At 2.5 miles, the trail curves left as you pass a confluence of Porters Creek with a major tributary. The 60-foot Fern Branch Falls drop off towards the left of the Porters Creek trail as you reach the end of your hike. Sad to see such a beautiful area being ignored. IMPORTANT: Greenbrier Road is a narrow paved road that eventually turns into a gravel road. I’m sure the park service will get it fixed eventually, just sad we didn’t see the falls today while trying to avoid the crowds at the more popular trails. Drive east on highway 321 from Gatlinburg. Porter's Creek Trail. The Porters Creek Trail is a 3.7 mile trail to backcountry campsite 31. We have not bitten single mosquito bite and water was so clean. 5. Maybe someday.... Baskins Creek Falls Trail to Greenbrier Cove, Mount LeConte via Trillium Gap Loop Trail, Mount LeConte and Rainbow Falls via The Bullhead Trail, Trillium Gap, Grotto Falls, Brushy Mountain, Bull Head Trail Loop, Grapeyard Ridge Trail to Campsite 32 Via Roaring Fork. Porters Creek Trail. on the trail. This is a beautiful hike, and not too strenuous for families or beginners. I chose to hike Porters Creek after an intense wind and rainstorm, so what I got was part trail, part stream! During busy season, this less traveled section of the park offers a serene escape located a mere six miles away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Gatlinburg. Like the Kephart Prong Trail, Porters Creek has historical remnants of those who lived in the area before the park was created and established including the Ownby Cemetery. Andrews Bald The Greenbrier section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hidden gem that is frequented by locals and experienced area tourists alike. The. This trail is very good for beginners. The first mile is a gravel road, with the lively creek on one side and the remains of old settlements on the other. Follow the signs to the Porters Creek trailhead. Located just beyond the footbridgrabout 1.5 miles and before Fern Falls. Usually this cascade is a silent, near-missable screen of white water running down a wall of distant rocks. Porters Creek Trail. All along this first section, numerous short side trails take you closer to the beautiful Porter’s Creek. Hikers will then walk another hundred feet or so to arrive at the Brushy Mountain Trail junction. From here, an ancient manway continues up to the Sawteeth near Charlie's Bunion... but I have yet to tackle such a momunmental path. You can also do out-and-back hikes of any length. You’ll cross footbridges farther down the trail, and near the end, there’s a 60-foot-tall waterfall called Fern Branch Falls. 4. As you can see here, the Porter's Creek Trail follows what used to be an old roadway. On the bright side, saw almost no other hikers which is always delightful! Nice moderate trail. Starting in late March more and more photos start popping up on my social media feeds and inevitably I catch the wildflower bug as I do every year. Roughly one mile from the trailhead, after crossing over a footbridge, hikers will reach a fork in the road. Porters Creek Trail is a 4 mile round trip hike out to Fern Branch Falls and back. Also on your right, just past the stone walls, is the Ownby Cemetery, which also dates back to the early part of the 20th century. The trail is in a heavily wooded area, with Porters Creek on your left. DA BREEEDGE IS OUUUTTT (said in Arnold voice). Elev Gain / Mile: 350 Feet: Highest Elevation: 2642 Feet: Trail Difficulty Rating: 5.4 (moderate) Parking Lot Latitude: 35.69696: Parking Lot Longitude-83.38773 During high water flows this can be a fairly spectacular waterfall. Roundtrip, the hike to Laurel Falls and back is 2.3 miles in total length. Directions: Take Highway 321 east of Gatlinburg, TN to the Greenbrier entrance to the park. Drive 6 miles and turn right into Greenbrier (look for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park entrance sign on the right). To continue along the Porters Creek Trail hikers should turn left here as well. Beyond, the trail climbs alongside the creek through an Eden of old-growth forest. We passed quite a few people who only hiked the 1 mile round trip Brushy Mountain Trail, but I’d recommend carrying on to complete Porters Creek Trail. Take the time to pay your respects to these early settlers. Reviewed August 3, 2015 . The problem is that the bridge that goes over the treacherous river before getting to the falls is destroyed. The old gravel road finally turns into a dirt footpath at this point. