Deep Creek Loop Hike map (click to enlarge)

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See the Deep Creek Region web page for an interactive location map.

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Length: 4.9-mile loop
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy to strenuous, depending on the trail

A 5-mile loop hike that passes two small waterfalls can be stitched together between the Deep Creek Trail, the Loop Trail, and the Indian Creek Trail, and you can see a third waterfall if you add a short side trip—also a loop—to Juney Whank Falls. I started the hike on the Deep Creek Trail and visited Juney Whank Falls last, but you could reverse the route and start on the Juney Whank Loop Trail. Both trails begin near the parking lot at the end of West Deep Creek Road.

Start of Deep Creek Trail

DEEP CREEK TRAIL

The Deep Creek Trail is nothing but an old dirt road, so it is wide, relatively flat, and free of rocks, roots, and other debris. It follows Deep Creek, though it sometimes veers out of sight of the water. You will see all sorts of people going for leisurely walks on this trail because this is as easy as hiking gets in the Smokies. You may also see bikers, for this is one of only four trails in the entire Great Smoky Mountains National Park that allows bikes. The others are the Indian Creek Trail, which this hike follows, the Oconaluftee River Trail, and the Gatlinburg Trail near the Sugarlands Visitor Center.

The first waterfall you will come to, Toms Branch Falls, is just five minutes from the start of the hike. It is located right alongside the trail, and though it is not particularly interesting—it’s really just a tall cascade of water that flows down a mountainside—you don’t have to go out of your way to see it.

Toms Branch Waterfall

The loop portion of the hike starts about .7 mile from the parking:  the intersection of the Deep Creek and Indian Creek Trails. Being a loop you can go either way, but for the record I hiked in the counterclockwise direction, turning right onto Indian Creek Trail. The Deep Creek Trail is to the left over a foot bridge. If you are riding your bike, you can ride the Deep Creek Trail to the intersection with the Loop Trail, or the Indian Creek Trail to the intersection with Deeplow Gap Trail. You cannot ride beyond these points.

Deep Creek – Indian Creek trails intersection

INDIAN CREEK TRAIL

The Indian Creek Trail, which follows Indian Creek, is also an old road, and the terrain remains the same as on the Deep Creek Trail except that it actually begins to climb a little. However, the incline is not very steep and falls somewhere between easy and moderate in difficulty.

Typical terrain of the Indian Creek Trail

No sooner do you make the turn onto Indian Creek Trail than you come to a short spur trail to Indian Creek Falls, a waterfall / cascade much prettier than the previous Toms Branch Falls.

Indian Creek Falls

After the trip to the waterfall, return back to Indian Creek Trail and proceed for another .8 mile until you come to the intersection with the Loop Trail (actual name of the trail). Take a left towards Deep Creek Trail. A sign points the way. The Indian Creek Trail actually continues for another three miles until ending at the Martins Gap Trail. Bike riders can continue another two miles to the intersection with the Deeplow Gap Trail.

LOOP TRAIL

At this point you are about 1.6 miles from the start of the hike. The easy, dirt-road terrain comes to an end once you get on the Loop Trail, a traditional hiking trail that connects the Deep Creek and Indian Creek trails together. This one-mile trail crosses a fairly sizable mountain, literately going up one side and coming down the other, with the peak almost exactly at the halfway point. This moderately strenuous trail is the hardest section of the hike.

Typical terrain of the Loop Trail

There is nothing worth seeing for the entire stretch of the Loop Trail, but it does serve its purpose—connecting two trails together—and without it you could not form this rather enjoyable loop hike. You will pass an intersection for the Sunkota Trail, which is at the peak of the mountain, but just keep on walking straight. Once you reach the other side and come to the intersection with the Deep Creek Trail, take a left. This will send you back towards the original intersection with the Indian Creek Trail and ultimately on to the parking lot.

DEEP CREEK TRAIL

As you may recall, the Deep Creek Trail is a fairly level gravel road, and the easy terrain and grade continue on this section of the trail as well. At the intersection with the Loop Trail you are about a mile farther down from where you first turned off onto the Indian Creek Trail to start the loop portion of the hike. As you make your way back towards the parking lot you will have plenty of nice views of Deep Creek, though there are no waterfalls or other attractions. You will also pass an intersection with the Deep Creek Horse Trail not too far before the Indian Creek Trail intersection.

