Trail Map (click to enlarge)

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See the Cades Cove Region web page for an interactive location map.

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Length: 11.9 mile loop
Time: 8 hours
Difficulty: Easy to strenuous, depending on which trail you are on

The hike begins on the Abrams Falls Trail, which is located halfway around the Cades Cove Loop Road at the Abrams Falls parking lot. Most people who hike this trail are hiking to the waterfall and then returning back to the parking lot. I, on the other hand, had grander ideas. Since this was my only hike in the Cades Cove area, and since I don’t like seeing the same thing twice on out-and-back trails, I decided to make a 12-mile loop hike out of the ordeal by connecting the Abrams Falls Trail with the Hannah Mountain and Rabbit Creek Trails. The hike traverses the Abrams Falls Trail in its entirety, but only portions of the other two trails.

Abrams Falls

Because there is a waterfall involved (one of the best in the park), the hike to Abrams Falls is relatively easy, and the trail is located in the most popular section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park—Cades Cove—it should come as no surprise to find hoards of people on the trail. I can’t stress enough the importance of arriving as early as possible to the parking area, for not only is this a long hike, on a nice day the road will be packed with cars by noon, and if you can’t get a space in the trail parking lot, you’ll have to park farther down the road, which adds even more mileage to the hike. Arrive early. I left around 8 AM on a nice fall morning in late October from the Cades Cove Campground and it still took me nearly an hour to get there.

On both the Hannah Mountain and Rabbit Creek trails there are creek crossings where you must wade across the water. Unless you are actually hiking in water shoes, which I don’t recommend, you will need to remove your boots and socks to get across. Having a pair of water shoes, or even sandals with a strap on them (no flip flops), in your bag is highly advised because the creek beds are full of rocks and they hurt your feet. With water shoes you’ll be across in no time. Don’t forget to pack a small towel so you can dry your feet before putting your socks back on, otherwise you must sit there for ten minutes and let them dry naturally (assuming it is a warm day).

You do not have to wade across any creeks if you are only hiking to the waterfall.

ABRAMS FALLS TRAIL TO THE FALLS

Start of the Abrams Falls Trail

The hike begins in the Abrams Falls parking lot, one of the larger parking areas along the Cades Cove Loop Road. Look for a foot bridge over Abrams Creek—that’s the start of the Abrams Falls Trail. For nearly its entire length it follows the creek, though there are a few spots where it veers away from the water and you loose sight and sound of it.

The Abrams Falls Trail follows closely to Abrams Creek

Abrams Creek

The trail starts off on level ground and is free of rocks and roots, but at the half-mile point you hit a small hill and the terrain becomes extremely rocky. The hill itself isn’t much—just a short, .1-mile climb up and an equally short climb down the other side—but the rocks become bad enough to slow you down a notch from your normal hiking speed. These rocky areas tend to come when hills are involved, whereas the terrain is nice and smooth on the level areas. This is because rain water flows down the hills and washes away the top soil to expose the rocks. The soil ends up at the bottom of the hill and keeps the rocks on that portion of the trail buried in the ground.

Rocky terrain common on the slopes of the trails

At the bottom of the first hill is a small creek that flows into Abrams Creek. Fortunately, you can cross on a foot bridge, the type I call “Indiana Jones” bridges. These are single logs with a railing attached to one side, the kind bad guys will attempt to dislodge while you make your escape across a deep chasm. While there are hopefully no bad guys here, if you look down at the rushing water below the bridge, it is easy to get dizzy. Some of these bridges can be quite high above the water, so those afraid of heights may have a problem. This time, however, the crossing is not that treacherous.

Crossing Abrams Creek on an Indiana Jones bridge

The rest of the hike to Abrams Falls is largely on level ground with a only two short-but-sweet hills to interrupt the easy trek. Again, it’s the extreme rockiness of the hills that causes the most problems, otherwise the climbs are moderate at worse, cardiovascular-wise.

The waterfall is located about 2.6 miles into the hike. Just before you arrive there is one last hill that leads up to a ridge with the creek far below. One side of the trail drops off into the valley, and it is steep enough that you could be killed if you took a tumble, so watch your step.

Steep cliff along one side of the trail

Abrams Creek far below the trail

After walking down the other side of the hill and crossing a few creeks on Indian Jones bridges, you will arrive at Abrams Falls. It took me about two hours to get there, but I spent some time taking photos along the way. For those returning to the parking lot from here, plan to spend at least three hours, and possibly up to four, to complete the round trip, which includes time to take photos and sit and enjoy the waterfall.

Abrams Falls

ABRAMS FALLS TRAIL TO HANNAH MOUNTAIN TRAIL

Abrams Falls Trail continues on for another two miles. The first thing you’ll notice is that the crowds disappear; hardly anyone hikes beyond the falls so you pretty much have the trail to yourself. The terrain remains the same as before, mainly level with a few minor hills. At the waterfall you are down in a valley, and as soon as you leave you begin a mild ascent to the top of another ridge high above Abrams Creek. At times as flat as a pancake, the hike along the ridge runs for about a mile before beginning one last short but steep descent back down to the creek.

There is one obstacle on the way down: a large, uprooted tree that has practically obliterated the trail. This is the type of obstacle that may never be removed by the National Park Service because people can still get around it. If it is still there when you do the hike, the easiest way to get around the tree is to take the path below the roots instead of trying to climb above them.

Fallen tree on the Abrams Falls Trail

Not long after passing the fallen tree, the trail arrives at Abrams Creek and you will now be walking right along side it, though vegetation often blocks your view. At 4.6 miles into the hike you reach the end of the Abrams Falls Trail and come to the intersection with the Hannah Mountain Trail.

HANNAH MOUNTAIN TRAIL

The intersection at the end of the Abrams Falls Trail is actually a three-way intersection. You can pick up the Hatcher Mountain Trail, which in a short distance gives you the opportunity to take the Little Bottoms Trail to Abrams Creek Campground, or you can take the Hannah Mountain Trail in the direction of the Rabbit Creek Trail, which is the way to go. Directional signage is at the intersection.

Almost immediately after turning onto the Hannah Mountain Trail you are faced with crossing Abrams Creek without the help of a bridge. This is a very wide body of water and there is no other way around it, so don’t bother walking up and down the riverbank looking for a better place to cross. Take you shoes and socks off and wade across here. The water is knee deep to maybe mid-thigh deep (I am 5′ 8″ tall).

As I mentioned at the very start of this review, the creek bed is full of rocks. There is a very good chance that you will lose your balance and fall into the water, a serious problem for me since I was carrying $3,000 worth of camera equipment. I avoided falling because I had hiking poles, but it would have been even easier if I could have changed into some water shoes to protect the soft-and-dainty bottoms of my feet. If it is a warm day and you don’t have a camera or a phone, just barge your way across. If you fall, no big deal, you’ll dry off. The crossing is no easy task, but it is certainly fun. Two people behind me turned around and did not attempt the crossing.

A word of advice: don’t try to walk on the larger rocks. Yes, these look smooth and inviting to your feet, but they are slippery. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, walk on the small, cobblestone-like rocks. They may hurt your feet more, but they aren’t as slippery. The big rocks lie in the path if you walk directly across the creek, so you have to work your way downstream a little, then cut across. Regardless of what rocks you step on, make sure you have a good grip before removing your back foot to take a step forward.

Abrams Creek crossing

I’m not really sure where Hannah Mountain is. The Hannah Mountain Trail runs eight miles beyond where this hike turns off onto Rabbit Creek Trail, so maybe Hannah Mountain is much farther ahead. I mention this because whatever mountain the trail has been climbing up to this point is not very steep. In fact, the Hannah Mountain Trail is one of the easiest trails I hiked in the Smoky Mountains. Yes, you do start climbing once you cross the creek, but other than a few steep stairs that take you up from the riverbank, the inclines are mostly mild and rarely reach moderate levels of difficulty. The trail climbs above the river for about a quarter mile and then either proceeds on level terrain or on inclines so small they aren’t worth mentioning. The trail surface is also fairly smooth for a Smoky Mountain trail, so you should be able to make good time.

One setback to hiking on a trail that gets minimal use is that it can get overgrown. The Hannah Mountain Trail runs into this problem on occasion, and you may find yourself plowing through tall grass and even scraping up against a few briers. I always hike in long pants regardless of the temperature (except in the desert), as they not only protect you from briers, but also from poison ivy, mosquitoes, and, if you have sprayed your pants with Permethrin or other insect repellent, ticks. The overgrown spots don’t last long—maybe a quarter mile—and then the trail once again becomes wide enough to avoid contact with undesirable vegetation.

Overgrown stretch of the Abrams Falls Trail

The rest of the hike along the Hannah Mountain Trail is uneventful, and you come to the intersection with the Rabbit Creek Trail after 1.9 miles, or 6.5 miles into the overall hike.

RABBIT CREEK TRAIL

You will find that when you piece together a loop using multiple trails that there is always at least one trail that is fun to hike, and always one that sucks. Obviously the Abrams Falls Trail, with a nice waterfall along the way, was fun. The creek crossing on the Hannah Mountain Trail was fun. So by deduction that leaves the Rabbit Creek Trail as the sucky one, and it really lives up to that description.

The intersection with Rabbit Creek is a five-way intersection. Four of the paths belong to the Rabbit Creek and Hannah Mountain trails. A fifth, unmarked path is just a trail that leads to Backcountry Campsite 16. You’ll want to take the Rabbit Creek Trail in the direction of Cades Cove. Signs point the way.

