grotto falls trail

The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail closes for the winter, so the best way to get to Grotto Falls is to drive on the Cherokee Orchard Road to the Rainbow Falls Trailhead and hike the Trillium Gap Trail for 3.5 miles. Arrive early, there is limited parking. The hike is mostly up hill to the falls, but the grade is not that steep. The trail was covered with snow about a quarter of the way to the top, and there was significant ice near the falls. Suggest you wear boots/shoes with traction if there is any chance of encountering snow and ice. Getting close to the falls was difficult due to the ice. Hiking poles were a big help. The falls had some ice, and there was ice at the base of the falls as well. Just beautiful. Well worth the 3.5 miles up, and of course the 3.5 mile hike back to the car was fairly easy due to the downhill grade.

The trail head is found part ways around the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. The trail is short, but it's generally uphill the whole way. I would rate it as being between easy and moderate in difficulty, leaning more towards easy. Your mileage may vary. The falls themselves are really pretty and the trail takes you behind them, which as I understand, is the only place in the national park where you can walk behind a waterfall.

The hike to the Grotto Falls is a fairly easy one, however we got off at the wrong trail marker and had to walk an extra 3 miles! We were disappointed by how busy the falls were once we got there - so packed with tourists that you could hardly walk.

This was a very enjoyable hike and the weather was perfect. The path varied from moderate to rugged and is not stroller or wheelchair friendly but is well worth the hike once you reach the end. Sit on some rocks and enjoy picnic, the views and the sound of the rushing water. The only complaint I would have is some people do not know or can't figure how to control their kids. There is nothing like enjoying a nice quiet walk in nature, hoping to maybe see some wildlife, to have it ruined with some screaming kids as they rush up behind you.

This is a moderate hike that is short and well worth the hike. I say moderate, because it is uphill the majority of the way, but that means downhill on the way back :) The path varies from dirt, roots, and rocks, but is not hard to navigate. The falls are beautiful and you can also see wildlife varying from salamanders, to bears on this trail. A must do and great beginner hike.

We visited Grotto Falls on the day before Thanksgiving 2014. We are not avid hikers, so when we saw that the road was closed leading to the parking for the Grotto Falls trailhead we considered just hiking to Rainbow Falls. However, we decided to turn our planned 3 mile hike into 7+ miles and are glad we did. The trail crossed several creeks and there were many tree roots to watch out for, but my 8 year old nephew managed just fine. We had a very enjoyable afternoon and averaged a 25 minute/mile pace. The best thing is that we only saw 5 other people the entire time and had the falls to ourselves for our 30 minute stay.

The Smokies offer some great day hikes, and most of the good ones range from moderate to rugged. You'll find the hike to Grottos Falls to be a rather easy 2-3 hr round trip hike that is family friendly. Now, to be clear, it's not a paved path, such as with the easy stroll to Laurel Falls. But, we've taken our kids, and grand kids over the yrs, at all ages, with no problems. The path is well manicured and not very steep. The last 150 ft before reaching the falls, the hike does become a little more difficult. The hike up to this point is very safe; The area around the falls is not. Be warned, the rocks get slick in and around the water. The path leads behind the falls, which is pretty awesome, but again, can be slippery for children. If you're careful though, the water is cool and refreshing after a hike. There's plenty of room to relax and enjoy. This area is a picture taker's paradise as well. It has to be one of the easiest hikes in the park to be rewarded from. If you're in the smokies, I definitely recommend Grotto Falls to be on your activity list.. Enjoy

We got here early in the morning around 8:20. There were already lots of cars parked. The trail has a lot of roots along the way. The walk was not too bad. We saw people of all ages walking the trail. The waterfall at the top was awesome. We got some pretty pictures. I loved that you could walk behind the waterfall. So neat. Round trip is 2.8 miles. Definitely worth it!!

It is a great hike..the falls may be disappointing depending on how much water is flowing, moderate rugged trail.. lots of stones and tree roots..worth the hike..

Compared to the climb of Rainbow falls this one is a cake walk. The hike up is rather smooth and not very rocky. Still not recommended for the elderly (unless in great shape) The falls were amazing.

We've hiked this trail twice in the past few months. The first time my husband and I did it in basically a monsoon! The second time we did it as a family. The kids range from 8-14. It is a terrific hike. Hiking/walking sticks are recommended in my opinion. The trail has plenty of rocks and roots. Good shoes a must! The falls are really great. You can walk behind the falls and also get up on rocks around the falls. There was a landslide there within the past few months from the first time in August until now. A tree had slid down right next to the falls and is hanging. It is pretty substantial. Definitely is in your photos when you take them. It is 1.4 miles steadily uphill. If you get there in the early morning you will see the llamas loading up supplies for their hike up to the lodge at Mt. LeConte. Interesting. Highly recommend this hike. It is around 40 minutes up and 30 back down. The parking is very limited and you will most likely have to find a spot on the roaring fork road to the side. Restrooms in the parking area. The trailhead is pretty far in to the Roaring Fork Road. It is one-way. During peak season, it's not easy to park or drive in/out without traffic.

The hike to the falls was a little more difficult than expected but was well worth it. Parking is limited so we had to park along the road and then hike back up a hill before even starting on the trail. Helps to be in shape too. Would have loved to have seen wildlife.

This was my one waterfall hike I got to do during this vacation. I got to the parking lot shortly after 7PM so I didn't have much time as dusk was rapidly approaching. As I made it to the trailhead and started my 585 ft. ascent over the 1.3 mile hike one-way (2.6 mile round-trip) I noticed all the returning hikers. It seemed I was the only crazy person to start my hike to the falls during the late hour that it was. Within 20 minutes or so I made it and found that I had the falls all to myself. I wanted to jump in the pool and go swimming, but could only spend about 15 minutes there due to the time.It turns out that this is the only waterfall in the Smokies that you can walk behind. I took full advantage of that feature. I felt lucky to be there by myself as it seems this place is very popular and often crowded. As circumstances would have it, another solo hiker came by briefly from a different direction before heading back down the trail to the parking lot. I left shortly after him and basically ran down the trail on the way back since it was getting dark and I didn't want to have to use a flashlight. I barely made it. I was glad I took a bottle of water with me as I needed it with my fast pace both to and back from the falls. The hike has an easy difficulty rating.Notice: The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail road will be closed 11/1/2014 - 4/30/2015 so plan accordingly.

We're 60+ and in fair shape, my wife and I hiked up to the falls - the path was mostly paved, but a bit of a push for my wife.. But the view was pretty spectacular once we got up there. She was glad she made the hike.

Loved this 2 1/2 mile R/T trail. The falls at the end allow you to walk behind them. Pack a lunch and eat at the falls. This is a moderate hike with mostly packed dirt.