Deep Creek

Once you come to the intersection with the Indian Creek Trail you have another .7-mile hike back to the parking lot. But remember, my hike doesn’t head directly back, but instead takes a detour to Juney Whank Falls. The turnoff comes just a short distance before reaching the parking lot, and the turn is marked with a direction sign.

DEEP CREEK HORSE TRAIL/JUNEY WHANK LOOP TRAIL

The nomenclature of the trails that lead to Juney Whank Falls may cause some major confusion without a proper map, but signage on the trails points you in the right direction, so it doesn’t really matter if you understand the layout. Just follow the signs to the “Falls,” and after the waterfall, follow the one pointing you back to “Parking.” Only the information panel at the parking lot has a map that is accurate (see graphic below). Remember, on this hike you will be returning on the Deep Creek Trail towards the parking lot. You are not at the YOU ARE HERE marker on the map.

Layout of the Deep Creek Horse and Juney Whank Falls trails

When you turn off of the Deep Creek Trail you are actually on the Juney Whank Loop Trail, a traditional hiking trail, not an old road. The waterfall is located up a mountain, and you are immediately hit with a short but strenuous climb for .2 mile before coming to an intersection with the Deep Creek Horse Trail. Confusion stems from the fact that no matter if you continue straight or take a right at the fork, signs indicate that you are on the Deep Creek Horse Trail. The Juney Whank Loop Trail nomenclature seems to have disappeared. What has happened is that the two trails merge together for a short span and only the Deep Creek Horse Trail name is used. To avoid confusion, a “Falls” sign clearly indicates that if you want to see Juney Whank Falls, stay straight.

Within sight distance of the first Falls sign is another one pointing to the left, which is down a steep hill. This is the continuation of the Juney Whank Loop Trail, though there are no signs using this name. Staying straight keeps you on the Deep Creek Horse Trail. The Juney Whank Loop Trail takes you below the falls while the Deep Creek Horse Trail (red on the map) circles above it. Both will merge back together on the other side of Juney Whank Falls, which is .1 mile from this second fork. I took a left and saw the falls from below (I’m not even sure if you can see it from above).

Second intersection to the falls

After all this, Juney Whank Falls is a complete disappointment. It’s not even a waterfall in my opinion, but water flowing down the steep rock of the mountain, similar to Toms Branch Falls. You view it from a footbridge (the water flows under the bridge), but the problem is that the bridge is too close to the falls and there is no way to step back far enough to get a decent photo unless you have an extremely wide lens (20mm), which I did not have.

Juney Whank Falls

Without a map you may be thinking that the trail to the falls was just an out-and-back detour off of the main trail and that you must now head back the way you came. This is not the case. Continue straight to the other side of the bridge and follow the trail. You will soon come to another intersection with the Deep Creek Horse Trail, which is where the Juney Whank Loop Trail and Horse Trail merge back together. A sign marks the intersection. You want to hike in the direction of the “Deep Creek Horse Trail (Trailhead), not “Deep Creek Trail.” All references to Juney Whank Loop Trail again disappear.

Sign on the Deep Creek Horse Trail

From here you have a .2-mile hike to one last intersection, again with the Deep Creek Horse Trail (now you see why things get confusing). However, there is a sign pointing to the left that reads, “Parking,” which is obviously the way to go. Staying straight sends you to the very start of the Horse Trail. The parking lot is just .1 mile away. Just as the hike up from the Deep Creek Trail to the waterfall was a steep ascent, the hike back down to the parking lot is an equally steep descent.

CONCLUSION

The hike to Juney Whank Falls is a waste of time unless you are out to see every waterfall in the park. If you do hike to the waterfall, then I suggest altering my route and going there first. Just remember when you leave the falls and get to the sign stating that Deep Creek Trail is 1.3 miles away, do not take this route. Keep straight down the hill to reach Deep Creek Trail near the parking area, then turn left to start the hike towards Indian Creek Trail.

If you are just looking for waterfalls, the only one worth seeing is Indian Creek Falls. You won’t be missing much if you simply hike to it and head back to the parking lot. You’ll pass Toms Branch Falls without having to do any extra labor.

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