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.
Crystal and I had planned to take the children and go hiking on Memorial Day Monday.
All the men in the family were out of town so we did our own thing. Today would be Tessa's first hike ever. She is eight months old and a little thing. She'd be toted in a papoose.
It would be the longest hike thus far for grandson Michael age five. I met Crystal at her house.
She lives near me. We loaded the vehicle up and away we went to the National Park.
I like hiking to Grotto Falls, but it is one of those that everybody and their brother goes on.
It is nearly always crowded. We did not get an early start by choice. We still managed to find parking though it was down the road a bit from the trail head. We packed diapers, baby food, sippy cup, toys, etc.
All the trappings you take when you take a baby and a preschooler on the trail. The thing I forgot today
that I had never forgotten before? The SD card in the camera! I was lucky in that I still got a few photos and one video from the day on the camera's internal memory. I also got about half dozen photos from Crystal that she took with her cell phone camera. It is enough to at least post a trip report that represents the days events.
Michael had been so excited about going hiking to a waterfall he had trouble eating much at the house.
We had no more gotten on the trail when he decided he had to eat something. We stopped and he sat down on a rock and ate half a peanut butter sandwich. He felt better and off we started again. We saw lots of people, but at least they were all nice and in a good mood. It was a family environment which is one redeeming thing about such a heavily traveled trail. I also find it a little comforting sometimes to have people around. It is somewhat reassuring. I had cautioned Michael not to wander off because of bears. I had given him some instructions about what to expect in the forest. He did an excellent job of listening the entire time! We did not see any bears or snakes today and that suited me fine.
The Trillium Gap Trail is the one that takes you up one and one half miles to Grotto Falls. It is
uphill the entire way, but the trail has many switchbacks. It is well graded and that helps a lot. We
had a little whining along the way about "Are we there yet?" and about being tired. It was ok. Crystal had
a good point that we needed to do more of it so we'd all get used to it. She was right. Today's hike turned out like some others I've taken to Grotto Falls. I would be hiking along and suddenly realize that mile and one half had flown by and we were there!! Woo Hoo.
Tessa had been funny today. I wondered how she would be? I wondered if she would like hiking?
She DID! Very much so. She growled. She flirted. She wanted to carry the trekking pole and did for a good part of the way. She kept fighting Crystal for control of it! Finally she had to stop and put Tessa on her back. Once she was back there it was easier on Crystal to carry her, but she could not reach the hiking
pole any longer. Michael had sung when I toted him on my back and took him hiking. He'd sing and throw his pacifier down on the trail. I'd have to hunt it on the way back.
Crystal, Michael and Tessa at Grotto Falls
Tessa looks out from her backpack
Michael in front of Grotto Falls We arrived at Grotto falls and it was pretty. It had a decent amount of water coming over it. We had trouble getting photos of it without someone in the way. Loads of people there. Climbing around on rocks. I persuaded Michael to walk behind the falls. He did not want to do it at first, but he was finally convinced. He was very proud of himself after he'd made it there and gone behind the waterfall! I was proud of him too. We had to feed Tessa a container of baby food on the trail before we could head back. She had a dry diaper and we had just gotten her back in her papoose when the rain came! We got rained on for three or four minutes. It was just enough to cool us off for the hike back. Tessa's hair was plastered to her little head. She whimpered at first, but then the rain stopped. She got tickled when she thought about what happened to us and began laughing. She's a very good sport to not let it bother her. We all survived our drenching. The trail was pretty and the air smelled fresh and cool. The smell of Summer was in the air now. Green and growing things. Moisture. Earth. We saw some pretty mountain laurel blooming along the trail. We made it back to the vehicle without any problems. We loaded up and began our trip back toward Gatlinburg. We planned to eat dinner. Nanny treated everyone to dinner at Calhoun's. We had fried trout. My favorite! We all ate too much and enjoyed excellent food and service. It is such a relaxed atmosphere. The kids were sweet and funny and well behaved. They ate well. Michael is the world's best big brother. He loves that sissy. She hollers Nan na na, Ma ma ma and Bubba! She doesn't have a single tooth yet, but gummed some trout, pretzels in beer cheese, bread and bits of baked potato! She was hollering mmmm! Like Michael used to do. What a happy day. I can hardly wait til the next time to go hiking with my family.
Here is a list of a few family oriented trips that would be fun and easy to do.
Mingo Falls
Pioneer Farm at Oconaluftee
Soco Falls
Flat Creek Nature Trail
Spruce Flats Falls
Lynn Camp Prong
Laurel Falls
Below is short video of Grotto Falls and Michael playing
