New York Ironweed closeup 

Grotto Falls  2020

Kenny & Dana Koogler 

Saturday September 19, 2020

Hike distance 3.25 miles round trip

Pictures are here

(Click the arrow to the right to advance to next photo)

Grotto Falls on Tennessee Landforms 

  The first time we ever hiked to Grotto Falls was March 1997.   It was the first hike ever in the Smokies.   Back in those days if you came to the Sugarlands Visitor Center there were huge wall panels up that had photos of the various area waterfalls on them.  Grotto Falls looked intriguing and a check of the guidebook  and map showed that it should be a moderate 3 mile round trip hike.  We hiked here and enjoyed it very much.   I remember I was wearing bib overalls a short sleeve shirt and work boots.  We have hiked to it half dozen times since then. 

We have hiked it from the trailhead up to the falls, up the Roaring Fork above Grotto Falls off trail to Twin Falls, Dome Falls and across the summit of Mt. LeConte and down Alum Cave Trail.   

         The most recent hike to Grotto Falls for me was six and a half years ago when we took the grandkids here.  I was carrying Tessa on my back half the trip. Crystal carried her the rest of the time.   It was crowded, but we had fun.  

       The changes we've noticed are the numbers of people hiking.   The trail is now an interstate highway sized compared to the single wide track that used to exist.  It is now far more eroded and galled out from many years of over use.   We moved to the area in December 2001.   We have grown less and less fond of hiking in the Smokies just because of the traffic and the sheer volume of visitors.   We spend an increasing amount of time in other areas.   Today we decided to take a chance on a hike in the park.   We reckoned without one thing.  It was rod runs in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville.   It was also done on a Saturday which was foolish.  

          We got up and left early enough to get a parking place.   We arrived around 9:45 a.m. to find the parking lot already full.   We had to drive down the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail at least an extra 0.20 miles before we found a spot to pull over that was safely out of the road.    We gathered out gear and set out as quickly as we could.  We wanted to get up to the falls to try to get photos and see it before it got nerve wrackingly crowded.   The trail has been improved upon making it easier to use, but ugly.   The hike up and the drive around the motor nature trail were pretty in that goldenrod, white and lavender asters, pale jewelweed, and great blue lobelia lined the trail and the road.  Now and then we saw pink turtlehead flowers.    The forest was pretty.  There are still some huge trees in the woods.

      The people on the trail were for the most part friendly and pleasant.   

Our plan was to hike up to the main falls then continue on to Upper Grotto Falls. It is only 0.25 miles further, but it is off trail.   Slow going.  It occurred to me this morning laying in bed that I wondered if we'd even be able to make that part of the trip?   The former off trail routes have become hindered and much more difficult owing to the large numbers of downed hemlock trees.   We'd find out soon enough.

          We arrived at the falls after the trudge up the hill.  At least the hike is merciful in that it has some level spots for you to not have to work so hard at steady uphill the whole way.    The lower falls came into view.   It was very pretty.

We pressed onward toward the main falls because that was crowded and it would get worse as the day wore on.    The falls was gushing mightily.  You can walk behind the falls as the trail continues behind it and on up the mountain to the summit of LeConte.   Roaring Fork is the stream this lies on.   It is one of the steepest streams in the park. I cannot remember now if Porters Creek or Roaring Fork is number one steepest, but they are both steep, flash flood streams. Porters Creek has more reputation for flash floods than Roaring Fork.  It washed the big bridge out this year from that very thing.  

           

        Below is Grotto Falls from the near side in profile.

 

A picture with no people in it. You have to be quick!

Above: view from behind the falls 

Above: silky water shot of Grotto Falls. I only got two photos today of the falls with no people in them.

         We enjoyed the falls as best we could.  We went on up above the falls to try to reach Upper Grotto Falls.    The way up to it is worse than it used to be. It is packed down, slick as snot, and right from the start you begin to see downed massive tree trunks.   We crawled under two right at the start of the off trail portion.     

   Once up top we had perhaps fifty feet of not too bad on stream left.  

We were then forced to begin fording the creek back and forth.  It was quickly getting worse.   We came to a point where the terrain forces you into the stream.  

We looked and looked and could not see any reasonable way to proceed short of just getting in the stream and climbing the cascades.   Today it was 59 ° when we got up.  It was jacket weather, but of course I did not want one.  The downed hemlocks and increased amounts of rhododendron have made this even harder than it used to be.    The creek rocks were slick and dangerous.  Kenny was discouraged and so was I.  Despite our discouragement we both knew we'd feel a whole lot worse if one of us got hurt in the attempt.  We are not spring chickens anymore.

    I took out the GPS device and turned it on and tuned it to Upper Grotto Falls.

I had plugged the waypoint in this morning just before we left.  I wasn't concerned about finding it, but I just had this feeling we might need it. Kenny asked me how far we were from the upper falls?  I told him I believed we were 0.15 miles from it.  Once the device got its bearings and picked up the satellites I did a distance measure.   We were indeed 0.15 miles from the upper falls.  I was right on the money!     Finally we agreed we'd turn back.   If we ever attempt this again we need to go when it is hot and just get in the stream and wade and climb.   It is just too brushy on the banks now.  

     We worked our way back down toward the main trail and Grotto Falls.

Kenny helped me because I was nervous about falling.   By the time we got back down there I was sweating bullets from nerves.   A couple nice young men asked us where'd y'all go?  I answered them "not far."  and left it at that.   I was disgusted with the people at this point.   Now the throng of hikers was even larger.  We turned and headed back down the trail.     I won't say I'll not come back, but if I do it will be on a week day and very very early.   Bobby Shaw, do you hear me? ;^D

       I managed to get almost as muddy, wet and dirty as I did the very first time I hiked to Upper Grotto Falls.   I was so dirty then Kenny would not let me back in the truck.  I stripped in the parking lot and wore one of his shirts home.  Just a shirt and big streaks of mud on my face and leaves in my wig.   Down through Gatlinburg we went that day....... tay hay in da win  hin!  

        We had thought we'd go round the rest of the nature trail and take pictures and explore.  We thought we'd go get something to eat in Gatlinburg.  Oh how wrong we were on all counts.   By now neither one of us gave a flip about any of it. We wanted out of here and home. It hit Kenny that Rod Runs was going on.  We managed to take some backroads in Gatlinburg and cut off some of the sitting in traffic, but it still took us a long time to extricate ourselves from that mess.

We got home and had warm ups for lunch.  It was great to be home and quiet and away from the snarl of cars and people.   It was kinda a buzz kill to tell the truth. Better than last weekend, but still fubar'd.  

Above: Gary Clendenon id'd this as Carolina Moonberry.. they are highly poisonous! Good thing I didn't eat them. ;^D

Great blue lobelia 

Thistle bloom

Spotted jewelweed 

A pretty patch of flowers in Wears Valley blue lobelia and jewelweed

Below is a photo of the point where we stopped above Grotto Falls. It was very pretty.  We may try again one day, but if not I am not worried about it.   As jaded as I have grown with the crowds in the Smokies ... It just doesn't worry me anymore to do these over so much.  I'd do it for a friend.  

 Below is a video of Grotto Falls and the cascade above them where we stopped.