Waterfalls near Knoxville, Tennessee

How the list breaks down

Our guide has 10 falls within 75 miles of Knoxville in a straight line, spread over Tennessee, North Carolina and Kentucky. The count covers only falls we have published, not every waterfall near the city. Three are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Bald River Falls is in the Cherokee National Forest near Tellico Plains, and two more are on the Qualla Boundary near Cherokee, NC.

North of the city, Kentucky adds Yahoo Falls and Cumberland Falls, 63 and 64 straight-line miles away. Cumberland is partly open: its lodge and restaurant closed for renovation on November 1, 2025, while the falls and park stay open. Two falls near Highlands, NC sit at the very edge of the radius, 74 straight-line miles out. For more, see the Tennessee and Kentucky guides.

Abrams Falls: the Cades Cove hike

The Abrams Falls Trailhead is at the end of Abrams Falls Road, between signposts 10 and 11 on the Cades Cove Loop Road, per NPS. That puts it about halfway around an 11-mile, one-way loop open from sunrise to sunset. NPS suggests allowing 2 to 4 hours for the loop drive alone, so start early.

The trail is 5 miles round trip on natural ground with roots, rocks and footlog bridges. NPS gives no difficulty rating. In 2026 crews replaced four footlog bridges and built new stairs at a steep, slick rock section. That work ended September 30. The trail is open as far as we can tell: the park's closures page, updated October 27, 2026, listed no Abrams closure.

Abrams Creek drops about 25 ft over a sandstone ledge into a deep pool. NPS strongly discourages swimming there because of an undertow and dangerous conditions. Dogs are not allowed on the trail. A pit toilet at the trailhead is open year-round.

Smokies parking tags, Laurel and Grotto

The park charges no entrance fee. Any vehicle parked more than 15 minutes at Abrams or Grotto needs a parking tag: $5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year. NPS does not accept interagency passes in place of a tag. Daily and weekly tags are sold at the card-only machine at the Cades Cove entrance and on Recreation.gov.

Laurel Falls, 28 straight-line miles from Knoxville, is shut. Its paved 2.6-mile round trip leads to an 80-ft, two-tier falls. The Fighting Creek Gap trailhead on Little River Road is closed during construction. As listed October 27, 2026, NPS anticipates reopening the trail sometime in 2027.

Grotto Falls is open on the 2.6-mile round-trip Trillium Gap Trail, which passes behind the 25-ft falls. You reach its trailhead on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, open to cars through November 29, 2026. NPS posted a bear warning for the trail on October 27, 2026.

Cherokee National Forest and the Qualla Boundary

Bald River Falls, 46 straight-line miles from Knoxville, is 90 ft by the Forest Service's figure. You see it from the Bald River Falls Bridge on Tellico River Road (FR 210), so no hike is needed. The site was closed from August 2023 for repairs and a bridge replacement. On Nov 3, 2026, the Forest Service page said the falls are "now open."

Parking at Bald River is limited, and the Forest Service suggests weekdays because use is high on weekends and holidays. Its page lists no fee and says potable water is not available. For a longer walk, Bald River Trail #88 starts at the falls parking area and runs about 5.6 miles one way.

Mingo Falls, at 48 straight-line miles, and Soco Falls, at 55, are on Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians land. Visit Cherokee lists both as free and puts each at about 120 ft, though ncwaterfalls.com gives Soco about 50 ft. Mingo is a short, steep climb of 161 steps. Soco is about 0.2 mile from a new EBCI lot, per ncwaterfalls.com.

Across the line in Kentucky

Yahoo Falls, in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, is 113 ft. The National Park Service calls it Kentucky's tallest waterfall. A 1-mile loop passes behind the falls under a large rock shelter, and NPS calls it easy apart from some very steep metal steps. No entrance pass is needed, and dogs are allowed on a 6-ft leash.

Timing matters at Yahoo. Kentucky Tourism says the falls are reduced to a trickle in summer, so plan for spring after rain.

Cumberland Falls, near Corbin, is a curtain about 68 ft high and 125 ft wide. The main overlooks are a short walk from the lots, and Kentucky State Parks charges no general admission fee. Its DuPont Lodge stays closed through spring or summer 2027, though cabins and cottages can still be booked. Swimming is banned in state park waters outside designated areas.

At the edge: two walk-behind falls near Highlands

Dry Falls and Bridal Veil Falls are each 74 miles from Knoxville as the crow flies, on US-64 near Highlands, NC. You can walk behind both. Dry Falls is a 75-ft drop, per the Forest Service, on a paved path of about 0.2 mile with stairs. Day use costs $3 per vehicle. Bridal Veil is a roadside falls with no fee in official sources, and the old roadbed behind it is open to walkers only.

Waterfalls near Knoxville: FAQ