In mid-February 2016, we headed to the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg to hike one of the low elevation trails in the area. When we arrived, both the Little River Road to Townsend and the Newfound Gap Road to Cherokee were closed due to ice on the pavement. This reduced our hiking choices immensely. We decided to hike the Fighting Creek Nature Trail with the extension to Cataract Falls.
Starting between the visitor center and the restrooms, walk down the sidewalk about 100 yards and turn left onto the Fighting Creek Nature Trail. Walking another 300 yards, we arrived at a trail junction. To the left and nearly straight ahead are the ends of the nature trail loop. To the right is the quarter mile walk to the waterfall. We chose to visit the waterfall first, before returning to the junction and following the nature trail in a clock-wise direction. Altogether, we hiked 1.65 miles.
View of Mount LeConte on the way to the Sugarlands Visitor Center |
The nature trail is fairly wide, but full of rocks and roots |
An oddly formed tree stands sentinel beside the icy trail |
Looking downstream at Fighting Creek from the bridge |
Looking upstream at Fighting Creek |
Under the snow and ice, the Cataract Falls trail is packed gravel |
Ash Hopper Branch flows into Fighting Creek |
Sawmill Branch flows into Fighting Creek from the left as the trail passes under a residential road |
The trail crosses Sawmill Branch and climbs up to road level |
Cataract Falls |
Lower reaches of Cataract Falls |
Icicles coat the rocks in Fighting Creek |
Back on the nature trail |
Back of John Ownby cabin |
The cabin walls need to be re-chinked |
View out the back door |
Front porch of the cabin |
Snow on the roof |
Several blown down trees were visible along the trail |
A small branch flows into a swampy area near the end of the trail |
Entry to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is free.
The park website is http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm.
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