jennlneal

We will be in TN the week of Thanksgiving, and plan on doing alot of hiking. We did Laurel Falls last time we went, and though it was beautiful, I didn't care for the hike itself. I'm looking for trails that strictly run through the forest, trails that can be hiked at a leisurely pace, not racing up a mountain ledge, & preferably along creeks. Does anyone have any recommendations?

indyhiker

Check out www.hikinginthesmokys.com. It lists nearly all of the most frequented (and some off the beaten path) trails in the park and ranks them by difficulty.

You might try the Porters Creek Trail. It's in the Greenbrier section of the park, a short drive east of Gatlinburg. That section of the park is my favorite.

Pace is totally up to you, assuming you start early enough for a long hike. Beyond that, good boots, sufficient water and food and short breaks can all make for an easier hike.

wave725

A couple of my favorites with creeks are Abrams Falls and Grotto Falls.

http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/abrams.htm

http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/grotto.htm

Abrams Falls starts out of Cades Cove, so you have the added bonus of driving the Cades Cove loop.

We hiked Grotto Falls a few years back on Thanksgiving weekend after a light snow and it was spectacular!