Cabins USA Logo
Loading Page
RESERVATIONS
(800) 583-6168
Cabins USA Availability Search Icon Availability Search Small Icon


Abrams Falls Trail | Guide, Tips & Directions

Area Info : Smoky Mountains : What To Do : Outdoor Adventures : Hiking : Abrams Falls Hiking Trail

Abrams Falls is one of the most iconic destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so it's well worth visiting this beautiful waterfall near Cades Cove on your next Pigeon Forge cabin vacation.

To help you get the most out of your experience, we've made this guide with tips and information for hiking to Abrams Falls in the Smoky Mountains!

Abrams Falls in the Smoky Mountains

Abrams Falls Quick Facts

Round Trip Distance: 5.1 Miles

Area of the National Park: Cades Cove

Highlights: 20' Waterfall

About Abrams Falls

This moderately difficult hiking trail is one of the most popular hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its no secret why. After all, Cades Cove is one of the most visited destinations in the Smokies and Abrams Falls is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the park.

Since this hike only requires a 5.1-mile round trip, it is accessible for many visitors and this hike takes only 3-4 hours at the most.

On your way to the falls, you'll pass through a lovely forest filled with rhododendron, pine, hemlock, and mountain laurel. This hike is moderately difficult because hikers have to ascend and descend several ridges on their way to the falls. Some of these rocky ridges provide nice overlooks into the Abrams Creek Gorge.

After passing over 3 ridges, the trail begins to descend to Abrams Creek. Overall, the hikers descend some 675 feet to the falls.

The main highlight of the Abrams Falls Trail is a large, 20 Ft. tall waterfall that topples over a prominent sandstone cliff. Of all the falls in the park, this one is the largest volume waterfall in the Smokies, so it's always a spectacular sight to behold, even in the drier months.

To the left of Abrams Falls, there is a large rocky beach area where you can enjoy a scenic pool at the base of the falls. During the warm summer months, cool mists from the falls make this a refreshing place to rest before making your return trip to Cades Cove.

Both Abrams Falls and creek are named for a Cherokee chief named Oskuah, who later adopted the name Abram. Oskuah lived several miles downstream from the falls in what is today the Southwestern section of the national park.

Check out this video from the Great Smoky Mountains Association for a sneak peek of what to expect when you hike this excellent trail in the Smokies!

Insider Tips

To help you get the most out of your visit to Abrams Falls, here are some local tips!

  • Start Your Hike Early – To avoid hiking this trail when it is crowded, it's best to begin your hike before 10 AM.
  • Visit During The Offseason - Summer and Autumn are some of the busiest times of year to visit Cades Cove and Abrams Falls. Hiking this trail in the spring or the winter is the best way to enjoy the beauty of Abrams Falls without the crowds. Major holidays also bring large numbers of visitors to the Smokies.
  • Visit During Rainy Times of Year – Abrams Falls is even more spectacular when water flows are higher. If you want to see the falls at full throttle, visit during spring and winter when the park sees more rainfall.
  • Visit During Weekdays – Weekends are typically busier times to hike this trail, so try planning your hike on a weekday.

Wildlife at Abrams Falls

River Otters Reintroduced To Abrams Creek

The Cades Cove region of the park is a great place to spot wildlife and Abrams Falls is no exception. Deer, turkey, and black bears are commonly seen in this area of the park. Please note that bears are more active in the evening and morning hours.

Abrams Falls is also one of the only places you can find one of the national park's rarest residents: river otters.

In the late 1980s, otters were successfully reintroduced to Abrams Creek. Today, some lucky park visitors report seeing these elusive animals to this day along Abrams Creek and nearby streams. Some have even seen otters diving for fish in the large pool at the base of Abrams Falls.

Hiking Trail Safety Tips

Over the years, the Abrams Falls Trail has been the site of numerous injuries and even some deaths. Powerful currents in the pool at the base of the falls have caused several drownings and since 1979, there have been 29 water-related deaths here.

The park service strongly discourages swimming at Abrams Falls.

Another common hazard on the Abrams Falls Trail is falling on slippery rocks. Mist from the falls causes algae to form on nearby rocks, so please exercise caution when walking near the falls.

Please practice these safety tips to make your hike enjoyable and incident free:

  • Hike in sturdy shoes with ankle support
  • Let someone know where you will be hiking and when you are expected to return
  • Bring plenty of food and water
  • Give wildlife plenty of space
  • Carry a flashlight, even for daytime hikes
  • Begin returning well before dark

The national park service provides an excellent list of safety tips for enjoying backcountry destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains like Abrams Falls.

Getting There

Abrams Falls in Summer

The Abrams Falls trailhead is located on the western end of the Cades Cove Loop just before the Cades Cove Visitor Center. To reach the trailhead, you'll need to drive 4.8 miles of the one-way Cades Cove Loop Road and then turn right onto a gravel road that ends in a parking lot. Here, you'll see a sign for the Abrams Falls Trailhead just before a footbridge. Near the beginning of the hike, you can take a short, 0.5-mile side trail to Elija Oliver's Cabin, which was built in 1818.

Please note that the Cades Cove Loop Road is closed to vehicle traffic on Wednesday and Saturday mornings until 10 AM from May to September.

If you don't mind a longer hike, there is an alternative route you can take from the Abrams Creek Campground to reach Abrams Falls. This hike goes on the Cooper Road Trail and the Little Bottoms Trail to reach Abrams Falls. All in all, this hike is a 9.9-mile round trip and it passes through some of the most remote sections of the national park. Although this hike is longer, it is less traveled than the main route that begins in Cades Cove.

