East Tennessee has been quite cold and snowy over the last few weeks but we finally had a break in the weather. We have been wanting to hike lately and with temperatures reaching the mid 40s it was the perfect opportunity. We knew we wanted to be out but we also knew we needed to start back slowly since we haven’t hiked in some time. This led us to our hike to Spruce Flats Falls.

SPRUCE FLATS FALLS

Spruce Flats is a nice waterfall located near Tremont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail begins at the parking lot for the Tremont Institute and totals 1.8 miles out and back. The trail gains elevation for the first half of the hike and then drops back down to the falls.

The trail is well maintained but there are a lot of rocks and roots along the way. For this reason I would highly recommend good hiking boots and trekking poles. Your knees will thank you later!!

During the fall and winter the leaves are off the trees so you will have great views of the surrounding mountains and the river below. There are also several areas to rest and take in these views without blocking the trail.

The area around the falls has plenty of room to kick back with a picnic lunch and enjoy the sounds of nature. Be aware that the rocks may be slippery but you can get right up to the falls most of the time. Be sure to pack out all your lunch trash though including the banana peels, apple cores and orange peels! Take tons of pictures, collect tons of memories but leave nothing behind!

If you’re still looking for more after finishing this hike you won’t have far to go. Hang a left out of the Tremont parking lot and continue down to the Middle Prong Trail. Click the link and check out our post on this hike where you can see more waterfalls, railroading remnants and an old Cadillac left decades ago. Until next time…..