Mingo Falls an Underrated Hike
On a rainy day while visiting Bryson City, NC I googled things to do around our campground at Cherokee KOA. To my utmost surprise I found we were less than half a mile from an epic waterfall. We got the kids ready and headed down the road to Mingo Falls.
Mingo Falls is a tiered 120ft waterfall located just outside of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mingo Falls trailhead is located right off of Sherrill Cove Road. Park in one of the many gravel spots and start walking up the 161 steps. The hike to the falls is a quarter of a mile long.
Dense green foliage lines the path as you climb the stairs. Dave enjoyed being super dad and carried both the kids while I trailed behind with my camera. Once you reach the falls there is a bridge going over the river which provides an amazing view of Mingo Falls cascading down the mountain. Our attempts at a family photo were not very successful, but we were shocked at how beautiful the falls were for such a short hike. It was honestly one of the prettiest waterfalls we had ever seen. Delicate yet mighty.
There is a trail that continues around the area, but it was closed for restoration when we visited. The total hike took us around 45 minutes with taking pictures and everything. For how little time it takes to see Mingo Falls, this is a hike you definitely don’t want to miss!
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