Rock Slab Falls (GSMNP)

Rock Slab Falls, also called Forney Creek Cascades, is a waterfall on Forney Creek in Swain County, located near Clingman's Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Hike Length: 6 miles
Estimated Time: 4 hours
Difficulty: Difficult
Location: Clingmans Dome (Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
Trail Users: Hiking Only
Dogs: No dogs
Features: Waterfall (1)
Crowds: Moderate
Warnings: None
Trailhead GPS: 35.55685,-83.49431
Waterfall GPS: 35.54404,-83.50732

Directions:

From Cherokee, head north on US-441 for about 19 miles to Newfound Gap.  Turn left on Clingmans Dome Road (closed during the winter) and go 7 miles to the Forney Ridge Parking Area at the end.

Map:

Hike Description:

The hike starts from the western end of the parking lot.  The paved Clingmans Dome Trail heads up to the peak while unpaved Forney Ridge Trail descends.  Take Forney Ridge Trail down to an intersection in 0.1 miles.  Turn left to Stay on Forney Ridge Trail where right starts Clingmans Dome Bypass Trail.  In 1.1 miles, turn right on Forney Creek Trail.  Forney Creek Trail descends steeply towards its namesake then cuts back to a tributary and follows this tributary down to the confluence.  Cross Forney Creek at the confluence where there is a scenic cascade.

After crossing, follow Forney Creek downstream for less than a half-mile to a backcountry campsite.  The waterfall is right beyond the campsite.  The waterfall consists of an upper cascade and a lower slide.

The lower slide has some evidence of the old logging railroads at once went through the area.

There are also some cascades below the falls.

The hike back is all uphill, gaining about 2,000 vertical feet back to the parking area.

Blog Entries:

10-Nov-2019: Rock Slab Falls

External Links:

National Park Service website: https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/clingmansdome.htm