Grotto Falls Parking

A beautiful trail with a good possibility of a bear. I encountered one with no incident whatsoever. I showed no fear, nor did it show any aggression towards me. I was always told not to run and it worked. The falls are definitely worth the hike.

The drive to the trail is tight and gorgeous. Lots of old structures toward the end and some great chances to catch the sun peaking through the trees. The trail itself is nice and steep, giving you some great views down the large drops by the trail. Had to hop on rocks, jump over roots, and sweat my way up the trial. Highly recommend bringing water and comfortable hiking shoes. If you like taking pictures, this the trail to do it. There are lots of steep falls, wildlife running on the trail, a waterfall at the top, and colorful leaves depending on the time of year. Warning: bring a narrow vehicle for the driving trail and parking, and keep an eye out for the large rocks that slightly protrude into the driving space.

This was a fairly easy trail. I saw a bunch of smaller children on the trail so it appears to be great for any age. The waterfall isn't as great as many other in the Smokies but it's worth a quick hike if you are in the area. Needless to say, the hike itself is a wonderful escape from the city and the fall colors are marvelous.

Great 2.8 mile hike if you can get parking.

The walk here was awesome. I came the day before and there was no parking, therefore came back the next day real early in the morning. The weather was cool and there was plenty of parking. The view along the hike was awesome, it was the best. Crossing small streams along the way. The waterfall at the end was so worth the walk. I would certainly do this again if I am back on Gatlinburg.

Bring water with you! Not a bad hike. My 4 year old made it by herself and my fiance carried our one year old up and down. We went later in the day, parked around 6. Got back to the car at almost 8. And we got engaged there!

Best short hike (2 hrs). We got there around 9 AM and the main parking lot was full. We parked on the side of the street. Trail filled up as we were coming back so make sure to get there early unless you like crowds. Trail is well maintained and cuts through few streams.

If you go in January be wary of packed snow which when frozen is extra slick. Great hike. Started at the first Rainbow Falls trail head parking lot. Walked the 3.5ish miles to the Falls, totally worth it. Pictures never do justice.

If you can hike Laurel Falls then you can hike this and the destination is better than Laurel Falls…meaning Grotto Falls is better. Hiked this starting at 7:50pm on a Monday in late July. I was the last one up there, but two other parties had not left the falls long before me. Made it back to the car by 8:40pm but I maintained a fast pace. Always make sure to bring water with you.

Absolutely beautiful and worth the hike! We went after a heavy rainfall so the trail was fairly muddy but I think the falls were even more cool with all the rain water. You can walk behind the water fall, which was really neat. We had to park a little ways down because the parking lot was full, but it was worth it. While it may only be a 1.4 mile hike, it's a steady incline, so be aware of that.

This hike/trail is simple and the views are perfection, I loved it, so glad I took the time to visit this spot. Little tip if you get bored AMD decide you want to end early, DONT the end of the trail is A MUST SEE. Total of entire trail is 3 miles

Lovely short hike. We only took about 1 1/2 hours to go up and back. We are in okay shape and used to hiking. We saw a bear in a tree at the parking lot. The ranger was very kind.

Easy trail for beginners or anyone not in amazing shape!

The waterfall is absolutely beautiful and of your not afraid of cold water you can dip your feet in!

Had a phoenominal time going up and back.. one of the best things is, uphill there, downhill coming back!!! Absolutely beautiful hike in the fall!!!! Me and my lady are 64 & 65,, made it in great time...

The Grotto Falls trail was well worth the walk. The park could benefit from additional parking though, we got there very early and parked in the designated lot and the trail was already quite busy. By the time we left, there were cars parked down the whole road and made traffic heavy.

Absolutely breathtaking sight! I would consider it a moderate hike with the uphill trek there. Makes you grateful for the downhill trek back. Worth the climb!

If your not in shape the climb will burn those calories. It is a nice hike but not many open views as the trail is heavily wooded. Once you make it to the falls though you can take a dip and cool off. Keep an eye out for bears they do show up on the trail. We had a close encounter with one.

The trail was relatively short and was made of natural materials so the whole hike was nice. The grotto and falls we're excellent also, as was the 'motor nature trail' drive to the trailhead. Many picturesque areas.

Beautiful falls. Well maintained trail. It is about a 500 feet elevation rise over a mile long trail. Worth the view though.

Beautiful trail leading to Grotto Falls.
Everywhere you look is beautiful. Moderate difficulty on the way up. Easier on the way back. Way worth the effort.