About
Length (round trip)4.4 mi
ShapeOut-and-Back
DifficultyModerate
Elevation gain900 ft up
Typical time2 hr 45 min
TrailheadGabes Mountain trailhead, Cosby
SurfaceRocky and rooty forest path
Best seasonApril to June for wildflowers, mid-October for fall colour. High elevations are cold and icy from November to March.
DogsNot allowed
AccessibilityHike has steep sections and tree roots across multiple sections of trail.
What you'll see 💧 Waterfall🌲 Old growth

Overview Hike 4.3 miles (6.9 km) roundtrip through a hardwood forest with hemlock and rhododendron to a popular 90-foot (27-m) waterfall in Great Smoky Mountains National Park . This trail includes some steep sections and switchbacks. Hen Wallow Creek, only two feet wide at the top of the falls, separates into two streams and fans out to 30 feet at it tumbles to the base of the falls. If you look carefully, you can often see salamanders in the pool at the bottom. Hikers continuing on the Gabes Mountain Trail beyond the falls can enjoy an impressive old-growth forest. Length 4.3 miles (6.9 km) roundtrip Parking & Trailhead Park in the designated hiker parking area at Cosby Picnic Area near the entrance to Cosby Campground and backtrack on foot approximately 100 yards along the entrance road to the signed start of Gabes Mountain Trail. Don't forget your parking tag . Nearest Restroom Cosby Picnic Area Alternate Hikes Lynn Camp Prong Cascades : 1.4 miles (2.3 km) roundtrip Mouse Creek Falls : 4 miles (6.4 km) roundtrip

Tips
Cosby is the least visited developed area in the Smokies, so this trail stays peaceful. The falls fan out over the rock face rather than plunging.
Location

Gabes Mountain trailhead, Cosby

Other Hikers
No one has logged this trail yet.
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