Laurel Falls and Cove Mountain Trail
- Length: 4 miles; Laurel Falls 1.3 miles.
- Level of difficulty: Moderate.
- Elevations Start 2,250 feet; end 4,000 feet.
- Connections: Sugarland Mountain,
Little Greenbrier, Cove Mountain.- Map: USGS quad 156NE, Gatlinburg.
General description: This wide paved trail is very heavily traveled for the first 1.3 miles until it reaches the 75-foot Laurel Falls. You will usually find a crowd at the pool at the upper falls, but beyond that the trail is less heavily used as it ascends through mostly virgin forest to the fire tower on Cove Mountain.
The Laurel Falls Trail was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935.
This wide paved trail is very heavily traveled for the first 1.3 miles until it reaches the 75-foot Laurel Falls. You will usually find a crowd at the pool at the upper falls, but beyond that the trail is less heavily used as it ascends through mostly virgin forest to the fire tower on Cove Mountain.
At 1.3 miles Laurel Falls cascades from above the trail on the right, crosses the trail, and cascades down the valley below it.
.
A bridge over Laurel Branch was installed in the spring of 1995 because so many people had slipped or fallen on the rocks at the crossing.
The falls are 75 feet high, and a pool at the base of the upper falls is a popular place to cool your feet.
This picture shows the location of the "DANG R" sign in the photo above
Beyond the falls the crowds disappear, and the trail is no longer paved, becoming rocky and rough.