Porters Creek Trail (Greenbrier) Hiking Guide
Porters Creek is the quieter Greenbrier hike, a creekside walk that the park calls typically less crowded than its headline trails. It strings together stone walls from a vanished settlement, a small cemetery, a historic barn and hiking club cabin, and a 40-foot waterfall, and you can turn around wherever you like.
Permit: The gravel lot at the end of Greenbrier Road is inside the park, so a parking tag is required for stays over 15 minutes: $5 for one day, $15 for seven days, $40 for twelve months. Camping at backcountry campsite #31 needs a separate backcountry permit. No entrance fee.
Pick Your Turnaround
The park describes three outings. The Messer Barn and Great Smoky Mountains Hiking Club cabin make a 2-mile round trip: at a big trail junction about a mile in, a short detour of roughly 350 yards to the right leads to both. Fern Branch Falls, about 2 miles in, makes it a 4-mile round trip. The trail ends at backcountry campsite #31, about 3 miles in, for 6 miles round trip. AllTrails maps a longer version at 7.4 miles with about 1,558 feet of gain; the park's 1 to 3 hours fits the shorter options.
What You Pass
The first section is a gradual climb on a wide gravel path with the creek beside you. AllTrails notes rock walls and building foundations around 0.6 mile and an old cemetery at about 0.75 mile, remnants of an old settlement. About 1.6 miles in you cross a long footlog bridge, then climb quickly; Fern Branch Falls appears on the left at a small stream crossing.
Footing
Roots, rocks, high footlog bridges and stream crossings make the trail harder than its gentle start suggests. It steepens just before the falls and stays mostly uphill to the campsite. Wet leaves in autumn and wet logs after rain are slippery, so take the footlogs one at a time.
Parking at the End of Greenbrier Road
Drive to the dead end of Greenbrier Road, where a gravel lot holds about 20 vehicles. The park still warns of crowds and limited parking in peak season, so a weekday or early start helps. The nearest restroom is at the Greenbrier Picnic Pavilion on the way in. Greenbrier Grocery and the machine at the Greenbrier Ranger Station both sell parking tags.
Hiking tips for Porters Creek Trail (Greenbrier)
- Make the 350-yard side trip to the Messer Barn and hiking club cabin.
- Turn around at Fern Branch Falls for a 4-mile day.
- Cross the high footlogs one person at a time, especially when they are wet.
- Arrive early in peak season; the gravel lot fits only about 20 cars.
- Get a backcountry permit before planning a night at campsite #31.
Nearby trails to explore
- Ramsey Cascades Trail
- Hen Wallow Falls via Gabes Mountain Trail
- Grotto Falls via Trillium Gap Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Porters Creek is the easygoing Greenbrier walk with history at every bend. Use TrailMates to find hikers heading to Porters Creek in the Smokies. Download the TrailMates app to connect.