Grotto Falls via Trillium Gap Trail Hiking Guide
Grotto Falls is the waterfall in the Smokies that the trail passes behind. A short climb on the Trillium Gap Trail brings you into a cool cove of mossy boulders where the falls drop 25 feet, and the path goes behind the falling water. The park calls the trail well traveled, especially in summer, and the tiny lot makes it one of the harder places in the park to park.
Permit: You need a Great Smoky Mountains parking tag for any stop longer than 15 minutes ($5 a day, $15 a week, $40 a year), and tags can't be bought on the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, so buy one beforehand. No entrance fee or hiking permit.
Distance and Terrain
The park's Grotto Falls page describes it as 2.6 miles round trip, and AllTrails measures 2.7 miles with about 521 feet of gain. The same NPS page also prints a length of 4 miles, and its LeConte page puts the falls about 1.5 miles in, so expect anything from 2.6 to 3 miles in practice. The path crosses several small streams and passes through old-growth forest and rhododendron, with occasional roots, rocks and short inclines. Rain and high water make it muddy and slick.
Getting Behind the Falls
The trail passes behind the falls, and the rock there stays wet. Walk it slowly, keep a hand free, and don't climb on the boulders around the pool. Beyond the falls the Trillium Gap Trail keeps climbing; at nearly 3 miles it meets the Brushy Mountain Trail, and the full route to Mount LeConte is 13 miles round trip.
The Road and the Lot
The trailhead is about two miles along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, a one-way road which starts on Cherokee Orchard Road just past the second Rainbow Falls lot. Buses, trailers and motor homes are not allowed on it. The trailhead lot has only 17 spaces, and NPS warns of extreme crowding, so arrive early, come late in the afternoon or use a shuttle. Use the pit toilets at the Rainbow Falls trailhead before turning onto Roaring Fork, since the road runs one way only.
Winter Access
Roaring Fork is open to cars only from spring to late fall and closes for the winter (in 2026 its season ran from mid-April to the end of November). When the road is shut, you can still reach Grotto Falls by hiking the Trillium Gap Trail from the Rainbow Falls parking area, a longer outing that you should plan with a map. The park recommends microspikes on Trillium Gap in cold weather.
Bears on Trillium Gap
The park posts bear warnings for individual trails on its closures page, and Trillium Gap has been on that list during active fall feeding. Check it before you go, hike in a group, keep at least 50 yards from any bear and keep snacks zipped away. Pets are not allowed on this trail.
Hiking tips for Grotto Falls via Trillium Gap Trail
- Get there early or late in the day; the trailhead has only 17 parking spaces.
- Buy your parking tag before you enter Roaring Fork, where none are sold.
- Step carefully behind the falls, where the rock stays wet.
- Check the park's bear warnings list before you go.
- In winter, plan the longer approach from the Rainbow Falls lot while the road is closed.
Nearby trails to explore
- Rainbow Falls Trail (Great Smoky Mountains)
- Baskins Creek Trail
- Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Grotto Falls is the waterfall you get to walk behind. Use TrailMates to find hikers heading to Grotto Falls in the Smokies. Download the TrailMates app to connect.