GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WOKI)— Visitors planning a hike to Abrams Falls this fall should expect temporary weekday closures as Great Smoky Mountains National Park begins a major trail improvement project designed to enhance safety along one of the park’s most popular hiking routes.
Starting August 24, Abrams Falls Trail will be closed Monday through Thursday each week while crews replace aging infrastructure and make safety upgrades. The work is scheduled to continue through October 1. The trail will remain open to hikers on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Labor Day, September 7.
The project includes replacing four aging footlog bridges and handrails along the trail. Park trail crews will also construct new stairs at a steep and slippery rock section near Abrams Falls to improve footing for visitors.
Because the work requires rigging equipment along the trail, delivery of materials by the park’s animal packer team, and the removal and installation of large footlogs, park officials say temporary closures are necessary to keep both visitors and employees safe during construction operations.
Abrams Falls is one of the most visited destinations in Cades Cove. The five-mile roundtrip hike travels through rhododendron, hemlock, and pine-oak forest before reaching the popular 25-foot waterfall, where water cascades over a sandstone ledge into a deep pool.
Visitors looking for alternative hikes during the weekday closures are encouraged to consider the West Prong Trail, Lynn Creek Waterfall Loop, or Deep Creek Waterfall Loop.
The trail improvement project is funded by Friends of the Smokies. The organization is also supporting rehabilitation projects on the Bullhead and Deep Creek trails this year.
Abrams Falls trail improvements (NPS)
