Hike to Hen Wallow Falls

Starting from the Gabes Mountain trailhead near Cosby Campground, you'll climb steadily through one of the Smokies' quieter corners — a dense hardwood forest draped in rhododendron tunnels and old-growth hemlock. The trail gains elevation through a series of switchbacks that earn their keep, especially in the final push before the falls. The forest canopy keeps things cool and shaded even on summer days when Gatlinburg feels like a parking lot with humidity. Your reward is Hen Wallow Falls — a ninety-foot cascade that starts as a narrow two-foot-wide stream at the top, then fans out to thirty feet at the base like nature's own shower head. The mist at the bottom is worth every switchback. This one hits the sweet spot for hikers who want a genuine payoff without committing to an all-day death march.