Guide In The Smoky Mountains

Ramsey Cascades Trail

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The Ramsey Cascades Trail is one of the best hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, featuring the park’s largest waterfall and the chance to explore an old-growth forest.

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Located on the northeastern side of the park, Ramsey Cascades remains off the beaten path and offers a great reprieve from the crowds found in many other parts of the park.

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However, accessing the stunning waterfall won’t come easy. It requires a challenging 8-mile round trip hike with over 2,000 feet of elevation gain, but the trek is worth it!

Best Time to Hike the Ramsey Cascades Trail

The best time to hike Ramsey Cascades is during the fall from September through early November when the beautiful Smoky Mountain’s fall colors are on full display!

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How Long Does it Take to Hike Ramsey Cascades?

As such, you should expect the Ramsey Cascades hike to take anywhere from 4.5 hours up to 7 hours, depending on your pace.

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Getting to the Ramsey Cascades Trailhead

From US-321, turn onto Greenbriar Road and continue for about 3 miles before taking a left turn onto Ramsey Prong Road and continuing for 1.5 miles until you reach the trailhead.

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Starting the Hike

The trail follows along an old fire road on the northern bank of the river, gaining elevation at a moderate pace.

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Old Growth Forest

An old-growth forest is any section of the forest that was never cleared. This means that the trees found in the area are very old, and as such, very large!

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