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, horses, and backpacking and is accessible year-round. The length of the trail is 3.7 miles (5.9 km) or 8,148 steps. After a mile, and a short detour to Messer's barn, the trail continues (to the left, or you'll end up on Brushy Mountain), gets a bit rockier and heavily rooted, but continues along and across the creek (on what used to called the "Scary Bridge," but is not so bad really), past Fern Branch Falls, up to campsite 31. A few downed trees but nothing too serious. @ document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); HikingintheSmokys.com. Porters Creek Trail ist ein 7 Meilen langer, stark besuchter Hin- und Rückweg in der Nähe von Gatlinburg, Tennessee. one of the best hiking trails in the park. The bridge over Porters Creek, located about 1.3 miles after the entrance, is washed out and I was unable to find a safe crossing. 3 miles if you count the extra mile you have to hike where the road at the entrance to the trailhead is out. Setup a car shuttle and hike this mile one-way route from east to west. Copyright The Porters Creek Trail is a 7-mile trail that is moderately hiked and fairly moderate when it comes to difficulty. Quarantine has not been kind to this road and trail. Roundtrip length: 8 miles. For the first mile, Porters Creek Trail is a gravel road. The hike is well worth it though – Laurel Falls is very photogenic, and is widely considered to be one of the best waterfall hikes in the Smokies. If you want to see wildflowers in the spring and enjoy walking through the woods, you should go on Porters Creek Trail. Porters Creek Trail is a 7 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Gatlinburg, Tennessee that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. Large portion of road damaged. Members of the club were permitted to use the cabin as an overnight facility until 1981. It reaches a stretch of the Appalachian Trail and leads to a tower with major views. That's what keeps it nice! The Little Greenbriar access road is closed as well because there’s a huge hole in it. This old road follows Porters Creek with a gentle upward grade, and for the first half mile the stream is easily accessible. A person in good physical health can hike the trail in 2.0 hours in one direction and in 1.5 hours in the opposite direction. (off road, bump, narrow road) This trail is worth to visit though. A short hike of roughly 250 yards will take you to the John Messer farm site, which includes a cantilevered barn that was built by John Whaley around 1875. This hike provides a cool respite on even the hottest of days. Porters Creek is a great trail for all ages and offers spectacular views of the park. There are also a few historical buildings located along the trail. Length: 4.5 mile, round trip Time: 3 hours, including time to see the many historical points of interest Difficulty: Easy with a few moderate hills to climb. While the wildflowers are only in full bloom seasonally, we strongly recommend this hike anytime during the year, so enjoy! Porters Creek. Wildflowers are just beginning to show. pictures attached. The river runs along the side of the trail making it a beautiful and scenic trail. It was past this bridge that we began seeing a profusion of wildflowers. Round Trip Length: 4 miles; Location: Greenbrier area (near Gatlinburg, TN) Located right outside of Gatlinburg, the Greenbrier area of the Great Smoky Mountains is a beautiful area to explore! Porter's Creek Trail (4-1-17) As the month of April dawns, spring once again slowly begins to spread its green blanket over the Southern Appalachians. The entire length of the trail follows Porters Creek, a tributary of the Little Pigeon River. Porters Creek. Please read this Disclaimer / Privacy Policy This is a nice wooded hike along Porters Creek with an old cemetery, historic farm site, and a waterfall. Once at the trailhead you will begin up a gradual incline along a wide gravel path. If you cross, be prepared to wait out the weather for possibly days. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, horses, and backpacking and is accessible year-round. It is full of history and beautiful scenery. When the trail reaches Campsite #31, you'll be faced with either a quick hop over the water, or a mildly frustrating crossing, depending on recent rains. This road led up into the Porter's Creek community which existed here before the National Park was formed. Good thing too. 4. The forest floor was literally carpeted with bloodroot, hepaticas, white fringed phacelia, violets, white trilliums and many other varieties during our late-March hike. main road to trailhead is washed out. All rights reserved. At about the 0.6 mile point, there is a series of rock walls and old building foundations from an old settlement. It should look amazing soon! also the road is closed about a mile short of where the trail head is located. The