About this campground
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be implementing a temporary parking reservation system for Laurel Falls trailhead parking area starting September 1, 2021 as a strategy to improve visitor experience and protect resources. Parking at Laurel Falls trailhead parking area requires a ticket for the entire month of September, 2021. Parking will be allowed in paved, designated areas only. Visitors without a ticket will not be able to park at Laurel Falls trailhead parking areas. Tickets are available 14 days in advance on a rolling daily window for arrivals beginning September 1. Beginning August 30th, 2021, tickets will also be available two days in advance at 10 a.m. EST on a rolling daily window. Laurel Falls Trail is one of the most visited trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and parking is limited. Laurel Falls is 80-feet high and named for the mountain laurel which grows along the trail and near the falls. The waterfall consists of an upper and a lower section, divided by a walkway which crosses the stream at the base of the upper falls. The roundtrip distance to Laurel Falls is 2.6 miles and the hike is considered moderate in difficulty. It takes about 90 minutes to hike to the waterfall and back. While Laurel Falls Trail is the primary destination for visitors, Sugarland Mountain Trail is also accessed from the same parking lots. Visitors accessing Sugarland Mountain Trail also must obtain a parking reservation ticket to park in the area. More information about Laurel Falls can be found here.
Getting there
From Sugarlands Visitor Center, turn toward Cades Cove on Little River Road and drive 3.5 miles to the trailhead where there are parking areas on both sides of the road.
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Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office or on Recreation.gov before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.