If it wasnt for Google we probably wouldnt have found this place even though it is right along the road. We came at 11:30am and had the place to ourselves. The women that helped us was very nice and informed us that we didnt have to wear a mask as long as we were alone. We did the mining, put our feet in the water, bought some cool rock and got some great photos. Bring 50 cents to feed the chickens.

Awesome pitstop for a quick beer while enjoying the wonderful falls. Tina treats everyone like long lost family. Great place to recharge your Spirit. Highly recommend!

Nice roadside oasis. By chance we stopped in and it was a delightful surprise. The owner was fun and accommodating and the view and tranquility was well worth it.

Falls are beautiful. The guy sitting out front as mask police, was rude and offensive. To be clear, I was wearing my mask, without being told. Another customer, who was asking a question more than 6 feet away from the guy out front, was told, I dont speak to people who dont have their mask on. She left, offended, without visiting your establishment, or spending any money with you. My group, who had heard the interaction, decided to decline as well. I was the only one out of a group of six who came in, because Im not letting anyone ruin my vacation.

It was just okay. There are public falls within a 10 min drive that I enjoyed more because you could get in it and enjoy. I think I was just expecting something else. This was a good stop to grab a drink and popsicle and enjoy the sound of the flowing water. Also found the decor cute. All the ropes and signs take away from the lovely nature but Im sure they need that to protect themselves from someone doing something dumb.

This review is a mixed bag. The actual place is 5 stars for sure. The waterfall is beautiful and the gem mining was great for the kids. We were able to walk out in the water a little bit too which was fun. There are a lot of rules though and not all of them are clear. This is where our 3 star overall comes from. From reading the previous reviews, we knew to wear our masks (into the building) but then were surprised that no one said to keep them on when we were down on the water. Its just very different than other more welcoming and open places in the area. We had no issues with the woman there because we followed all of her rules (which were clear at the door) but the man was very confrontational. We asked for clarification of some rules and he wouldnt give them. He refused to have a conversation while barking orders at us and we had to do everything in our power to make sure our kids didnt notice that he was treating us rudely because we didnt want to ruin what we hoped for to be a nice outing. He left us feeling very uncomfortable. Overall, we made the best of it, loved the mining and falls/heron but hospitality/customer service is not their thing. Its just hard to leave happy when you just dropped $30 and get mistreated.

The view of the falls is up close and very relaxing. A blue heron was down below fishing. The woman working there was very friendly.

Cutest little area. The kids got to do the rock mining in a non crowded environment right along the falls. Chickens were wandering about and you could feed them. Even take your shoes off and walk around in the water. We thought we could have a picnic there but you cant bring in outside food or drinks but Metcalf bottoms wasnt far away which was a nice picnic spot after seeing the falls. The whole family loved it.

Definitely making this a stop every year we visit. It was a gem to find. The woman who owns it is so friendly and her establishment is magical to say the least. Hands down best hot dog Ive ever had and the views of the waterfall are breathtaking.

Perfect safe family entertainment. Required face masks and was great for social distancing Granddaughter enjoyed so much. Atmosphere was wonderful. Wonderful spot to bring lunch and sit and listen to the waterfalls.

Very beautiful place to see if your in this area then you have to check it out

Lovely little gem! Worth the stop for sure, beautiful falls and gem mining. Love the little details and decorations. & Thanks for the review Gary, we may have missed this beautiful little spot otherwise.

Very peaceful and laid back. Highly recommend

I know this may look like a tourist trap from the outside, but dont pass it up! The owners are so sweet and the waterfall is AMAZING! Seriously, you would have to REALLY hike into the park to see a waterfall like this and theirs is right off the road. Its great for people who may have some mobility issues and kids. It was well worth the stop!

Wonderful owner to share this sweet lil piece of heaven on earth!

The lady at the register was super nice but then a man appeared on a golf cart and was super rude to our whole group. He was also rude to a family who came in after us. We stopped and enjoyed the view and ate some ice cream but it definitely wasnt friendly with him there. Not sure if he was the owner or a worker.

Friendly Falls is a magical place. The owners, the fairy garden, the chickens, and the beautiful river make this the best place in Sevier County. As a local, it is so hard to find somewhere that isn’t a tourist trap, so Friendly Falls is extra special. The fact that they require face coverings shows how much they care about their guests. Not only do my husband and I love to go, my kids love it too! My daughter bought a locally made light switch cover and a couple of surprise bags a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know of many places she loves to spend her own money . Thank you for sharing your little slice of heaven with us, Tina & Clyde. Hopefully those that are leaving nasty reviews can take a page out of your book and “let love rule.”

Been here twice, once in 2018 and again in 2020. Kids love it and have always found nice rocks in thier buckets. Also we enjoyed walking out in the creek and the parents can grab a quick beer.

Beautiful scenery! The falls are right there no hiking to see them. Pretty stones and other items. Priced perfectly. Great place for a quite bite to eat.

Always love this place, and love it even more knowing that the owners are taking the proper precautions regarding the virus. Definitely worth a stop to grab a refreshing beverage while enjoying the beautiful falls!

Great family friendly place, went there on vacation from michigan. The owners are really friendly and helpful. Definitely will be going back when we go back to Tennessee. A must stop place to go.

Nice little place out of the way of the craziness of pigeon forge. My kids loved it. Would definitely recommend this place for families.

This place was well worth the stop. Our kids were able to safely walk around and play in the grass after we had snacks and drinks in the cafe. The buckets for gems/stones were much more affordable and just as much fun than similar stops. There view of the water fall makes this pace a memorable location. Owners are very friendly and accommodating.

The grandkids LOVED this little roadside attraction. They panned for treasure, enjoyed the ice cream, chickens, and fairy gardens. Careful social distancing...felt very comfortable being there.

Nice unique stop while visiting the area. Bought two buckets for kids and they had fun finding gems. We would recommend and do it again.

Well we always come visit this place when we come on vacation..so the kids get to eat ice cream and enjoy the falls..and also mine...but today wasnt the case..walk up couldnt get in with out face mask..no biggie..i understand so the offer you some at 3 dollars a piece...luckily some nice people from P.A..hard extra...so we get in ask for ice cream young lady says thats all ice cream we have...(just what you can get out of a ice cream truck..for the price of a house...so then we asked about mine not at this time..wanted to just go see the falls but at 2 dollars a person theres 9 of us..no thanks..wish you update website of all the essentials...not just we are happy to be back open

Lady was very rude when we walked in as soon as she saw my american flag shirt. Unbelievable. Will not be back.

Revised: You did not disappoint either. I only hope people see your responses to others and realize that you are not friendly at all. If we would have seen the sign, we would not have walked in. I never wanted to put a damper on my day by getting treated like I had some kind of plague. It was quite embarrassing.Please research your countys Covid-19 statistics. I know I did before I came into town.Regardless, there are plenty of waterfalls not controlled by people like you.I see reviews about how nice the owners are BUT she treated is like we had the plague because we didnt have a mask on. I understand what is going on in the world, but if this woman has been in her local grocery store she is at risk. The waterfall is a part of Gods creation and how dare her not let me take a simple picture. Shame on you un-friendly falls!And before they try to blast me with their ugly responses, please read some of their other responses to other guests who were unhappy.

Love Tina and Friendly Falls! Always supporting local crafters and artists, and now, with COVID-19, making sure her guests are well taken care of. Friendly Falls and a local outdoor outfitter up the road from there are the only two places I know of that are putting the health of their guests over profit. If you want to relax by a beautiful set of waterfalls in good company, Friendly Falls is the place to be!

Great place, nice little shop, 8 year old enjoyed the gem mining, falls were beautiful

The creek next to it is pretty, but the gem mining was lacking. Small area for sorting out the sand and a small amount of gems.

Oh my goodness! The cutest little roadside stop we’ve ever been to! The owner, absolutely darling! I love the story how she and her husband settled for this property. The scenery, outstanding! My husband’s exact words to the owner- “you are living my wife’s dream”. This is a MUST DO! You can spend an hour there or a whole day! We will for now on be making this a “must do” on our trips to Gatlinburg, TN.

Wouldn’t allow puppy in back pack. Not friendly place. Still can see falls from entrance dont waste money to go in.very rude person in green beanie

Loved this place!! Great lil attraction. Lady who was running it the day we were there was nice. Fun lil thing to do with the kids. Especially like the mining for gems.

Kids had a blast this awesome place is just chillin on the side of the rd its wonderful

What a beautiful place to visit. Fun things to do and check out. Friendly staff and of course you get to play in the water!!

Cute little place to visit. Neat little gift shop and grab a snack.

This place is absolutely gorgeous! It is literally tucked away on the side of a mountain. The woman who worked there (maybe owner?) was so environmentally friendly and very one with the earth! She put my boyfriend in check about his smoking on the property and how it was disgusting (I was VERY pleased with her gesture) even after he read a GIANT sign about not smoking! The trinkets and rock items in the shop were pretty cool. The scenery was amazing. I couldve stayed there all day!

Fantastic little place along the road to stop, get a cold drink, look at the waterfalls, see the gnomes, feed the chickens, and mine for gems.

Cool place to stop. Small but fun for the kids. We stopped and purchased a bucket of sand and let the kids sift for gems.

We had a drink and walked around, and gem mine. Such a Beautiful place

Water falls are amazing.Private area, also enjoyed the snack bar

Was a really nice place. Good place to gem mine get a bite to eat and drink. Shop and put your hands and feet in the creek. Feed some chickens.