hike along the Porters Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains begins from the Porters Creek Trailhead in Greenbrier. Loved it!! The Porters Creek trailhead is located in Greenbrier Cove. The first mile of the trail … To reach the trailhead from the junction of 441 and 321 in Gatlinburg (Light 3), turn to travel eastbound on 321. The trail conditions are excellent and you will traverse through a variety of Northwest scenery. Bridge is still out as of 6/18 over Porter's creek it is crossable if you don't kind getting wet, I would recommend entering the water behind the first large boulder on the far right. The trailhead (200 ft) is ~4.5 miles from Porter and is across the road from Porter Creek Campground. You’ll also be able to see Porters Creek while you walk. From Route 321 drive 3.1 miles to a fork in the road. We have an entire post full of all our best tips for hiking with kids and this one with all the best hiking gear for kids . The trail makes a great hike any time of … Distance: 4 miles round trip. It will not accommodate large vehicl… At 1.6 miles hikers will cross a second footbridge. Thus, I back tracked about a half mile and visited an old settlers barn and home, which was great. Follow Porters Creek Road (gravel) to the trailhead. Roughly two-thirds of a mile from the trailhead several old stone walls will appear on your right. The gravel path ends here. Great trail - a perfect mix of historical sights, tumultuous & clear mountain creeks, and a unique waterfall. Hiking Great Smoky Mountains National Park. About 1.7 miles into the hike you'll encounter Fern Branch Falls. Off to the left, visitors will pass a 40' waterfall named Fern Falls. Continue straight ahead at this junction to reach the Porters Creek Trailhead. Visitors should also note that you’ll be traveling in bear country on this hike. How long does it take to hike the Porters Creek Trail? There are several old buildings along the trail you can explore. A rather gradual, peaceful hike tucked between Porters Mountain and Brushy Mountain, the trail is a picturesque uphill stroll along a river valley. Currently closed about a mile before the trailhead. The Porter’s Creek trail stays close to the named creek the entire hike, only leaving it briefly and never out of earshot of the roaring water. A small side trail leads up to the falls, where a large fallen tree makes a good place to sit, relax, and possibly have some lunch. update as of August 27th, the trail is being worked on by park staff, they advised us along with others they would rather not have anyone on the trail at this time, so we chose a different trail. So it’s an extra mile to the trailhead which is no bigs. The first mile of the Porters Creek Trail is actually an old gravel road, which meanders through a lush forest of moss covered trees and rocks as it follows along the banks of Porters Creek. The Porters Creek Trail offers a little bit of everything. Lots of buds on Trilliums. Getting in to parking lot could be challenge to some drivers just like other trails. Porters Creek Trail On our second day, the forecast was for light rain all day, so rather than seek out some mountain views, we elected to do a family-friendly hike in the forest. We carried him over the bridge. For the first mile, you’ll walk along a gravel trail where yellow trillium line the sides. The cascades are something to see and enjoy a lunch at. Cemetery is not being maintained. The Porters Creek Trail features beautiful scenery, so be sure to bring your camera along and capture some of the most spectacular photos of your vacation! Great Smoky Mountain National Park - 865-436-1200. Trail Description: The first mile of this hike to Brushy Mountain follows the Porters Creek Trail, which is actually an old gravel road along this stretch of trail. Lovely trail and we had a great time. At roughly 2 miles hikers will arrive at the 60-foot Fern Branch Falls, which drops off the ridge on the left side of the trail. The Greenbrier area, which is at a lower elevation and remains open all year long, provides a great winter option when higher ele… The Porters Creek Trail begins with the an easy hike on the Brushy Mountain Trail, until you reach a new trail sign to complete the hike to Porters Creek. Hike through the serene woodland to this magnificent waterfall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Porters Creek Trail is a 7 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Gatlinburg, Tennessee that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. Length: 2.0 miles Rating: Easy/Moderate. The roundtrip length is 4 miles, and it is considered easy to moderate. At the 0.75 mile point, is the old cemetery. The Ramsey Cascades is a difficult, 8-mile hike that can be popular with fly fishers, but the length and difficulty of the hike make it a good spot for some isolated hiking. Very easy fun hike. In March and April, the first 1.5 miles of this hike offers stunning views of wildflowers. The wide pathway enables groups to stay together. 