Cataract Falls and Fighting Creek Nature Trail - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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.