The Waterfall on the NC Side of the Smokies That Most Tourists Never Find

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  May 12, 2026

Most visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park never make it past Laurel Falls or Abrams Falls. Those are good trails. But the park covers over 500,000 acres and crosses two states, and the crowds thin out fast once you leave the main corridors.

Mouse Creek Falls, a 45-foot hourglass-shaped cascade on the North Carolina side of the park, sees a fraction of the foot traffic that the park's marquee waterfalls draw. The approach is a 4-mile round trip along Big Creek Trail, starting from a quiet picnic area off I-40 near the Tennessee-North Carolina border.

Take Exit 451 off I-40. Most people fly past it on their way to Gatlinburg or Cherokee. Cross the Pigeon River, drive a couple of miles to Big Creek Picnic Area, and you are already inside the park without the traffic backup that defines summer at the main entrances. The trail follows an old railroad grade along Big Creek, wide and steady the whole way.

About 1.5 miles in, you hit Midnight Hole first. It is technically a small waterfall, but the draw is the pool. The water is emerald-green and clear enough to watch trout working the current below the drop. People swim here in summer. Most days you will have it mostly to yourself.

Another half mile up the trail and you reach Mouse Creek Falls itself. The water drops 45 feet in a narrow, two-tiered plunge before it joins Big Creek. The shape narrows at the middle before spreading at the base, which is where the hourglass description comes from. It photographs well at any time of year, but the volume is best in spring and after a rainy stretch.

If you want more options in the same quiet corner of the park, Fern Branch Falls sits on the Porters Creek Trail in the Greenbrier area, about 6 miles east of Gatlinburg. The Greenbrier section is one of the park's most undervisited areas, a narrow road that most tourists pass without turning in. The 45-foot falls there slides over a boulder field ringed with mosses and ferns, and the trail passes a 19th-century homestead cemetery on the way in.

Over on the North Carolina side near Cherokee, Chasteen Creek Falls is a short, easy walk from Smokemont Campground off Newfound Gap Road. It is a gentle 15-foot falls running wide across a ledge, not dramatic, but peaceful in a way the bigger waterfalls are not. On a weekday morning in late spring it is the kind of place you might have entirely to yourself.

The Smokies are the most visited national park in the country, but the crowds concentrate in predictable places. The park has over 150 miles of streams and more waterfalls than any official count tries to total. The ones that do not show up in the first page of search results are often the ones worth the drive.

Spring and early fall are the best times on these trails. Water flow is high after winter snowmelt or fall rains, temperatures are cooperative, and the seasonal crowds that fill Gatlinburg and Cherokee have either not arrived yet or have gone home.

If these mountains have been on your mind and you want to talk about what it looks like to actually live near them, Jon Tharp is glad to have that conversation.

Sources: - 7 Great Smoky Mountains Waterfalls You've Never Heard Of - Mouse Creek Falls via Big Creek Trail - AllTrails - Mouse Creek Falls - NPS - Waterfalls - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Mouse Creek Falls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

Mouse Creek Falls is located on the North Carolina side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park along the Big Creek Trail. To reach the trailhead, take Exit 451 off I-40 near the Tennessee-North Carolina border, cross the Pigeon River, and follow the road about 2 miles to the Big Creek Picnic Area. The falls sit roughly 2.1 miles from the trailhead, making it a 4-mile round trip. The trail follows Big Creek the entire way and passes Midnight Hole, a deep emerald swimming pool, at about the 1.5-mile mark.

How hard is the hike to Mouse Creek Falls?

The Big Creek Trail to Mouse Creek Falls is considered easy to moderate and is appropriate for most hikers, including older children with some trail experience. The path is wide and well-maintained, following an old railroad grade along Big Creek with a steady but gradual incline. The round trip is about 4 miles. Footing can be uneven in rocky sections near the creek, so trail shoes or hiking boots are recommended. Plan on 2 to 3 hours for the full hike including time at Midnight Hole and the falls.

What other lesser-known waterfalls are worth seeing in the Smokies?

Several off-the-beaten-path waterfalls in Great Smoky Mountains National Park reward visitors who look past the major attractions. Fern Branch Falls, found on the Porters Creek Trail in the Greenbrier area about 6 miles east of Gatlinburg, is a 45-foot slide waterfall surrounded by moss and fern-covered boulders near a historic homestead. Chasteen Creek Falls is accessible from Smokemont Campground off Newfound Gap Road and sees very little foot traffic despite an easy approach. Crooked Arm Cascade near Cades Cove is easily missed even by regulars who visit the cove every season.

Is the Big Creek area of the Smokies crowded?

The Big Creek area is one of the quietest sections of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, particularly compared to the Gatlinburg and Cherokee entrances. Because it requires a short drive off I-40 rather than coming through either of those tourist corridors, day-trippers rarely make it here. Weekday mornings are especially calm. The Big Creek Picnic Area has limited parking, which naturally caps visitor numbers. Early fall and late spring offer the best combination of comfortable temperatures, good water flow, and manageable crowds.

Can you swim at Midnight Hole in the Smokies?

Midnight Hole is a popular swimming spot on the Big Creek Trail, known for its large, clear pool and the visible native trout that hold in the current below the small falls. Swimming is not officially prohibited there, but the National Park Service advises caution because water temperatures stay cold even in summer and rocks can be slippery. The pool is wide, calm compared to the main creek, and well shaded, making it a natural rest stop on the way to or from Mouse Creek Falls. It is one of the more photogenic spots in the entire park.