6. We had a great time hiking to the waterfall today! Great Smoky Mountains National Park. During my visit I encountered two different group outings of at least 15 people. The Creek. I hiked it in February, so there were no wildflowers, just mossy rocks and rhododendrons, but everyone says it's a beautiful hike for flowers. The spur trail on the right leads to an historic farm site. You will find John Messer's cantilevered barn built in 1875. Although this particular hike ends at this point, the trail continues on for another 1.7 miles to reach Backcountry Campsite 31. Horses are also able to use this trail. While this a great option for a hike at any time of the year, the Porters Creek Trail is also an excellent choice when snow makes foot travel difficult in the higher elevations, or when it forces the closure of roads throughout other parts of the park. It goes thru so many different areas of forest and is about a 4-1/2 mile hike one way. Turn right onto Greenbrier Road, until the road makes a "Y" at the bridge. Directions to Porters Creek Trail: Starting at light #3 in Gatlinburg or the junction of 441 and 321, turn to travel eastbound on 321. The first mile of the hike is on a gravel road that meanders along the banks of Porters Creek. What is the length of the Porters Creek Trail? The parking area for the trail will be almost another mile from this junction. Be warned, the road to the trailhead is poorly maintained and may give your small cars some trouble. Apparently they had crossed the creek before a rain storm and returned to find a raging river. As the season progresses into April and May you'll be able to find yellow trillium, toothwort, wild geranium, May-apple, dwarf ginseng, blue phlox, baneberry, foam flower, halberd-leaved violets, woodland bluets and Jack-in-the-pulpits along this route as well. There’s really no safe way to cross the water, so we were super disappointed. At the 1.0 mile mark, the trail splits twice in short succession. Roundtrip length: 4 miles. We’ve hiked it during the peak of spring wildflowers, as well as in the snow, and both of those hikes have been our favorites in the Smokies. before using any information on this site. Plan to use up the whole day for this hike! These are remnants from the Elbert Cantrell farmstead, who settled in the Porters Creek community in the early 1900s. The trail was muddy and somewhat slippery. Porters Creek Trail is a 3.7-mile out-and-back trail that ends at Backcountry Campsite 31 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There's also a cabin on this site that was built by the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club in the mid-1930s. Be sure and stay awhile there, don't get in a hurry, just enjoy it! I then hiked the Brushy Mountain trail for a few miles, which I really enjoyed, but it’s uphill. Porters Creek Trail. It’s quite rocky but smaller rocks and pretty easy for my three year old to travel. You'll also begin to notice some much larger old-growth trees as you proceed further upstream. Te Araroa is NZ's walk of a lifetime. If you want views of a little bit of everything, Porters Creek is the perfect hike for you. Fringed phacelia was in full bloom and looked like a fairy land. But on the day I hiked, it was a roaring faucet that spilled down the gully over the trail. We hiked Rocky Top/Thunderhead the day before, so this was perfect. This beautiful trail is great at any time of year and located just 6 miles east of Gatlinburg. Porters Creek Trail is the perfect trail for a simple hike through fall foliage. The waterfall at the end makes it all worth it, though. Went with my family including my 10 month old grandson. Review of Greenbrier Picnic Area. It's usually not very crowded from the length of the trail. This is the only way In or out, to my knowledge. This is where you will want to rest up for the hike back, and snap some photos. In the spring, there are hundreds of wildflowers along the trail. The roundtrip length is 5 miles, and the hiking trail in the Smoky Mountains is considered moderate. Past the barn is the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club Cabin, built in 1934-36. From Gatlinburg: At traffic light #3, take East Parkway (US 321-N) 6-miles to Greenbrier Road, just before the Little Pigeon River Bridge. Follow the creek as you enjoy spectacular views of the forest. Here’s a photo from our visit during the weekend of April 13th, 2014: