Abrams Falls is in the north west area of the park called Cades Cove. We took 441 south out of Gatlinburg and followed the signs to Cades Cove. The drive was through the forest and along some streams and it was hard keeping my eyes on the road. The others kept going 'look at that!' and I couldn't help but to sneak a peak. Wildflowers were everywhere - I read in Mark's book that the park has over 1500 species of flowering plants! Once in Cades Cove, we got on the Cades Cove Loop Road which is a 1 way, 1 lane road that circles a beautiful valley. I didn't get the milage, but look for a sign to the right after a mile or so leading to the parking area for the trail head to the falls.

The trail to the falls is about 2.5 miles and easy to follow. It does have some rocky and steep places and I'd give it a 'moderate' on the huffin' & puffin' scale. Abrams Creek is within sight or earshot along most of the trail and we crossed 3 foot bridges along the way to the falls. The last one crosses Wilson Branch just before the falls, and if you follow it back up stream, you'll see some nice moss covered rocks.

This is very popular falls - we were there mid-day on a Friday, hung around over an hour and were never alone. It's not that I'm anti-social or anything, but we like solitude at the falls. Here are a couple more shots...

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