Fall leaf color report for Laurel Falls Hiking Trail

The Laurel Falls hiking trail in the Tennessee side of the Great Smoky Mountains national park is easily the most hiked trail in the entire park. This is also on of the few paved hiking trails and today it is in peak leaf season throughout the length of the trail.

The trailhead for Laurel Falls in on Little River Road and has a paved parking area which at peak times can be rather full. There is a self guiding tour pamphlet you can purchase right at the beginning of the trail and as you can see the color starts right in the parking lot.

What makes this hiking trail one of the best trails for seeing fall colors in the national park is that you gently climb up in elevation and trees change color to the sides and above you and often you have overlooks looking out at mountains across from the trail and some whole small mountains ranges that are all filling in with fall colors.

There are many varieties of trees along the trail with little undergrowth at the beginning switchbacks so you the ability to have a panoramic view of the forest below you and interesting rock formations on the sides of the trail and above you.

The Laurel Falls Waterfall starts above the trail and collects in a pool that runs under the trail and drops of a shear rock drop to the steam below. The rocks are very slippery on the falls and you are forbidden from climbing on them as people have fallen off of the falls and have gotten hurt. Small children must also be under strict control as the large drop off has no guard rails.

The trees above the falls are showing peach, red, and yellow in the leaves. The rhododendron on the sides and way above the falls stay a beautiful dark green year round.

When there is water in the stream above the falls that can be a huge torrent of water but alas we are in a drought here in the Smokies and the flow though much larger than it appears in the picture below is in fact just a trickle compared to what it could be.

When it gets real cold here Laurel Falls first has ice form on the sides. If you are lucky to catch the falls after there is a bug snow melt and it refreezes the entire waterfall becomes a huge dazzling ice sculpture that must be seen in person to be appreciated.

While most people stop at the waterfall and turn around, the best part of the hike is just 20 more minutes beyond the falls. Here you will leave all the crowds that come to see the falls behind and you enter the forest of huge trees.

The Smoky Mountains national park was heavily logged and almost all the old growth huge trees were cut and taken away. Here on this trail they could not reach some of the trees to log them and they are a sight to see.

These huge trees will be peaking shortly and color along the whole trail should be good for more than a week. The overlooks will have reds and oranges in the distance for at least another 2 or more weeks.

Anytime of the year this is a great trail to explore and is less than 20 minute from mostof the cabin rentals in the Smokies.