Falls Branch Falls (Citico)

Falls Branch Falls is a 70-foot waterfall on Falls Branch, a tributary of South Fork Citico Creek, in Monroe County, Tennessee.  The waterfall is located in Citico Creek Wilderness.

Hike Length: 2.4 miles
Estimated Time: 1 to 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Citico Creek Wilderness (Tellico Ranger District of Cherokee National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: Moderate
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are slippery.  The trail crosses the creek downstream of the falls.
Trailhead GPS: 35.34679,-84.06099
Waterfall GPS: 35.35537,-84.06467

Directions:

From Tellico Plains, head east on Cherohala Skyway for around 22.5 miles and turn left into the West Rattlesnake Rock parking area.

Map:

Hike Description:

Pick up Falls Branch Trail (#87) and immediately enter the wilderness and turn left, where right is Jeffrey Hell Trail (#196).  Falls Branch Trail follows an old road bed and is moderate at first then gets steeper as it descends to the creek at 1 mile.

Cross the creek and head upstream a short ways to reach the base of the waterfall.  The last part is a little challenging.

Here's a video of the falls

Blog Entries:

11-Jul-2026: Rainy Hikes in Citico Creek

11-Jul-2015: Citico Creek Wilderness

External Links:

US Forest Service website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r08/cherokee/recreation/falls-branch-falls-hike