The Sinks, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
See the Waterfalls web page for an interactive location map.
The Sinks is one of the few waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park that you can reach by vehicle and view from an overlook. It is located on Little River Road, about twelve miles west of the Sugarlands Visitor Center. Whether you are coming from Cades Cove or Gatlinburg, be on the lookout for a large parking area with a stone retaining wall on the east side of a bridge that spans the Little River. It is a popular pullout, and you will have no idea what everyone is stopping for because you can’t see the waterfall from the road. In fact, the waterfall is practically under the bridge. Seeing it is not as rewarding as a waterfall you must hike too, but it’s still worth the time to stop.
Little River Road used to be a track bed for a railroad built by the Little River Lumber Company. When logging ceased in 1925, the tracks were replaced with a gravel road, which was in turn replaced by today’s paved Little River Road.
Park at The Sinks to hike the Meigs Creek Trail, a 3.5-mile trail that ends at the intersection with the Lumber Ridge Trail.
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Last updated on February 26, 2025
