Margarette Falls (Cherokee)

Margarette Falls is a beautiful 60-foot waterfall on West Fork Dry Creek in Greene County, Tennessee.  The waterfall is located near Old Forge Recreation Area in Cherokee National Forest.

Hike Length: 2.4 miles
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Old Forge Recreation Area (Unaka Ranger District of Cherokee National Forest)
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Yes
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: High
Warnings: The rocks around waterfalls are slippery.  There is a creek crossing that can be difficult in high water.
Trailhead GPS: 36.07124,-82.71866
Waterfall GPS: 36.05625,-82.71722

Directions:

From Greenville, head south on TN-350 for about 6 miles and turn right on Tabor Road.  Go 1.8 miles and turn right on Shelton Mission Road.  Drive another 1.1 miles and turn right into the large parking area for Bullen Hollow Trailhead.

Map:

Hike Description:

From the parking area, hike down the gated FR-5099 for 0.5 miles to a kiosk at the trailhead.  Go right at the kiosk onto Margarette Falls Trail (#189) and stay straight where Bullen Hollow Trail splits to the right.  At 0.8 miles, the trail crosses West Fork Dry Creek on a steel footbridge.

At just over a mile, the trail crosses the creek again, this time without a bridge.  In high water, it can be difficult to cross without getting wet.

Shortly after the crossing, the trail ends at the waterfall.

The clouds were not cooperating when we visited, but I thought it was a gorgeous waterfall.

Here's a video of the falls.

Blog Entries:

29-May-2022: Margarette Falls

External Links:

US Forest Service website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cherokee/recarea/?recid=34888