Baskins Creek Falls Trailhead

I haven’t done very much hiking in my life. I grew up in the mountains, but the trails my parents took my to as a kid were apparently quite easy because I was under the impression the hiking was just walking in the woods. While visiting Gatlinburg I knew I wanted to really experience the Smoky Mountains, especially in the fall foliage, so I did quite a bit of research to find a fun hiking trail that wouldn’t be too difficult but also had some fun nature elements. I settled on the Baskins Creek Falls trail because of the promise of waterfalls, and because it was noted that there was also an old cemetery along the trial. I love creepy old cemeteries. The trail was rated a 4.91 on the hiking trail difficulty scale. This equates to an «easy» hike suitable for children and the elderly according to my research. Apparently I am not in nearly as good shape as I thought I was because I would not call this trail easy at all… but fun, and worth it.
We arrived around 9am. The trail is located inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park and you can get to it driving along a one long one way loop that winds through the portion of the park. There are numerous trailheads along the way, some with a decent amount of parking, while this one really only has enough room for a handful of cars, so getting there early benefitted us. We began the three mile trek along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. The trail is pretty well defined (I did have fears of losing my way and having to live off the land, which I assure you wouldn’t go well for me) and started off as a relatively leisurely stroll with some mild hills that lead us to some amazing mountain views. Then things got tricky. The trail began a sharp slope down, and with the fall leaves along the trail it become quite slippery in spots (I fell twice :-(…maybe don’t wear your oldest worn out running shoes and have something with some traction). Honestly though, despite my falls I was still having a great time. We encountered a few small caves and the trail followed a cute babbling brook for awhile. There were a few areas along the trail where crossing the stream was necessary, but with no bridge present you must navigate across using the rocks peeking out of the water… I felt like Pocahontas.
About a mile and a third in we came to a sign with one fork leading to the falls and another leading to the cemetery. I will note that this was probably the longest 1.3 miles of my life. I can walk a mile in probably 12 minutes, but this mile took more like a half hour… and we were moving the whole time. We opted to head up to the cemetary to satisfy my fascination with creepy things. Located at the top of quite a steep slope I have no idea how people were getting bodies up here in the early 1900’s because this was a tricky trek. The cemetery is very cool and definitely worth seeing. The grave stones are very old and worn so much that you really can’t make out what they say, but some researching after the fact most of the graves belong to members of the Ogle family, who were the first settlers of the area. There is one child’s grave in the cemetery which has a new tombstone that I think was added much later once the history of the grave was established.
After the cemetery we navigated our way back to the trail and opted to head back rather than go to the falls (we were REALLY tired and we knew that we would see plenty of waterfalls on the drive out… from the car lol). The trip back is rough! Remember when I mentioned those sharp slopes down on the way in? Well it turns out you have to get up them on the return route. I had to stop quite a few times just to catch my breath (hiking is NOT just walking). Around this time I realized I had lost my sunglasses (probably one of the times I fell)…as luck would have it we ran in to an older woman on the trail who just happened to have found my sunglasses… people are so nice. When we finally got back to the car my fit bit had logged 89 floors! Normally I would say that I didn’t believe it because sometimes altitude can mess up the fit bit floors counter, but honestly, I really do think we did the equivalent of that many floors. I would like to have a word with whoever came up with the ratings scale for hiking trails and discuss with them what the word «easy» means.
The hike while difficult was fun and the views of the Smokies are breathtaking. Despite the steep climbs, and though I don’t have any frame of reference because we were too tired to try any other trails, i highly recommend this one… if for no other reason, because it’s the only trail i researched that had a cemetery.

Baskins Creek Falls is a cool little waterfall that was said to have been commonly used as an outdoor shower by the early settlers. The trail is kinda tricky to follow, so here are easy-​to-​follow hiking instructions. It may be difficult to get internet reception, so I would suggest you print these instructions and bring then with you:
PARKING
Find the trailhead by turning right onto Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail (from Cherokee Orchard Road). Parking for the trailhead will be about 150 yards on the left. It’s tiny, barely enough for two cars. However, this is not a popular trail like the others, so there may be room when you arrive. Otherwise, you can park off Cherokee Orchard and walk the 150 yards to the trailhead.
THE HIKE
While researching this hike, several websites listed this hike as easy and all downhill. That is incorrect. For the first ¹⁄₃ of a mile it’s all uphill. About the time you get clear views of the nearby mountains the descent to the waterfall begins.
Near the one mile you will cross a small creek. There is NO log bridge provided, so be careful when crossing over the loose stones and downed trees. The trail will begin to descent a little more rapidly past a cave-​like stone outcrop. Next you will come to a split in the trail. To the left is a sign leading you towards a cemetery. Keep right to remain on the trail to the falls.
Again you will cross a small creek and soon after arrive at a second split in the trail. Go left here for your final descent to the falls. This section of the trail is the steepest drop in elevation and definitely one of the trickiest to navigate. If you have small children, it would be a good idea to assist them here.
When you round your final corner of the trail, the waterfall will be in plain view. Although total height of the falls seems to vary between websites, I think it’s at least 45′.
Length: 3 Miles round trip
Total Elevation Gain: 953 Feet
Trail Difficulty Rating: Moderate (I personally WOULD NOT recommend this trail for the elderly or children under the age of 6).
FINAL THOUGHTS
While the hike to the falls may be ranked on trail guides as easy, I’m not so sure they are considering the return hike back! It’s a real booger of a hike in reverse. I need a rest break more than once! A beautiful small waterfall to be sure, but not in the same ranks of other nearby waterfalls like Grotto, Hen Wallow, Laurel or the two Mac Daddies of all Gatlinburg waterfall hikes… Abram & Ramsey Cascades (8.5 miles round trip).
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a nap! I’m worn out!