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One of the most popular hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains,
the trail to Laurel Falls offers beauty no matter what time of year you visit.
Most hikers rate this trail as easy. It is paved and
a "fairly" gentle climb from the parking area on Little River Road up to the falls.
Once you arrive at the falls, which flow well for most of the year,
you will cross on a bridge if you would like to continue
to the top of Cove Mountain and some of the "virgin" timber that is still left in the Park.
The trail past the falls isn't paved and even though still fairly
gentle in
slope, it is much more of a climb for the next 3 miles to
the hope of the
mountain than it was up to the falls.
Most people chose to spend a little time at the falls and then
hike back down.
This particular day, we, as in Randy, Kris Moose(as seen riding
in my pack) and I, hiked about a mile and a half past the falls before starting back. But as you can see, we did
stop for a breath and to enjoy the beauty of this special spot.
Most of the year, this trail is packed with visitors, but we were
lucky enough to pick a cool, sunny winter day with only a few other adventurers around.
This final view is heading back to the Jeep!
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