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Red Fork Falls Trail

Unicoi, Tennessee

3.5/5
based on 2 reviews

Details

Distance

0.68 miles

Elevation Gain

190 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by The Outbound Collective

Red Fork Falls Trail is an out-and-back trail that takes you by a waterfall located near Unicoi, Tennessee.
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Features

Hiking
Dog Friendly
Forest
River
Scenic
Waterfall
Wildflowers
Wildlife

Red Fork Falls Trail Reviews

The waterfall is beautiful, and the trail is as well in all seasons. You have to know what you are looking for when you are going. The trail head is right off the road with just a small area (I designated) for parking. The first part of the trail is not too bad. It is fairly flat, but unmarked. You cross a creek a few times along the trail. Eventually you will reach a small waterfall. Once you pass it, you should reach the top of the big waterfall. This is where the trail becomes more difficult. You have to climb down the trail beside the waterfall. You remain on the trail, but it becomes pretty steep. From the bottom, you can swim, enjoy the view, or continue hiking. The trail continues, and there are a few more small waterfalls and swimming holes. The trail is beautiful but can be dangerous, especially in the winter when everything is covered in ice. I would go again, but would recommend that you read the trail directions before you begin the hike.

This series of waterfalls is astounding, but getting there is not an easy task. There is not much parking along the road at the trailhead, however the two times I’ve been there have not been more than one other person there. The trail down to the creek is quite easy, but once you get there it’s more difficult. The trail down to the the falls is on the opposite side of the creek and there’s no way to cross except walking through. Once you get across the creek, to the left there is a narrow trail across a very steep hill along the creek. There are multiple small waterfalls along the trail that you can stop and admire along the way to the biggest. Once you get to the top of the falls the trail down to the bottom is incredibly steep. You have to climb down roots and rock to get down. There is a large semi flat rock at the bottom you can go out onto, but it can be slippery. If you continue down there is one more smaller waterfall with a pool down at the bottom that is calm enough to swim in. There is another smaller creek that runs into this pool. You can climb up along the hill at the edge of this creek as well. The rocks are quite slippery though and it is easy to fall. There is just one 8 foot waterfall with a rock slide above it. This waterfall series is astounding to look at, but it is quite a challenge to get to. There are multiple places it is slippery and you could quite easily fall a long distance with grave consequences. This adventure would only be for those capable of traversing an uneven trail and climbing down and then back up a steep section.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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