Smoky Mountain National Forest - Ramsay Cascades Trail

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Length:	Out and back - 8 miles total
Difficulty:	Strenuous
Rating (1-10):	8

The Smoky Mountains is one of our favorite places to visit. The National Park is very beautiful with huge mountains that climb forever covered with the most beautiful trees and plants. Some areas seem to be untouched by humans, even though hundreds of thousands of people visit the park each year. There's something special about these mountains, especially in the morning with the fog rising around the mountain tops... whoever named them the "Smoky Mountains" knew just what they were thinking.
	This trail is no exception to the beauty of the National park. When you hike this trail, you can expect to see one of the largest pockets of virgin timber in all of the Smokey Mountains. The massive size of these trees is amazing.. something in and of itself worth seeing. You can find here hemlock, yellow poplar, black cherry, silverbell, yellow and sweet birch, and cucumber magnolia. You should also keep your eyes open for the wildlife. On our hike, we saw 3 "trophy" gobblers and a black bear!
Of course, the ultimate prize of the hike is the large waterfall at the end of the trail, Ramsay Cascades. the cascades are 90 feet high and form the largest waterfall in the park that is accessible by foot. The trail ends at the base of the waterfall and it makes a perfect place to stop and rest for the return hike to the base of the mountain. The trail itself starts with a moderate climb up the mountain on an old roadbed. The 1st 1.5 miles are easy going, but don't be fooled.. the last 2.5 miles is the strenuous section!
	At 1.5 miles, the trail turns into a single track called the Ramsay Cascades Trail. This trail climbs steeply along the Ramsay Prong, and crosses in 2 or 3 places. The trail gets very steep in some places and you will find yourself climbing over large rocks and scrambling up makeshift steps. The hike starts at an elevation of 2,100 feet elevation and climbs to 4,200 feet before you reach the waterfall. All in all, this is a tough hike, but more than worth taking to see one of the most beautiful waterfalls around! Click here to see our pictures!