Looking for a beautiful trek to a Smoky Mountain waterfall near Gatlinburg? Check out Indian Flats Falls, which is located 3.8 miles from the Tremont Trailhead, just south of Townsend, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Via a spur off the Middle Prong Trail, Indian Flats Falls features 4 medium-size cascades. This is a great area for a summer dip in the Smokies as the falls each tumble to an enclosed pool ideal for swimming and wading.
Smoky Mountain visitors will find the trail to Indian Flats Falls especially appealing during the spring and summer months as it doesn’t see many people, is an easy hike, and provides for some wonderful fishing opportunities along the way.
You’ll find that once you reach the area of the falls, they are partially hidden by forest growth. There is also easy access to many smaller but equally scenic cascades leading to and past this point.
The trail continues up the wide south bank of Lynn Camp Prong in a mixed hardwood forest to the Panther Creek Trail split. Note that you’ll seamlessly branch off along Indian Flats Prong shortly beyond this point.
The trail moves steadily under a vine-draped canopy and rhododendron understory to a bridge; once over it climbs away from the creek and winds into a thick forest.
Though water is no longer visible, Indian Flats Falls will be audible as you near the unmarked spur, located behind a large boulder on a sharp, steep bend in the trail.
Note that if you reach the Lynn Camp Prong Trail split, you’ve gone too far.
The unmarked spur undulates ruggedly to the top tier of Indian Flats Falls. The first fall offers the largest viewing area, and a precarious look down upon the second.
To reach the lower falls you must backtrack on the spur and improvise a few steps off trail – never climb or descend rocks adjacent to flowing water. Be mindful of timber rattlesnakes and copperheads as you negotiate the busy forest to the lower falls.