This popular Great Smoky Mountains trail will be closed for 18 months — where to hike instead

Sarah Joseph
·2 min read

Laurel Falls Trail is a popular destination at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Seeing over 300,000 hikers annually, it’s one of the park’s most iconic trails. While Gatlinburg was largely spared by Hurricane Helene, Laurel Falls Trail has become unsafe due to loose, broken pavement and other safety hazards. This is largely because the trail hasn’t been repaved at all since the trail was made in 1963. The National Park Service is committed to the safety of this trail, so the park has funded a rehabilitation project to give Laurel Falls Trail a well-deserved makeover.

This project will be extensive. The National Park Service reports that they will be making huge upgrades to the trailhead parking area, expanding it by about fifty parking spaces and adding a designated pathway with a guardrail to connect pedestrians to the trailhead. They will also be repaving all of the trails and installing new educational signage along the way to provide wayfinding, bear safety, and Leave No Trace guidance.

This rehabilitation project will begin on January 6, 2025, and is expected to be completed in eighteen months. While Laurel Falls will be closed during this time, the National Park Service encourages visitors to the area to explore one of the other trails along the Great Smoky Mountains.

  • Baskins Creek Trail: This is a moderate 3.1-mile out-and-back hike through forested hills. At the end, you can view Baskins Creek Falls, which is a two-tiered waterfall.

  • Cove Hardwood Nature Trail: This 0.8-mile loop is a gentle, family-friendly trail through the towering trees of the Smoky Mountains.

  • Cove Mountain Trail to Cataract Falls: If waterfalls are your goal, definitely try Cove Mountain Trail. Cataract Falls is just 1.1 miles round-trip, and you can make the trip with kids in tow. If you’d like to extend your adventure to something a bit more challenging, just follow the Cove Mountain Trail for more scenic views.

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