Updated July 2026
Grotto Falls
A 25-foot waterfall on Roaring Fork in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the only waterfall in the park with a trail that passes behind the falling water. It is reached via the Trillium Gap Trail off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.
Before you go
Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check National Park Service / Great Smoky Mountains National Park for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Grotto Falls drops about 25 feet. That makes it the 580th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 16% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.
The Trillium Gap Trail reaches it about 2.6 miles (out-and-back) with roughly 544 feet of elevation gain, rated moderate. The nearest town is Gatlinburg. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with National Park Service / Great Smoky Mountains National Park for closures and current conditions.
year-round. Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.
More Tennessee waterfalls
- Abrams Falls · 20 ft
- Bald River Falls · 90 ft
- Benton Falls · 65 ft
- Big Falls (Old Stone Fort) · 30 ft
- Burgess Falls · 136 ft
- Cane Creek Falls · 85 ft
- Coker Creek Falls · 40 ft
- Conasauga Falls · 35 ft
Sources
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