Middle Prong Trail - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Middle Prong Trail begins at the end of Upper Tremont Road. Although the  wayside sign notes there is no particular destination to the trail, we chose to hike 2.3 miles to the Panther Creek Trail intersection. The mixed use (hiking and equestrian) Middle Prong Trail follows the old Little River Railroad route up Lynn Camp Prong. The trail climbs from about 1900 feet elevation at the parking area to 2600 feet at the trail intersection. While a grade of greater than 5% is steep for most railroads, the Little River Railroad utilized geared locomotives which provided greater tractive effort than traditional steam locomotives although at a reduced speed. The trail surface is mostly rock and gravel with some sandy places. While there were a couple of locations where water pooled and ran across the trail, the trail was in remarkably good condition for late winter. Even though it was raining on our descent, the standing water wasn't deep enough to rise above the soles of our boots.

About 0.4 miles from the trailhead, a split log bench provides a nice view of the lower falls or cascade. The trail curves around the falls to provide views from the side and above. Additional cascades or falls can be found by following very short side trails to the creek. Even in winter, this is a beautiful hike with numerous cascades and falls to explore on Lynn Camp Prong. We hiked in early March 2016.

Trailhead

Lynn Camp Prong from the trailhead bridge

Middle Prong Little River from the bridge

Lynn Camp Prong Cascade or Lower Falls

Downstream of the cascade

Side view of the cascade

Above the cascade

Middle Falls Lynn Camp Prong

Water always finds its way

Another cascade on Lynn Camp Prong

Upper Falls Lynn Camp Prong

Another view of the upper falls

Another double waterfall

Whitewater abounds during the wet season

Drizzling rain made this our turnaround point

Entry to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is free.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm.