Trail is a steady incline. It’s paved so walking it is easy. Very pretty sights to see. The falls are pretty to look at and take pictures of. I didn’t give it 5 stars because it was PACKED. We arrived early in the morning and that’s the only reason we got parking. SO many people. We were told it’s because the time of year.

Large parking area with more space down the road. 1.3 miles to the falls from this spot. Took us around 30 minutes walking at a fairly quick pace. Nice flat path although not wheelchair accessible. Bears active in this area. Keep your eyes open

Very cool hike. Actually it was my first real hike and the payoff was amazing. Love it. Proud of my wife for hanging in there. Definitely a staple of the Smoky mountains. Not too difficult as well. A must see.

Beautiful falls with upper and lower falls. There was a bench to sit and relax from the paved uphill path.Parking is limited! We arrived at 7:45am. We left at 9:30 and cars were parallel parked on the road. Some people had to walk quite a bit to get to the trailhead.Very humid. Temp 71*, we were sweatty. Sept 1st.

I LOVED this hike to Laurel Falls. It is 1 mile up, 1 mile down. We rode our motorcycle, hiked up and down in our riding boots with pants & it was great exercise! The falls allowed us to cool down once we arrived at the top & of course was much easier going down. We hiked each way in about 26 minutes, so this only took us about an hour and a half total as we spent time at the top. I would absolutely recommend this!

There are no words to describe the beauty of Laurel Falls. You can actually feel the presence of God. The hike to the falls was great. Highly recommend.

Step going up not easy, but easy coming down. 7 year old grandson no problem for him. It was 94 degree out. Bring water shoes. We even manage to climb down to bottom of falls Hubby and grandson never hiked. I’m a ultratrail runner. So, I would rate this easy to moderate. Going up hill there was tough. Zero cell service. Be sure to not to have health conditions that could be triggered. Stay safe everyone

Long hike up the mountain but well worth it once you reach the water fall. Had a great time!I’ll always remember this adventure

Beautiful hike to the waterfall. We did this hike during covid-19, there were too many people on the trail.

Highly recommend for families- it was an easy trail- no boots needed. It was nicely paved so my 3 year old had no problem walking it up and down. Nice spots for pictures. The waterfall is really nice. It was actually ret peaceful

Normally I wouldve given this a lower rating only because its just so crowded and doesnt really feel secluded and nature-y, however; (Id hate to give this information up) there is a way on top of it where people hardly ever go and that was by far cooler than the falls themselves. Managed to see a blue-tailed skink and catch a baby copperhead. Neat experience! (if youre not too scared, you could gather some of the water in a bottle at the top upstream... Its pretty good) (sorry... The photos are of my camera screen)

Was a wonderful hike other than keeping pace with all the people trying to get around one another. Not very much kindness for each other. It was beautifully crowded.

Beautiful place. It gets packed but went at 9 am and there was plenty of parking. Paved trail made it a little easier.

Beautiful gentle paved hike. 1.3 miles to the falls. Takes about 2 hours to make the round trip. Very popular falls so try to go during off peak times as there is limited parking. Have fun and enjoy the beautiful Smokies.

Easy 1.3 mile hike on paved trail. The falls were amazing! Well worth the hike.

The 1.3 mile hike is easy on pavement and beautiful trail. The waterfall is moderate size ...not a wow factor but decent

A beautiful place to hike! If you want to cool down in the falls you can Be careful if you dont like hills, this is a steep uphill climb.

Absolutely beautiful falls! The path is paved the whole way so its very easy for all ages and its about a couple mile hike with incline. Completely recommend for everyone that likes the outdoors and our Countries beauty.

The 2.6 mile round trip is worth going on. There are several great views and the water falls are awesome to see.

2.6 round trip...mostly uphill going up. Beautiful views

Really crowded because of its proximity to Gatlinburg. The paved path is helpful but probably needs some updating. The falls themselves are ok but we didn’t feelSerenity after the 1.3 mile walk I Wouldn’t recommend this...

Moderately easy hike and a little crowded once we got to the falls but very Cool Great pics!

Easy walk into the falls. Very nice l!

Good hike! Stretch before the hike though!

It was a beautiful place 1.69 miles up then the same back down but at the top of it all you get to be upclose to a beautiful waterfall

Worth the hike. About a mile and a half uphill. Swimming is allowed, diving is not.

Loved this hike. We took a 3 and 5 year old in the early morning and had a lot of fun. There is a point at the end that you have to watch because the edge drops off rather quickly. But, on the way there is a beautiful view of mountains in the distance, the trail is rather easy, it has a few nice rock formations to play on, had a tiny stream crossing it, and you can get right up to and under the falls. Great place for a short hike.

The hike to the falls is not too hard. I had a baby with me and it didnt take too long to get there. The falls were beautiful but there were a lot of people on July 4th. I think these will be better on a day without too many people there

Amazing trail. Family and children friendly. We walked few more miles after the falls and those were a little harder but were very private aa most people stop at the falls

Long uphill hike but so well worth it! Beautiful!

Beautiful waterfall hidden in smoky mountains. Have to walk for like one hour to the fall parking available. Wheelchair not recommended. Good for kids just to enjoy the nature.

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Short, quick and easy. The trail to the falls is all up hill and might be difficult for some. The trail is paved all the way to the falls but requires some needed upkeep.

Great, easy to moderate hike, well worth it once getting to the falls. And you can continue to the top of the mount as well. Alot of beautiful scenery and picture opportunities!

The falls were moderately impressive alone, but the crowds on the trail and at the falls were much too large to really appreciate the hike.

Very nice little hike, 4 stars only because it was kinda busy, also reccomend grotto falls

Visited the Smoky Mountains on 4th of July weekend of 2020 with my fiance and our 2 friends. We drove to Tennessee to pick up our friends new puppy which was located an hour and a half east of the Smokys. We stayed in Alcoa because I was the only one in the group who somewhat knew their way around the Knoxville area. I insisted that we took a few hours to go up in the mountains. Laurel Falls was one of our stops up there and everyone loved it so much! The trail is uphill most of the way to the waterfall which is breathtaking especially for 4 people who smoke lol. Once we got there it was an incredible and literally refreshing experience! We all climbed down to the waterfall bottom and I took a big drink of water from the stream because I was thirsty. Hiking back down is no sweat! I highly recommend this waterfall if you are even just passing through the smoky mountains!

Paved trail all the way to the falls. WATCH YOUR CHILDREN on the trail. It has some very steep drop offs. Pleasant hike to see some wildlife.

Nice fairly easy hike to the top to see the falls. Got to see a black bear run across the road at the end.

One of the many falls in the park. But definitely one of the busses. Because the trail is so short, to many people visit this place.

Good hike for families. Somewhat paved and easy grades. Gorgeous waterfall and pool at the turnaround.

It was an easy, short hike on a paved path and the falls were beautiful. Was a little crowded, but that was expected for a such a short hike.

Laurel Falls is a easy hike but still wear comfortable shoes and take water. Most of it is paved. It is the most popular falls in the park. The falls can be a very crowded but today we almost had the falls to ourselves.

Beautiful water falls on a well maintained trail. 1.3 miles in with moderate steady uphill, but still an overall comfortable hike for those accustomed to a like walking. It is very popular so parking can be a challenge. The trail continues up the mountain beyond the falls and is a nice walk on a good trail.

Nice paved hiking trail but it isnt suitable for wheelchairs or strollers

Beautiful place. Nice paved trail.

A little too popular. But its a decent distance. And the falls are worth the hike.

My husband and I hiked here during our 1-year anniversary vacation. Its not a challenging hike, although some may feel the burn walking toward the falls. The walk down is very pleasant. My only warning to others is that there are no rails and the paved walkway is quite uneven and splotchy in sections, so just be mindful of your footing. Also, there are no bathrooms along this trail, so be sure to stop at the visitors center beforehand. Id definitely recommend this to anyone visiting the area.

A mile and a half hike, but worth the trip. Definitely take water with you. We didnt see any bears, but they are in the area. Scenic mountain path. Recommend!

Its just so beautiful but you walk to much

Nice hike up pretty steep. The falls are great with alot of climbing and level areas for kids to enjoy the water. The water is nice and cold!

Beautiful falls. Worth the walk.

Fun hike. Perfect distance for visitors looking to enjoy the park. Not too hard, and the scenery is well worth it.

Nice leisurely walk up the mountain!! The fall is very beautiful and peaceful..This hike is ALL up hill...just a little over 2 1/2 miles roundtrip..

Great hike and great waterfalls. Worth it

We Loved it, perfect paved hike not too far from the parking lot.

Great spot for a hike! Good incline to the falls but mostly downhill all the way back. Worth it!

Nice walk, very crowded and not very exciting. You get to see nice views and a small waterfall. If you are looking for wildlife and wouldn’t bet on this one.Also many families with kids makes the odds even smaller.

Laurel Falls was a great hike for amateur hikers. The waterfalls were stunning! Beautiful place!

The trail is easy and the water is quite nice. Its worth the time. Its quite a popular trail, so you will see lots of people. And sometimes its difficult to get a nice because of the crowd.

The falls are nice, but the crowds ruined it. I felt like we were in a single file line with hundreds of people on the way up. Once you get to the falls, it was packed. It was the first time I was even remotely concerned about Covid while on a trail. Just to put it in perspective: it took 5 minutes to climb up from the base of the falls because of all the people. If it was empty, it would have taken about 15 seconds.If you go early in the morning or late in the afternoon, it might be okay, but I would avoid this spot in the late morning or early afternoon.

Very nice little hike up a beautiful mountain. The trail is paved but a little washed out in places. Plan about an hour and a half depending on how fast you walk and how much time you want to spend at the falls. I think it is about 2.5 miles round trip.

Beautiful hike. I think its totally worth it. The only problem might be the parking. Also please wear proper shoes since the path might be wet and slippery.

Just before arriving at the parking area, the skies began to open up and the rain started drizzling down. Sitting in my car I had to decide if I was going to walk the trail with only my phone to take photos or risk bringing my good Nikon camera. Remembering I had a rain jacket cover for my camera, I fished it out of the bag it was in, put it over my camera, and headed off to the trailhead.The trail was beautiful and provided some cover from the rain the ebbed off and on the whole way up to the falls. The trail has some steep sections, so keep that in mind especially if its a rainy day as sitting is possible, but will leave you with a wet bottom. Upon arriving at the falls, youll be happy you made the trip. The falls has a great viewing area that will allow you to walk right up to the falls and put you hand out to feel the cold water coming down. The trail continues further up and will give you a view of the lower falls that runs down from the bridge you will cross between the upper and lower sections. Depending on the weather, youll also be at or above the cloud level providing for great views down into the valley below.

Oct 2019 - Easy 1.3 mile (each way) hike with gradual elevation change. Six foot wide walkway is mostly paved but some areas were in tough shape. Areas of 100 vertical drops so hang on to little ones. It was fairly busy which prevents the being one with nature feeling. The falls were beautiful which made the trek worthwhile. Easy to complete in an hours time. Enjoy!

Long walk but what a great reward at the end.

Shorter hike, around 1 mile. Mild ascent the whole way. The trail is paved the entire way. I would rate it as easy. Falls are very pretty, it was very crowded though.

Its a hike to get up there. If you take a stroller, make sure its light and rugged. The view is nice but keep the little ones close! The trail has a warning sign about deaths due to falls and it appears to be NO exaggeration. Serious cliff height off the narrow trail.

Worth the walk uphill to see the falls. It rained pretty good the second half of the trail but it was still worth it. Easy enough for my 4 year old to make it, but still a good workout for the adults. Plenty of places to stop along the way if the kids want to explore. However, when you near the top you will want to keep the kids close to you. The cliffs are very steep to the left as you go up.

Well paved trail. Short hike of about 1.5 miles to the fall. Very peaceful and relaxing!

Its pretty, but I imagine it can be pretty congested if too many people had the same thought as you did. I suggest you wear water proof boots or come with a fresh pair after. Its likely your feet will get soaked, especially if the water level is high after a rain.

Nice And short. Not too difficult. Very scenic ending.

It is about a mile and a half hike back to the falls and parking is usually sparse because of the popularity. It is paved but mostly up hill on the way to the falls.. There are no restrooms or water so bring a drink and go before your hike (Sugarland visitor center is 3 miles away with restrooms and gift shop). Parts of the trail have steep drop offs so I would be hesitant to bring little kids that are unruly. The waterfalls are refreshing and there are some pools you can get in below the falls although you have to climb down to them.

Good hike and beautiful falls.

Such a gorgeous trail to the waterfall, not too difficult either. Saw several families with children walking to and from. The waterfall was beautiful. Would totally recommend!

A short hike (but still a challenge due to the grade) that is well worth the effort. The waterfall is beautiful, as are the views of the surrounding mountains. Highly recommended for all adventurers!

A must see, the hike was good, not to long, and the scenic views were astounding.

Awesome falls! We had a blast taking pictures.

The walk was not that bad. 1.6 miles is pretty accurate. The falls Id say are very worth it. Dont be afraid to adventure down to the lower levels, or even the higher ones if you are really brave!

Easy hike for beginners, with a nice waterfall at the end.

Beautiful spot and great views along the trail.The hiking level is “easy” from my perspective, so I could hike with my parents together and they feel really comfortable with the hiking difficulty.

Not a difficult 1.3 mile hike on mostly paved trail. The fall itself is not a spectacular fall, but easy access to cool off in. There are great views along the way.

Beautiful easy to beginner level hike. The trail is paved with asphalt and well maintained. Only a 2 mile round trip.

The waterfall is beautiful! You can take great shots from any angle. You can climb and walk around. It’s a great place to hang out with friends and family. Recommend!

These are gorgeous falls, but do require a little hike. It is a 1.3 mile hike one way and plenty of uphill walking on the way there. The path is half paved throughout much of the walk, but it is sufficient enough to have comfortable terrain to walk on. These falls made the journey more than worth it though!

Beautiful place in nature, whoa, my second time, and I will do it again

We went to Laurel Falls in mid-March, and it was an amazing experience. We were able to see the mountains under a cover of light snow, and once the snow cleared up the views of the Smoky Mountains were incredible. The hiking trail was a bit rough in some areas (so strollers and wheel chairs might not be the best), but it was perfectly traverse-able on foot.

First hike we went on during our trip! This place was so beautiful! It was raining so there wasn’t very many people out and about which was great! My best friend had a blast too even though hiking isn’t her thing. My favorite quote during this trip was ‘did you know you can grip a rock with your toes while wearing shoes!? I just did’ I would hike this trail again!

Beautiful! About a mile hike. Not too difficult. I would suggest going early morning when there are less people. Definitely worth the the walk.

Beautiful falls! You have to hike 1.3 miles up 500 ft in elevation but the views are well worth it. The hike is also a breeze as the whole trail is paved. It gets a busy during afternoon so be prepared for a bit of a crowd.

Beautiful 2.6 total mile hike. There are lots of places to sit and rest. It is an easy hike but very busy if you go in middle of the day. We went with children and it took a total of an hour and a half. No port a potties or restrooms on trail which was an issue for our 7 year old daughter.

Great, short hike and actually saw a momma bear and 2 cubs!

About 1.3 mile hike uphill. Sometimes very busy trail. So so waterfall. Cant really get in the water. Too shallow

Was very cool my family loved it

Great hike to do with families. Not too far... about 1.3 miles one way. Beautiful falls at the end. Go early as it gets crowded.

This waterfall is really beautiful! There are two parts to it. The trail that takes you to the waterfall brings you in between the upper and lower falls. You can go off trail to get to the lower falls, but I didnt explore a route and I dont really recommend that anyway. The one and three tenth mile hike to the falls is a gradual incline but I rate it as easy. Its well worth the short walk.

Loved the trail walk. Beautiful views of the mountains, trees and fall foliage . A relaxing and enjoyable walk. 1.3 miles one way. Laurel falls has couple ledges. One can get to the top ledge near the fall if confident of climbing up. One can see all ages on the trail. It is not wheelchair or stroller friendly.

Love this waterfall! The trail is roughly paved the whole way, so not very muddy, and a gradual climb the whole way. At just over 2 mile round trip, its well worth the home for the amazing view! Pictures dont do it justice!

Great views great hike

Neat falls, but it was pretty crowded when we were there.