Family-Friendly Waterfall hike in Great Smokies - Laurel Falls

Laurel Falls is one of the most popular trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is a 2.6-mile round-trip hike with a difficulty level of easy to moderate and an elevation gain of around 400 ft. The trail starts on Little River Road near to Sugar Land Visitor Center. Please check the park website for the status, as it is closed in 2025 and is planned to reopen in 2026.

Trail Details:

60-foot Waterfall 

Distance: 2.6 miles (round trip)

Elevation: Around 500 ft

Difficulty level - Easy to Moderate

Time duration - around 2 hrs

The Hike:

This is a recommended family hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The hike doesn't have much elevation and is completely paved except for a few areas. The upper falls are fantastic to dip our toes in the water. You need to do some rock scrambling to reach the lower falls, but it is worth it.

We visited in winter, but the trail is well-maintained, and there is no snow at all. 

Getting parking at the trailhead might be a little tough. We reached there around 1pm, and so, we could get parking.

The hike is mostly easy and flat. The upper falls are great, but in winter, the flow is average. It looks great during other seasons. To reach the lower falls, carefully climb down a few rocks, and it might be slippery in a few places. But the view from the lower falls is worth it. 

We might have reached back in 2 hrs after having snacks while watching the waterfall.

To read more about other hikes and places to see in the Great Smoky Mountains, check this post. 

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Until next time,

N for Niagara Falls #BlogchatterA2Z

 Niagara Falls, New York 

Here is one waterfall every visitor to the USA might have seen once. It's that popular. This is one of the oldest state parks in the USA.

The magnificence of the waterfall and watching the water splashing on you this much closer will blow your mind. I bet it will stay in your memory as one of the most beautiful places you have ever seen. 

In Niagara Falls State Park bordering Canada, you can see 3 waterfalls. The boat ride on the New York River through Maid of The Mist is amazing as it takes you very nearer to the waterfall where water splashes on the face drenching you full. 

Our travelogue will soon be up on my blog. 

Because One picture is not enough to describe the grandeur :-)

Until next time,

I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z

Other A2Z Posts:

A for Arches National Park

B for Bigbend National park

C for Capitol Reef National Park

D for Disney

E for Escalante National Monument

F for Fort Davis

G for Great Smoky Mountains National Park

H for Hot Springs National Park

I for Idaho Springs

J for Jackson Hole

K for Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

L for Las Vegas

M for Monument Valley

N for Niagara Falls

O for Orlando

P for Pikes Peak

Q for Quiet and Secluded

R for Rocky Mountain National Park

S for Santa Fe

T for Talimena Scenic Drive

U for Utah

V for Vermont

W for White Sands National Park

X for Xtreme Weather

Y for Yellowstone National Park

Z for Zion National Park

Chalk Ridge Falls, Belton - TX - A Travelogue

Chalk Ridge Falls Park in Belton is 1 hr away from Austin TX near Still House Lake Dam. This park is free to enter and hike. It has a waterfall, suspension bridge, wooden bridge, water access, and hiking trails. 

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Here is our first day trip in Texas.

Chalk Ridge Falls Park

We were looking for a simple, un-crowded place for weekend hiking with kids. Chalk Ridge falls is really a fun place to hike with kids. The parking area gets full mostly on weekend, but people park along side the road. Restrooms are available at the entrance.

Hiking

The park has around 2.5 miles of hiking trails. Not a well marked trail, but we walk alongside the creek and it is easy to find the waterfalls. We can reach the falls in 0.6 miles itself, but the trails continue further.

Chalk Ridge Falls

The hike is very easy. There is a swinging suspension bridge near the falls, which is cool to walk and experience it. Kids loved it. 

Iam not sure if the water is good to swim, but the water is warm in February. Good to wet our feet and relax. 

There are some viewing platforms on the trails to see the creek alongside. The blue and green colors of water are amazing.

The trail is mostly shaded and easy for kids. The place is serene and good to hike in Spring / Fall. 

The park is open daily from 8 am to Sunset. It is free to enter.

Still House Hollow Lake

The Park is just below the Dam.

We drove through the Dam after leaving Chalk Ridge Falls park. The views of Still House Hollow Lake from Dam are wonderful. We couldn't stop, but there might be a viewing area / park. Still House park is closed, but there is some lake access as we could see many motor boats on the lake.

We would love to visit the Lake some other day when the Still House park is open. I think, the park has some elevation and nice views of the lake. 

Still House Hollow Lake

If you are in Austin and looking for a quick hike which is not crowded, do check out this Park. Let me know how do you like it in the comments.

Until next time,