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    Home » Travels » Tennessee

    Laurel Falls in the Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness

    LAST UPDATED: July 26, 2021 PUBLISHED: July 26, 2021 By Pam Greer Leave a Comment As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    A waterfall rewarding hike just about 30 minutes north of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the hike to Laurel Falls is one you don't want to miss!

    There is another Laurel Falls trail located in the Smoky Mountains, this trail is located in the Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness in Dayton, Tennessee.

    Hike at a Glance

    • Distance: 5.35 miles
    • Difficulty: Moderate
    • Elevation Gain: 686 feet
    • Highlights: waterfall
    Map showing the route taken for the Laurel Falls Hike.

    You can see on our trail map that there are several trails in the Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness.

    We could have continued our hike to the top of Laurel Falls and then on to Laurel Creek Overlook and Bryan Overlook or taken the trail to Snow Falls and the two overlooks on that trail: Buzzard Point and Dunn Overlook.

    We chose to hike to the base of Laurel Falls, which was a 5.35 mile total hike.

    Elevation map showing the increase in elevation on the way to the falls and decreasing on the way back.

    The elevation map shows a slow but steady increase in elevation for about the first 2 miles. The third mile has a fairly steep increase, but there are plenty of switchbacks making it very doable.

    The best part of this elevation map is it shows it's all downhill on the hike back!

    Click here to pin this hike for later!

    Parking and Directions

    Parking lot at Laurel Falls.

    Directions to the Laurel-Snow State Natural Area in Dayton, TN can be found easily with the magic of a web map search!  We just headed north on Hwy-27 and once in the Dayton area, we were directed to Back Valley Road and then followed it until we saw the sign indicating the turn for Laurel-Snow Pocket Wilderness. The Access Road is approximately one mile long and takes you to the trailhead parking, a large, graveled lot with plenty of signs for the trails and the significant history of the Dayton Coal & Iron Company in that area.

    Starting the hike!

    A wide hiking trail with a creek on the left.

    The trail is graveled and wide as you start the hike, following alongside Richland Creek on your left.  There are several areas along the trail that have clusters of signs overlooking the creek. These provide excellent timelines of the history of the Laurel-Snow State Natural Area.

    A wooden bridge crossing a small stream.

    The early trail is comfortable and has wooden bridges that span significant crossings of small streams or for the sections associated with historical ruins.

    The entrance to an old mining tunnel.

    The never-ending scenery of the large boulders, the rushing creek, the impressive rock formations and the mysterious historic ruins will keep your head turning!  This is a good time to mention that this trail is a section of the Cumberland Trail and you will be reminded by the trees with white blazes.

    The trail with the creek on the left.

    As you head further down the trail, you notice the trail narrows somewhat and that there is a noticeable increase in elevation.  And you occasionally come across an old, exposed pipe in the trail, most likely associated with days long ago when this creek was a water source for the town.

    Heading up the trail!

    A trail sign with an arrow indicating a right turn.

    You eventually reach an intersection where a tree on the right has a sign stating “Trail” with an arrow and there are white blazes also indicating the turn. You then start a steady climb away from Richland Creek but with the assistance of switchbacks!  The trail soon levels out so just follow the signs and enjoy the scenery. There were some very pretty wildflowers along the way when we made this hike.

    A large metal bridge crossing a creek.

    Not too far up the trail, you round a bend and you then see a metal bridge in the distance.  Cross the bridge and follow the trail to the right. You are still on the Cumberland Trail so watch for the white blazes. The trail becomes quite rocky in this section but it is very pretty.

    Stay to the right for Laurel Falls!

    A trail intersection with a sign post indicating Snow Falls to the left and Laurel Falls to the right.

    You soon come to an intersection where the trail splits - right for Laurel Falls or left for Snow Falls. It is well marked so there shouldn’t be any confusion.  We continued to the right for the trail to Laurel Falls.

    Rocks with a small opening with an arrow pointing that way.

    You begin a climb through large boulders and the creek is on your right.  You come to a tree with an arrow-sign pointing to the trail...which leads to a small opening through the large boulders!  It was a little bit awkward, but fun!

    A man hiking up a very rocky section of the trail.

    You now begin a climb with numerous switchbacks. You will occasionally encounter a side trail where some hikers have bypassed the switchbacks but we just continued on the main trail. It’s rocky here and there, but not difficult.

    A man standing on the rocks at the base of Laurel Falls.

    You soon come into view of Laurel Falls!  We worked our way across the rocks to get closer to the base of the falls and it is an impressive site!

    A couple are sitting together on the rocks, looking at Laurel Falls.

    We found a perfect spot to enjoy our lunch and enjoy the sights and sounds of Laurel Falls! We highly recommend this hike for anyone that enjoys a relatively short hike with lots of beautiful scenery and a very interesting history!

    More Tennessee

    • Two pairs of hiking boots on top of falling water falls.
      Falling Water Falls on Signal Mountain
    • Man looking out at an overlook.
      Roaring Creek
    • Margarette Falls water cascading over rocks.
      Hiking to Margarette Falls
    • Feet on an overlook over the Tennessee River.
      Hiking to Edwards Point and Rainbow Lake!

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    Pam Greer from Sidewalk Shoes

    Hi, I'm Pam. I'm the person who plans whole vacations around where to eat and drink. Beautiful scenery is optional.

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