a mountainside.

Views across the canyon showed trees displaying their pretty spring hues.

Parkinson’s tip

If the path is crowded, you’ll need to step down from the asphalt to the dirt at times to let others pass. Bring trekking poles to help with balance.

Normally, wheelchairs and strollers do well on asphalt, but here they would be dangerous. A park official told me that some parents bring strollers anyway.

Enter the construction crews

The park has plans for an overhaul of the trail surface and will replace the asphalt, smoothing it out.

That work starts later this summer (2024) and will last 18 months.

Parkinson’s tip

There are not many places to rest along the route, but about 3/4 of a mile up, a bench awaits. There is another one at the falls.

After a half hour of trekking upward, we reached Laurel Falls. The 80-foot-tall cascade has two tiers with a bridge running between them, and there are plenty of places to take great photos.

On a hot day, hanging around the area would be refreshing because the light mist can cool you down. We who defied the rain were already a little wet.

For our hike the rain was light. I imagine the path would be more slippery had it been pouring.

Dry, wet, or soaking wet, it’s a trail that requires caution.

Until 2026, perhaps!

Hike info

PD difficulty level (see cha r t): Easy
Distance: 2.4 miles out and back
Elevation gain: 410 feet
Trailhead location: along Little River Road 4 miles east of Sugarlands visitor center
Bathrooms: none at trailhead. (Go to Sugarlands.)
Emergency medical support: urgent care facility 20 minutes away in Gatlinburg
Costs: There’s no entry fee to the park, but parking passes are required. A one-day pass is $5.
Road access to trailhead: parking at trailhead.