The views across the open fields of the valley with the misty mountains were wonderful in the early morning light.
We saw some deer and elk grazing in the fields, but didn’t stop to get a closer look. Perhaps it’s the signs telling motorists to be courteous and not stop in the road and block traffic; while the traffic was moving slowly, at least it was moving, much better than on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. After going about half way through the loop, we turned onto a short side road that led to the trailhead for Abrams Falls Trail. There were only about three cars in the parking lot when we arrived, so we would not be expecting crowds on the hike to the falls (but maybe on the hike back). From the trailhead, it’s a 2.5-mile moderately strenuous hike to the waterfall. Immediately, the trail crosses Abrams Creek on a bridge and continues following the creek downstream to the falls.
We crossed three narrow footbridges before reaching the falls. It’s only about 20 feet high, but very powerful for its size. We first stopped at the far end of the pool and climbed out on some rocks to get some pictures from a distance.
Then we went closer to the falls and climbed out on the very wet and slippery rocks along the side of the waterfall to get some pictures right next to it.
An old log leaning against the side of the falls made for some interesting poses. When we had taken enough pictures, we rested for a bit and had a snack, enjoying the solitude at the waterfall. But soon, more people began showing up. So we started making our way back to the cars, passing quite a few groups making their way down to the falls. It was definitely a great idea to wake up so early and get to the waterfall first thing in the morning. Back at the trailhead, the parking lot was now completely full. What a difference a couple of hours makes. From here, we made the short drive to the Cades Cove Visitor Center. This parking lot was also full, so we had to squeeze in along the side of the road. We stopped at the gift shop and I bought Sandy a stuffed bear. I had gotten her one last year on this trip, but she gave it to her cousin a few weeks later and now wanted another one. She promised not to give this one away. After shopping for a bit, we ate lunch outside and then did a quick walk around the area to check out some of the historic buildings. I really liked the John Cable Grist Mill here that uses a water wheel to mill grain.
A series of wooden diversions directed water from the creeks to the wheel to provide enough power. When we were done, we continued on the Cades Cove Loop Road to the end and parked at the Cades Cove Ranger Station for another hike. Again, we were stuck behind a slow driver and at one point, got passed by a bicycle going uphill! Finally, we finished up the loop and parked by the ranger station at the entrance to the Cades Cove Campground. We planned to hike the Crooked Arm Ridge Trail, a 2.2-mile trail that supposedly leads up to nice views of Cades Cove. We walked over to the beginning point of the loop road and the trailhead for Rich Mountain Loop Trail. Almost immediately, we saw several wild turkeys run across the path.
After half a mile, we came to an intersection and turned right to get on the Crooked Arm Ridge Trail. The trail was quite steep and seemed to go on for quite a ways. After climbing quite a bit, the trail finally leveled off and followed a ridge line through a couple of saddles with only gradual slope, but it seemed that we had gone more than 2.2 miles. But we had not come across any scenic overlooks or signage indicating that we were on a different trail. At least we were high enough that we were starting to see some good color, though.
We continued on until we had gone over 4 miles and still no great overlooks. There were a couple of spots with decent views, but still a lot of trees and foliage obscuring the views.
And the views were to the north, towards Townsend, not towards Cades Cove. After going more than four miles, we decided to turn back. Along the hike back, we met two other groups who were looking for that overlook at 2.2 miles. We warned them that it may not exist and the trail keeps going on and on, so they decided to head back with us. When we got back to the start of the trail at Rich Mountain Loop Trail, we got off the trail and walked through an open field to see a couple of bucks grazing in the field.
Across the loop road, we could see horses running across the field. It looked like they may have been the horses for riding or pulling carriages and they were being let loose at the end of the day to run free and graze.
When we got back to the ranger station, Justine and I spoke to park staff at the station and told them about our hike. We were told that several people had gotten lost on the trail and clearly there needs to be better signage. From my GPS, we had finished Crooked Arm Ridge Trail and gotten on Indian Grave Gap Trail, but there were no signs indicating so. Hopefully, the park will put up some trail signs in the future. With the hike being longer than planned, it was getting very late in the day, so we started heading back to our camp at Elkmont. However, we did hit one more roadside waterfall on the way back – The Sinks.
It’s more of a big cascade than a waterfall per se, but definitely worth the stop. The parking area is along Little River Road between TN-73 towards Townsend and Elkmont. An overlook just past the parking lot provides views of the waterfall, but they are partially blocked by trees, so we climbed down below the overlook to get a better view. It was almost sunset by this time, so we continued back to our camp, arriving just as it was getting dark. We had dinner at camp again, and made a big bonfire to keep warm. It was again very cold once the sun went down.
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