These are quite possibly the friendliest falls weve had the pleasure of enjoying. Cheers!

Love the owner and the little Oasis she had crafted.

Really near hippy place, sweet people!!

A true piece of Americana. Tina is as genuine as they come. Stop in, have a cup of hot tea or hot cocoa and have a chat. Oh yeah be sure to see the falls too.

A hippie turned eclectic old lady hermit created a junk garden and charges admission. NON ADA compliant. No animals (not even service animals). No bathrooms.Pretty wedding picture venue if you get an angle without all the junk.

Friendly falls was an awesome experience for the kids and I. We were able to take our shoes off and get in the water. The views and scenery are amazing and the walk wasnt bad at all. I highly recommend checking this out when youre in the area!

Awesome place to visit! Beautiful scenery and a big canned beer selection, would be a nice place for a date. There is a roped off section of river you can wade into and get your feet wet, and chicken to feed. You wont find anywhere more relaxing in the mountains at a more affordable price.

Great place. Wonderful owners. A must stop in the valley.

Great place to stop with kids and enjoy some falls and fun.

Tourist trap plain and simple....incense burning hippie...not family friendly...too many other waterfalls in the national park which are much better to visit...don’t bother stopping here...

The lady that owns this is absolutely amazing!!!

Great place to relax and enjoy the company of friends or family. ️

This place is amazing. I was there 5 years ago and took my family yesterday because I remembered how much I loved it. You should stop in, buy a drink, and watch the waterfalls. Go gem digging with the kids or just enjoy looking for gnomes and snakes. This is a truly special place for me.

He told us to leave and then proceeded to shoot at 5 kids. If your looking to have fun running for your life go ahead but if you appreciate your life I don’t advise this place.

Welcome to socialism USA, will not let you in without a mask. They will sell you one for $3. Walked back out immediately.

Love this place. I Would stay all day and drink beer and relax and eat snack foods. Thank u so much

It was pretty and very peaceful. Make sure you wear shoes in the water because the rocks hurt.

Such an adorable place. Great crystals and gemstones. The falls are beautiful and the fairy garden is adorable. Great prices on buckets of crystals for mining. You definitely get your moneys worth of nice size authentic crystals.

Cant tell you how many times we drove by this place over the years. Finally stopped. WOW! What a great place. Could sit there for hours and just chill. Youll love it.

Friendly Falls is a secluded and quiet riverside garden with a cafe, gem mining, a gnome search, and more. Its fenced in so i could see this being great for families with kids to take a few minutes to relax and not worry about kids running off or out into the road or something - its a great spot and peaceful and the office staff contribute to such a positive ambiance

Definitely worth stopping by. Yummy food, friendly service, and a great view!

Me and my wife got married here last September and it was a magnificent experience all the way around the staff is super helpful and it was affordable couldnt have asked for a better experience

The number 3 is noted for creativity, communication, charismatic and natural rhythm. She tends to be artistic (verbally in particular) and have excellent social skills. She is charming, attractive, playful and has a wonderful relationship with luck! THATS YOU TINA GIRL!!! Thank you for such a sweet lil treat for my soul! Much love to you and yours!

The owner of this place is the sweetest woman ever, we did the crystal and rock mining with my 2yr old daughter and my husbands parents. The buckets ARE FILLED with large beautiful jewels of all kinds! It was awesome, Im still learning what they all are a month later! We bought a few gifts on the way out and the owner snuck a free beautiful piece of agate into our bag just because my husband had asked about them what does this mean mam, A GATE... Lol we laughed and she explained its the name of the rock and then snuck it into our gift bag so we found it on the way back to our cabin. Just the most beautiful place, very peaceful and positive and again the woman who runs this little gem of a place is one of the kindest people I have ever met in my life. Instead of have a great day... She says In hope you have a wonderful everyday

What a great place to visit and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere. The staff is chill and very nice. Highly recommend this place to every visitor

Best impulsive stop! So glad we did! This is the perfect place for a snack and a drink! The waterfalls are a great photo opt. Gem mining for the kids.

The biggest joke Ive seen in the mountains. Operators have terrible attitude s

This place is a gem. If you are looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the main drag, look no further than Friendly Falls. You can get a nice little snack to eat and/or even enjoy one of the many beverages available (including Beer/Cider) and sit on their nice deck overlooking the falls. You can also take a walk down to the water.

This is a must visit spot for us every year. Love the view and they serve beer so it makes for a great relaxing stop

Felt at home. Peaceful and beautiful

Finally stopped in after living close by for so long...this place is beautiful! The scenery is astonishing and the owners are so kind. Definitely a place worth visiting.

