Angel Falls is actually a class III rapids on the Big South Fork Cumberland River. The trail is located in the Tennessee portion of the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Parking for the trail head is at the Leatherwood Ford river access. This is located on Tennessee route 297 about 11 miles west of its intersection with US 27 in Oneida. We strolled the four mile round trip trail to the site in late March 2014.
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| Trail Map |
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| Trail head |
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| Most of the trail is an old roadway |
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| Big South Fork |
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| Spring flowers |
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| Bridge crossing over the first of three streams along the route |
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| Looking upstream at the unnamed branch |
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| Water drips from the rock formation above the trail |
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| A storm has blown this tree down on the trail |
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| The wide, even trail makes for easy walking |
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| Another view of the Big South Fork |
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| A second bridge spans Anderson Branch |
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| Anderson Branch |
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| Anderson Branch passes under the bridge before flowing into the Big South Fork |
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| A few rocks interrupt the smooth trail surface |
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| The trail follows the base of a bluff |
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| The river in places is deep enough to appear still |
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| The third branch is crossed by rock hopping |
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| Another slab of rock protrudes into the trail |
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| Water dripping off a bluff creates a wet zone on the trail |
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| The trail continues down river, but the action is at the lower end of the portage |
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| An overlook has been built above the rapids |
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| View of Angel Falls from the overlook |
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| Large boulders are scattered in and around the river |
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| Angel Falls |
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| Turbulent water downstream of the rapids |
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| Water carving is evident in this sandstone rock |
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| More rock carving |
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| The portage trail leading back to the overlook |
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| Gartersnake on the trail |
There is no entrance fee at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.
The park website is http://www.nps.gov/biso/index.htm.
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