Tale of the Tape – Abrams Falls Trail

Starting Location: Abrams Falls Trailhead, Cades Cove

Roundtrip Distance: 5.2 miles

Total Elevation Gain – 675 feet

Highest Elevation – 1758 feet

Level of Difficulty: 

Out – Easy – 2.5

Back – Moderate – 4 

Additional Photos –available in an album on my “Author Steve Johnson” Facebook page

Getting There

Travel to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Take the one-way loop road 4.8 miles to the far western end.  Just after crossing Abrams Creek, turn right on a gravel road and travel .4 miles to the parking area and trailhead. 

A hike can be memorable for the trail itself—the flora and fauna, sweeping vistas, and geological features encountered along the way. The main attraction may be the destination it takes you to—perhaps a historic lodge or a spectacular view. A hike can be memorable because of the people you are with—the friendships formed or renewed along the way. A hike can also be unforgettable due to a wildlife encounter. Let’s take a look at these factors in order.

As a trail, the Abrams Falls Trail is average. I mean, it’s fine…there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just not exceptional, noteworthy or particularly challenging. It runs alongside Abrams Creek, but the water is mostly inaccessible due to thick rhododendron growth and steep drop-offs to the creek. There are no sweeping, panoramic views.

What sets Abrams Falls Trail apart, and makes it special, is the destination…the magnificent water oasis known as Abrams Falls. Love this place! The falls themselves are gorgeous—worthy of a selfie or two. Even better, the falls dump into a grand watering hole that is perfectly cool and refreshing after a 2.6-mile hike in hot, clammy armpit weather. This is a place where you can spend all day—and many families do. 

Which leads to warning #1. In the late morning of July 16, the day we visited, the place was packed…especially along the rocks surrounding the falls and watering hole. I would guess there were 200 people playing in or near the water, picnicking, and enjoying nature. Despite the close proximity along the rocks, I didn’t see a single person in a mask. Not one. I’m not judging—everyone has to make a personal call on when to mask up. I fall somewhere in between the “never maskers—it’s all a conspiracy” and the “always maskers—any time you step outside.” I’m just letting you know that if you plan to sit on or meander along the rocks at Abrams Falls on a busy day, you will likely have people travel well within 6 feet of you, and they will likely be unmasked. My personal choice was to mask up until I was alone out in the deeper water, and then back on the trail. You do what’s right for you.

Warning #2: The water near the base of Abrams Falls can be deadly. In fact, there have been 29 water-related deaths on this trail since 1971. As a result, Backpacker Magazine once listed the Abrams Fall Trail among the Top 10 most dangerous hikes in America—not for the trail itself but for the water hazards. The Falls are inviting, but strong currents at their base have swept even capable swimmers into unseen traps. You jump off a rock into seemingly deep water and land on a log, or slide off a slick rock, or get sucked underwater by a strong, unseen undertow. There is plenty of safe water to play in at Abrams Falls—just be smart about it.

Thus far, I’d give this trail a C for the trail itself and an A+ for the destination—the falls. How about the company? That calls for an A+. I was accompanied on this hike by my beautiful wife, Janet—more on her in a minute. We were joined by Brad and Jenny Diamond, some of our closest and dearest friends on the planet. We could walk 5.2 miles in circles around a Walmart parking lot and enjoy our time with these people. I don’t know if it’s our shared memories, common interests, Christian bond, or some combination, but we are truly blessed to know them. And I was thrilled to have them on this hike.

Throughout the hike, Brad peppered me with questions about my AT hike, and I offered my perspective on gear, suitable tenting locations, and other topics. I never tire of talking about my favorite trail. As we climbed a hill on our return journey, I was waxing eloquently about some AT topic and turned my head to look at Brad and Jenny, who were right behind me. With my focus off the trail, I stepped on an unstable rock and fell flat to the ground, skinning my knee. No one else in our foursome fell that day—only the “AT expert.” Humbling.  

Finally, we come to the fourth factor in grading a hike—cool wildlife encounters. And, yes, we had one! About halfway to Abrams Falls, as we approached a 90-degree turn to the right, Lil Jan was in the lead, followed by Jenny, and then Brad and me. I suddenly heard Janet softly say, “Whoa!” I looked up just in time to see a medium-sized bear exit the trail directly in front of her and head up the bank!

A few observations:

1. I hiked 2189.1 miles on the AT and saw a total of 5 bears—none closer than maybe 10-15 yards. Jan goes less than 2 miles on Abrams Falls trail and practically high-fives a bear…not fair!
2. I did some research on her reaction…saying “Whoa!” The “whoa” cue or command is considered essential to the training of a pointing dog. Whoa means to stop and stand still until released. In hunting situations, you can imagine how valuable this command is. In hiking situations, a few feet from a bear, said command is far less valuable or effective, especially when spoken softly.
3. Sadly, my instinctual reaction to seeing the bear was to extend my left arm across Brad’s chest to stop his forward momentum—to save him. In effect, I was saying, “Brad, do not go forward—there’s danger ahead! Whatever this bear plans to do to my wife of 32 years is something she must deal with on her own.”

As we collectively caught our breath and wondered whether we had a change of underwear in our packs, a man who had been hiking about 15 yards in front of us approached. He said, “I got it on film!” and proceeded to show us several pictures of Janet, the bear, and Janet with the bear. The bear looked chill. Janet had that same look on her face as she gets when she catches me washing whites with colors.

The man with the “money shots” offered to send us the pictures, so Janet gave him her e-mail and phone number. As I write this, nine days later, we’ve yet to hear from him. Major bummer! Lesson learned: always exchange contact info, so you’re able to follow up. Maybe someday we’ll hear from him.

Janet and I discussed her bear encounter and tried to recreate the scene from memory—everyone’s relative distance from the bear and each other, Janet’s and the bear’s reactions, etc. Not having an “actual” photo to share with you, we found one that best represents the scene as we remember it.

Final Grades for Abrams Falls Trail:

The Trail: C

The Falls: A+

The Company: A+

Wildlife Encounters: A- (w/ potential for upgrade if/when we receive photo)

Bottom-Line: This is an enjoyable, fairly easy hike for people of all ages; not so much for the hike itself, but for the outstanding Abrams Falls that await you. Wear swim trunks and bring a loved one. If your loved one shows even the slightest inclination to skinny dip in The Falls, just reach out your hand, stop their momentum, and softly whisper, “Whoa!”