Intersection of the Hannah Mountain and Rabbit Creek Trails

The Rabbit Creek Trail picks up where the Hannah Mountain Trail left off, which is at the top of whatever mountain it is climbing, and continues for a half mile before beginning a steep descent back down into a valley on what is certainly the most strenuous stretch of the trail up until this point. Young people may wonder how a downhill hike can be strenuous. It’s because these steep declines are murder on the knees of older people. I find it much harder to go down a hill than to go up one. So young people, this is what you have to look forward to!

Once you get towards the bottom of the hill and the slope becomes negligible, you will find yourself on a trail that is cluttered with rocks so loose that you might as well be walking on marbles. Rain water has carved out a gully, giving the trail the appearance of a dry river bed, except that at times there is actually water dribbling down the path. Progress almost comes to a standstill, that’s how bad things get. To make matters worse for me, I was hiking in the fall when leaves covered the rocks, so I never knew what I was going to step on. There are also trees down and all sorts of debris along the way. I suppose everything from above eventually gets washed down here—Nature’s junk pile.

Creek bed-like terrain of the Rabbit Creek Trail

Eventually the trail widens, dries up, and the rocks become less frequent. This section of the trail was once a road, and you can still see the tire ruts worn into the ground. However, at times the trail is too narrow for a car to pass, so how can this be a road? Well, it’s been nearly 85 years since people moved out of the area. Most likely trees have gradually encroached on the former road. I can remember a place in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area where I found a car in the middle of a forest. How in the world did a car get in the middle of the forest? Simple. There was no forest when the car was dumped before the park was created in the 1970s.

At 7.5 miles into the hike you come to Rabbit Creek. There is no bridge here, but you can cross on stepping stones. The water won’t come up high enough to swamp waterproof hiking boots, though people in sneakers will end up with wet shoes. Of course if it has been raining and the water is higher, everyone may need to de-shoe. Watch out for slippery rocks; make sure you have a good grip before shifting your weight to take the next step.

Crossing at Rabbit Creek

As soon as you cross Rabbit Creek you will begin to climb up one last mountain. This time around, however, the mountain is much taller and the climb ventures into strenuous territory—and the fact that you have already hiked nearly eight miles only adds to the difficulty. This is where the Rabbit Creek Trail starts to suck, and suck badly.

I don’t mind hiking uphill on a strenuous trail if there is something to see, but here you have forest at the bottom, forest in the middle, and forest at the top. Even worse, you are back on another severely rocky section of trail. You have a .75-mile climb until reaching a short, level area, then it’s on to another 1-mile climb of equal difficulty. The trail finally reaches the summit at the 9.75-mark on the hike, covers a lengthy stretch of level ground, and then begins its way back down to Cades Cove—same terrain, same hills, same rocks.

A half mile from the end of the hike the trail begins to run along Victory Branch, another small creek. As was the case before coming to Rabbit Creek a while back, a gully is formed, loose rocks line the path, and eventually water starts trickling down the trail. The rocks crunch under your feet as they rub up against each other like rubble in a bombed out building.

Rubble of the Rabbit Creek Trail

The final obstacle that stands in the way of getting back to the parking lot is the crossing of Mill Creek, which the wet and rocky Rabbit Creek Trail dead ends into. This is all within sight of the parking area, so why there is no bridge here when a nice foot bridge was built at the start of the Abrams Falls Trail just a short distance away, I have no idea. Even an Indiana Jones bridge would suffice.

Mill Creek is much shallower than Abrams Creek, with the water coming up just over your ankles, maybe to mid-calf if you hit a deep spot. I walked upstream a little and was able to cross over to an island without getting my shoes soaked, but from there it was impossible to go farther without getting wet, so I ended up having to de-shoe anyway. My suggestion in hindsight is to just cross at the spot where you first come to the creek and get it over with. No need spending more time trying to figure out a way across without getting wet because it isn’t going to happen.

Mill Creek crossing

Again, water shoes would have been a blessing, and not only because of the rocks in the creek bed. Once across the creek, the parking lot isn’t far away. It’s tempting to proceed without drying your feet and putting your boots back on when you can see your car. The problem is that the parking lot is gravel, and unless you have calloused feet, walking on gravel in bare feet is like walking on glass. Water shoes, sandals with straps, anything would help. I probably spent more time tip-toeing twenty five yards through the gravel than I would have spent drying my feet and putting my boots back on. Talk about a terrible ending to a terrible trail.

CONCLUSION

Every photo I took of the Rabbit Creek Trail was to illustrate how awful it was. Since it makes up nearly half of the overall loop, and since there’s not much to see on the otherwise pleasant Hannah Mountain Trail, I can’t recommend this loop hike to anyone other than those who strictly want exercise or who just like hiking. The people who hike to Abrams Falls and back—not a short trek at over five miles round-trip—have got the right idea. Do yourself a favor and stick with the crowd.

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