Abrams Falls

Hike #20 : June 14, 2014

15.6 miles

15.2 new miles
262.2 total overall miles

190.1 total miles of 800.8


Abrams Falls. One of the most popular trails in all the Smokies. Most people hike to the falls from Cades Cove. Eddie and I are not most people. If there's a harder way, we will find it...

Actually, we decided to do a loop hike because we like loop hikes and we need those hard fought miles don't we? Yes. Yes, we do. After driving to Happy Valley off US 129, we came to the Little Bottoms Trailhead. We're doing the loop clockwise so we head out on Little Bottoms towards Abrams Falls Trail. Almost immediately the trail goes up, waaaay up! It's not a really long hill but definitely a difficult start to the day.

The trail mostly follows Abrams Creek and is moderately difficult after that initial hill. At 2.3 miles, the trail merges into Abrams Falls Trail. Sadly, there's still the dead remains of the many hemlock trees that were killed by the adelgid outbreak many years ago. After a couple of miles, we reach the falls around 9:30. Since Cades Cove doesn't open to car traffic until 10 on Saturdays, there was not a single person there but us. Considering that there's up to a thousand visitors a day, that was pretty cool and worth the 5am wake up call. Interestingly, Backpacker Magazine once name Abrams Falls one of the most dangerous trails in the country citing 29 deaths presumably from drownings.

After a climb to the top of the falls, a feat that seemed much easier years ago, we take some pics and continue on to the Abrams Falls parking lot at Cades Cove. This pert of the trail is so overused, it has a different feel from the less traveled trails we've grown used to. We did happen upon a couple of trail volunteers picking up trash along the trail. Don't even get me started on how much litterbugs piss me off. But anyway, once we reach the parking area we take a right to the Rabbit Creek Trailhead. It is here that I get to wade for the first time on a hike in Mill Creek. Let me tell you something, it may be 80 some odd degrees outside but that water is COLD! After the initial shock of ice shooting through my body, it actually felt pretty good on my feet after 8.5 miles of hiking.

The Rabbit Creek Trail was the surprise of the day for me as it was much more difficult than I had thought. Imagine that, right? A lot of rather steep up hills makes it feels more like a hike up Mt. LeConte. And where the hike up to here had been cool and shady, there's suddenly a lot less shade and a lot more heat. The trail itself starts off wet and rocky but dried out as we went while the rocks came and went. After the junction with Hannah Mountain Trail, we begin a merciless incline that has us baking in the sun and pushing us to the limit. At least to my limit. Finally with a few miles to go, the trail begins a nice decline leading us back to the ranger station and where we started.

A great hike. I would absolutely recommend going to Abrams Falls this way but if that's your only destination you'd be best served hiking to the falls and back instead of the whole loop.

TRAIL REVIEW

Cooper Road Trail - .9 mile
Little Bottoms Trail - 2.3 miles
Abrams Falls Trail - 4.2 miles
Rabbit Creek Trail - 7.8 miles

4 campsites (1, 17, 15, 16)
Abrams Creek Campground

Wanna hike the 900? Start by checking out the book Day Hiker's Guide To All The Trails In The Smoky Mountains by Elizabeth L. Etnier.

For more pictures of this hike, check out the Smoky Mountain Hikertrash facebook page.

For more information on this hike and many more, visit Hikinging The Smokys.