Final Thoughts on Abrams Falls

Though this trail can become crowded from time to time, it's well worth seeing this stunning waterfall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Better yet, this hike is short enough and easy enough for many hikers to enjoy.

Google map from Cabins USA to Abrams Falls Hiking Trail.
A - Cabins USA
B - Abrams Falls Hiking Trail

Please Note: Cabins USA LLC's, hereinafter referred to as Cabins USA, area information, area events, and blog pages are provided as a public service. Cabins USA does not endorse any of the products, vendors, consultants, or businesses referenced in these web pages. Any mention of vendors, products, businesses, or services on the Cabins USA web site is for informational purposes only. Users of this web site are responsible for checking the accuracy, completeness, currency and/or suitability of all information. The inclusion of this information does not imply endorsement by Cabins USA. Furthermore, specific questions regarding any content should be directed to the appropriate organization and not necessarily to Cabins USA.

Cabins USA Official Logo
star star star star star
2140 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN  37863
(865) 429-4121

VLS #157
Pigeon Forge Cabins
Guest Reservations
(800) 583-6168
2 Night Minimum

























































Cabins USA Help Icon
Copyright 2013-2024, Cabins USA LLC, Pigeon Forge, TN

Welcome to Cabins USA! We hope you enjoy your stay with us and look forward to helping you make incredible vacation memories. To help you navigate your Guest User account, we've provided a helpful guide to walk you through the process.

Creating an Account

Creating a guest account is as simple as submitting your email and creating a password. Keep in mind the email used to create your guest account must match the email provided on your reservation.

If a different email is on your reservation, you'll need to create a guest account with that email to manage the reservation.

When finished, an email will be sent to confirm your email address. Follow the steps in the email to complete the creation of your account.

Note: If you need to change the email address on your reservation, please contact the reservations office for further assistance.

Managing Your Account

Once your account is created, you can start managing your reservations. Your guest reservations will show as follows:

Click on the view button to get more details about each reservation. Within the reservation, you'll be able to do three things, which are:

Submit a Trouble Ticket

Click the report issue button for maintenance needs or other concerns during your stay. Briefly describe your issue, provide contact information, and submit up to 3 photos detailing your situation if applicable.

Submit Cancellation Request

This must be done before check-in and per our policies. Within the request, provide a reason for cancellation and click submit. After submitting your request, one of our reservationists must complete the cancellation process before your reservation is canceled.

Make a Payment

For future stays with a balance open, you can make credit card payments from $50 up to the total cost of the reservation.

Additional Information

If you have a future reservation and haven't completed the Express Check-In, please send your confirmation number and email used for the reservation to reservations@cabinsusa.com to request an invitation to complete the process.

After you've signed all reservation documents and paid the balance in full, you'll receive an email with your active stay information 8 hours prior to arrival, which includes the following:

Note: If the reservation documents have not been signed electronically and/or the balance has not been paid three days prior to arrival via the credit card on file, you must check in at our 2140 Parkway office. Our office hours are currently 8:00am - 10:00pm, Monday thru Sunday.

Contact Us

Didn't find the information you needed? Contact Us for further assistance with your reservation or guest account.

Thank you for choosing us for your Smoky Mountain vacation! We look forward to helping you make your dream vacation a reality!

Warm regards,

Cabins USA

Interested in receiving our newsletter? Simply provide your full name and email address in these fields to begin receiving information. By doing so, you can learn about special promotions and events in the Smoky Mountains!

We respect our customer's privacy and feel it is disrespectful to bombard anyone with emails. We treat all information that customers share with us as private and confidential. Cabins USA never shares this information with third party sites.

Arrival Date: Mandatory, select or enter date you will arrive (MM/DD/YYYY)

Nights: Mandatory, select or enter the number of Nights you will be staying with us

Promotional Code: Must enter a valid code

Optional Search Items: (Amenties, Cities, etc)
Below are several boxes in which you can either select from a drop down list or click on a check box to the left of an item to select.

Changing the contents of any drop down list or selecting/deselecting a check box will broaden or narrow the number of properties displayed by your search. You don't have to wait until the search completes to select/deselect items for your perfect search.

You must hit the SEARCH button to start your first search. It is unnecessary to hit the SEARCH button after doing your first search, unless you changed to another web page, changed the Arrival Date or number of Nights.

Add to Favorites: As you visit individual property pages or pages with listings of several properties on them, you have the option to click on the "+ Favorites" for each particular property, which automatically adds the property to your list of Favorites for consideration. The number next to the Favorites tab, left sidebar, will increase up to 99 possible Favorites. When ready, click on the Favorites tab to view a list of your selected Favorites.

Remove from Favorites: You may de-select (remove) properties from your Favorites you no longer wish to consider by either clicking on the minus icon to the right or by clicking on the "- Favorites" displayed on property list pages and each property details page for properties listed in your Favorites.

Compare Favorites: Click in the check boxes to the left of the property name, in your Favorites, you wish to compare. No more than 3 boxes may be selected at one time. When ready, hit the Compare button for a comparison of the 3 selected properties.

Follow the above "Remove from Favorites" instructions to remove a property from the comparison and your Favorites.

To add another property from your Favorites list for comparison, click the check box to the left of the property name in your Favorites and hit the Compare button.

Repeat the above steps to find your ultimate vacation accommodations. Need assistance or have questions, please give us a call so we may better serve you!

View List: Displays a full list of all your Favorites with some details.

Remove All: Clears all properties from your Favorites so you may start over.