It was unknown to me until recently that a beautiful little waterfall was located behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I had often stopped by the visitor center to use the restroom while traveling, but that was about it. I am so glad that I saw a video on YouTube telling me about this waterfall.

As fate would have it, the day that I was actually in town to visit the waterfall, snow had decided to fall as well. While I am not fond of snow, cold weather, or feeling somewhat numb from the cold, I decided that I would tackle the trail since I wouldn’t have to worry about getting too hot. I didn’t get too hot, but I was very cold. I was determined to hike that trail to see the waterfall for myself.

The trail is fairly easy to hike. A light snowfall was on the ground in some spots, so I took full advantage of getting some pictures. A small stream of water was flowing softly while I made my walk to the waterfall. A very unique looking tree was located by a small bridge that lets you cross over the stream. When you cross over the bridge, you take a right turn and keep on walking beside the water. Eventually you will come to another bridge that you walk underneath, then you make a left turn to go up a small set of steps, then make another right turn to take you to the waterfall.

A few people were braving the cold weather that day as well, but we had the waterfall to ourselves for a few minutes. You could hear the water falling down the rocks. It had a good flow that day due to some recent rain that the Smokies had received. I could have stayed at the waterfall longer, but my fingers were starting to go numb from the cold.

As we made our way back to the parking lot, the hike back didn’t seem to take as long as the hike to the waterfall did. It could have been because I was no longer taking so many pictures, but I did take a few because the view was different on the way back. I saw trees that I didn’t originally see, and saw some snow on logs that I didn’t see on the way in.

Cataract Falls is known as one of the easier hikes in the Smoky Mountains. I am not much of a hiker, but I handled it easily. The trail for it is located behind the Sugarlands Visitor Center which is located at 1420 Fighting Creek Gap Road in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It’s a great little hike to stretch your legs on, get a little hiking in, or just enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.

Published by travelingthesoutheast

My name is Donna. At an early age I had a love for photography. There was nothing more fun than taking film to a store and then having to wait several days to get the photographs back, sometimes only to find out that none of the pictures turned out the way I wanted them to. Quite a few years ago digital came out, and the rest is history. I can always be found with a camera around my neck, on my arm, or in my hand. I have always had a love for telling stories and sharing them with others. My imagination has always been a little on the wild side. About ten years ago, I decided one day that I wanted to start traveling, and I have never looked back. There is nothing in the world that I enjoy more than traveling and taking photographs. View all posts by travelingthesoutheast