The National Park Service closed Laurel Falls Trail on January 6, 2025 for a major rehabilitation: new viewing platforms at the falls, a repaved and widened trail, and about 50 more parking spaces. The closure runs from the trailhead on Fighting Creek Gap Road (Little River Road) up to the junction with the Little Greenbrier and Cove Mountain trails, and the Sugarland Mountain Trail is closed from the same road up to the Huskey Gap Trail junction.
Expected reopening: Sometime in 2027 (originally planned as 18 months; extended after crews hit unexpected ground conditions at the lower viewing platform; no exact date)
Confirm current status with Great Smoky Mountains National Park (National Park Service) before visiting.
Open alternatives: Hen Wallow Falls via Gabes Mountain Trail · Grotto Falls via Trillium Gap Trail
NPS GRSM Current Road, Facility, Trail & Backcountry Cautions and Closures page (updated October 2, 2026) and the park's December 17, 2024 news release with its 2027 update, checked October 4, 2026.
Laurel Falls Trail (Great Smoky Mountains) Hiking Guide
Laurel Falls has long been the waterfall walk everyone does first in the Smokies: a paved path off Little River Road to an 80-foot falls, with more than 300,000 hikers a year by the park's count. It is closed right now. Work began on January 6, 2025, and after crews ran into unexpected ground conditions while building the lower viewing platform, the park now expects to reopen it sometime in 2027.
Permit: When the trail reopens, parking at the trailhead will need a Great Smoky Mountains parking tag ($5 daily, $15 weekly, $40 annual) for any stop over 15 minutes. There is no entrance fee and no hiking permit.
What's Closed
Everything from the trailhead on Little River Road up to the junction with the Little Greenbrier and Cove Mountain trails is shut, so you cannot reach the falls from the top either. The Sugarland Mountain Trail is also closed from the road to its Huskey Gap Trail junction, and its parking lot is off-limits, with no drop-offs allowed. Don't try to slip past the barriers; this is an active construction site.
What the Rebuild Will Change
The old asphalt, first laid in 1963, had become cracked and uneven, and the rock around the falls is slippery and steep. The project repaves and widens the trail, builds new viewing platforms at the falls to spread out the crowd, and adds new signs on wayfinding, bear safety and Leave No Trace. At the trailhead, the park is adding roughly 50 parking spaces and a guarded pedestrian pathway to the start of the trail. Those parking improvements are being paid for with campground fees and parking tag revenue.
The Hike, Once It Reopens
NPS lists the walk at 2.6 miles round trip through mixed hardwood forest thick with mountain laurel and rhododendron, with a few mountain views before the falls. AllTrails measures 2.5 miles with about 383 feet of gain and still rates it easy. The trailhead is 3 miles west of Sugarlands Visitor Center, where the nearest restrooms are. The park counts 39 spaces there and says the lots are often full, which is why it recommends a shuttle.
Waterfalls to Hike Instead
The park's own list of substitutes includes Hen Wallow Falls from Cosby, a 90-foot falls on a 4.3-mile round trip, and Grotto Falls on the Trillium Gap Trail, which you can walk behind. Closer to Laurel Falls, the Little River, Cucumber Gap and Jakes Creek loop out of Elkmont runs 5.4 miles past Huskey Branch Falls, and the Middle Prong Trail reaches Lynn Camp Prong Cascades in 1.4 miles round trip. Cove Mountain Trail to Cataract Falls is another option on the list. Check the park's closures page before any trip; that is where the reopening will be announced.
Hiking tips for Laurel Falls Trail (Great Smoky Mountains)
- Don't drive to the trailhead expecting to hike; the trail and Sugarland Mountain lot are closed.
- Try Lynn Camp Prong Cascades if you want a similarly easy waterfall walk while Laurel is shut.
- Watch the NPS closures page for the 2027 reopening date.
- Plan on a shuttle once it reopens; the park says the trailhead lots are often full.
- Stay on the platforms when you return; the rock around the falls is slick and steep.
Nearby trails to explore
- Grotto Falls via Trillium Gap Trail
- Hen Wallow Falls via Gabes Mountain Trail
- Little River Trail (Elkmont)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Laurel Falls is shut until 2027, but the park has plenty of other waterfalls. Use TrailMates to find hikers heading to the falls that are open in the Smokies. Download the TrailMates app to connect.