We had an amazing time at Friendly Falls until we had to interact with one of the owners. Horribly rude to my family. Made us feel incredibly uncomfortable. He was rude to my son and made me feel very unwelcome. Our party of 9 bought four buckets of gems, plus at least 3 rounds of beers, sodas, and food. You would think if customers were willing to drop a couple hundred bucks at your establishment, you would let them have a good time. Will never go back.

Great hidden retreat off the over populated Ripleys tourist strips. Stopped by on my sisters recommendation. Has loads of charm, and good vibes. Would definitely stop by again. The mining kept my 4 year old, and 12 year old occupied for a good 30 minutes. Lovely place!

So cool... Beautiful scenery, shop owner was so friendly and helpful. Definitely will be making a return visit

Used to live right around the corner and would pop in often. One of the coolest places we have ever discovered. Beautiful location, the owner is soooo nice. The entire place is very unique. We loved taking all of our friends and family there. Cant wait to come back!

Its closed during the winter but the waterfall is lovely if you get a chance to see it.

Had a lovely and relaxing time here with family. Highly recommend for enjoying The natural beauty in a non-commercialized, chill location.

Relaxing and pretty place, nice for a tourist trap. Reading the bad reviews and the owners responses is hilarious lol, people are insane

Such a tranquil place that provides entertainment for everyone. We had to stop here twice on our vacation just to gem hunt and stick our feet in the water. Staff was super friendly and kind.

Really cute and friendly place great for a breath of fresh air or a quick stop to strech your legs and relax on a long drive. Highly recommend!

Friendly Falls is an amazing stop when your in the Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on vacation. The falls were beautiful, clean and serene. The site has a small gift shoppe with locally sourced souvenirs and acitivies like gen mining for the kids. We enjoyed just sitting and listening to the water run over the falls.

Whats not to love? The falls, while hidden from the main road, were an easy hike to get to. Picturesque and tranquil.

Amazing place, great views, and awesome ppl. I had my wedding here in April 2019 and it was rememberable.

We visited Friendly Falls in 2015. It was a nice little place to explore. In September 2018, we tried to stop by but they were closed. It was a weekday afternoon and we couldnt find their hours posted anywhere.We visited Gatlinburg September 2-5, 2019 and wanted to try again. We called a few days before we arrived to get their opening hours. The lady stated that they would be open during our whole trip, with the exception of Tuesday September 3rd. On Wednesday September 4th, we packed some lunches and even bought everyone water shoes to play in the river (spent around $50). We drove 30 minutes to get there, just to find the gate locked and a sign lit up that said closed. Again, no hours posted anywhere, even though we were told they would be open. It was a disappointing 30 minute drive back to our cabin.Overall, the place is okay with a small waterfall and gem mining, but it is kinda tough to get in.

Such a fun and quirky place. Great scenery and a hidden faerie garden to explore.

Great experience. We bought a bucket for gem mining and were able to get an hours worth of entertainment out of it. Friendly staff and pretty views.

Very beautiful water fall on the Wares Valley road. Gorgeous

Stopped by today. Been wanting to forever, but we come in off season. Was SO impressed! Beautiful views. And such a cool little place. And the owner was so sweet! Good vibes. Cant wait to go back when we can hang out longer!

Thank you for the great service and fun atmosphere! The French onion dip and kettle chips were amazing. We loved eating by the waterfall and seeing the gnomes. Rainy day so the garden was closed but well worth the stop. Good selection of soda and beer.

Just visited Friendly Falls after passing it many times on our way back to our cabin. My 2 year old son loves waterfalls so he has been so excited to stop and see it. After reading the great reviews we knew that it was a $2 per person fee to enter so we paid appropriately and entered. We walked down by the gem mine area because we were thinking of buying a bucket for my son to mine. This creepy guy walks out and tells my son to put the rock pebbles down that he just picked up. My son loved rocks and picked them up for a second...he wasn’t going to throw them or anything...he simply just picked them up for a second and this guy comes by and rudely talks to my family. Never once said hello or anything. That put a bad taste in our mouth and we started walking back to leave...while being starred at by said creepy guy. I definitely do not recommend at all. Friendly is the wrong name. Don’t waste your time or money.

Falls was closed when I was there. Place looks beautiful. Just wish they opened a little earlier on Sunday, but I understand.

The place was beautiful!

Great spot!! First time here!!

Beautiful waterfall Ice Cream was Awesome

Not worth paying for admission in its own, as there are much better falls in the park to see, but if you just want to get ice cream, you may as well come here and enjoy the complimentary admission and eat with a view.

Eh, falls was cool but the reviews a little overhyped. A very welcoming place. Worth seeing.

My favorite place we went in pigeon forge! Took my 2 kids to do the gem mining. 30$ for a 5 gallon bucket and we were so surprised by how many and how big the stones we found! The staff were super friendly. Very family fun place. The atmosphere was very relaxing. Loved how they had things for the kids to enjoy and the chocolate ice cream was great!