READERS COMMENTS

One of my fondest memories is of swimming about 27 years ago in the wide, breathtakingly cold pool below Abrams Falls on a hot summer day, but I knew better than to get too close to the falls, let alone to jump off of the obviously very slippery, moss-covered rocks adjoining the falls. Some people just have no common sense!
Posted: Aug 16, 2011 Sally

Posted: Aug 16, 2011 Sally

I've done it. Aint shit
Posted: Aug 15, 2011 Daniel Kennedy

I used Abrams falls trail to access the stream for fly fishing about 3 weeks ago. We fished all day and went to the falls as the last people were leaving. We still got there in time to see teenagers climbing the moss covered rocks at the side of the falls and then jumping into the pool. One of the kids didn't resurface for nearly 30 seconds and finally popped up gasping for air. I don't think they realize the washing machine affect at the base of the fall. It was a nice calm day and the kid almost drowned in 80 degree water. Also his buddy could've. Easily slipped on the mossy rocks and cracked his head on the talus below. Stupid people!
Posted: Aug 11, 2011 Jesse

I have hiked from Cades Cove to Abrams falls a few times. Never had and problems of any kind. I have rested my feet in the water and had lunch. There have been many people swimming or skinny dipping and none of them were taking risks. People that get injured there would get injured in a mall.
Posted: Jan 23, 2011 Howell

I walk that trail on the way to the falls for fly fishing, and the most dangerous thing I have seen is a hungry bear!
Posted: Dec 30, 2010 SteveP

I missed this when it first came out, so I haven't been scared to continue to use the Abrams Falls trail. I have been hiking this as a "warm up" trail each year when I visit the Smokies. Yes, swimming can be dangerous when currents are fast, and any water falls can have hidden currents. People who swim into the falls (and under them) or jump in from the top of the falls are obviously at greater risk. Some don't even investigate what they are about to do first, but simply jump in! But at the same time, on a hot summer day, you often see dozens of the trail users carrying towels, so their intentions are clear, and obviously there must be a very high ratio of people who swim without death to those who do.

What I found to be unexpected was the almost casual attitude towards skinny dipping and nudity around the pool at the base of the falls. For some reason, some people don't understand that not everyone wants to see their bare bodies. Just because they have hiked 2.5 miles does not mean that they are alone, or that others who make the hike will find the skinny dippers to be not offensive. This is one of the GSMNP's most popular trails, and is heavily used by all types of people, from small children to nuns. Some of these other visitors might not appreciate those choosing to enjoy the outdoors in the buff.

Posted: Dec 24, 2010 Scott

If you fall in near the falls you will be in trouble. Many lives have been lost here... Just one last year. Many of you may argue its family friendly but I remember the park spending all night last year fishing a body out last year.
Posted: Oct 20, 2010 Anonymous

I'm from the area, and the hike, as someone observed, is a walk in the park compared to anything in the Rockies or Sierra Nevada where I spend my time now. I think the criteria for Backpacker's rating is based on deaths and accidents associated with a trail. The author obviously has never been there. The high death rate is due to the fact that the falls are easily accessible by thousands of people and there are a lot of bone-heads who will dive into any body of water more than two feet deep. Frankly, I hope this article scares people away. The trail is a mess due to overuse and insensitivity. I hiked it on Christmas about three years ago and the area around the falls has been terribly abused by people scrambling like monkeys up the hillsides. Trash is everywhere. If I ran the Great Smoky Mountains NP I'd close the trail for a few years and give the place a rest.
Posted: Oct 08, 2010 Robert Jones

I'd been to Abrams Falls as a teenager, swimming in the large pool of water in front of the falls. We checked the drop off around the rocks for depth and began diving...no problems. I went again and again over the next few years with family or friends, diving and swimming no problem. Finally in 2009 I confidently went to dive off near the falls having done it dozens of times no problem, and....WHAM!!! First jump, my head ricocheted off a big rock hitting dead center of my forehead. My forehead EXPLODED with BLOOD gushing into my eyes and mouth. Thank God I didn't get knocked out and drown, just 13 stitches over at ER in Marryville, TN.

Don't ever be too cautious...even if you've got experience.
Posted: Mar 12, 2010 Nate

The last time I hiked the trail a bear kept comming down the trail after us.
Posted: Feb 02, 2010 Matt

there are more than one way to get to abram falls and it is a bit scary if you take the one off of abrams falls road as known in bristol there has been many die and get hurt from just falling off the trial its only about 2 feet wide and about 25 to 30 feet down off the side
Posted: Jan 15, 2010 blake

This is ridiculous. A walk in Central Park is far more dangerous than the hike to Abrams Falls.
Posted: Jan 09, 2010 Old Fogey

Under "Also on Backpacker.com..." there is an option for how to fend off a bear attack. Only when you select that you get a video on how to put on crampons. Oops! Can you fix it? I'd really like to see the video about fending off a bear attack.
phlp_richie@yahoo.com
Posted: Jan 01, 2010 Phil Richie

Hey Guys, cut the writer a break. He's talking about the rainfall, over swollen streams, city people, and tourists, and a lack of respect for the outdoors that we find second nature to think about.
Posted: Dec 31, 2009 Tim B, Cincinnati, OH

I have hiked the trail many times, both from the Cades Cove side and the Happy Valley side. Dangerous, no, not to those who respect the land and the waters. Millions possibly have hiked to the falls over the years, most have come back with a memorable experiance. It is those we like to call "Darwin Award Winner's" that cause lists like this to exist. We don't swim with sharks, we don't pet buffalo or rattlesnakes, and we don't swim in cold, strong current streams. For those who do (and I have seen all of these), please stay out of the Smoky Mountains. I love hiking these great mountains with my freinds, and we don't need you out there. Like the family hiking one day late in the afternon, no food (oh, the small child had a bag of Doritos), no water, and no idea where they were going. We turned them around before the search party had to be formed. So, most dangerous, not the trail, just the people who think they can master Mother Nature, they also belive in the Easter Bunny.
Posted: Dec 31, 2009 Happy Bottom Jim

Chimney Tops is awesome and icy/windy/cold. I really thought that would be the hike here. Add ice to a tempting overlook for exhausted hikers...
Posted: Dec 31, 2009 Beth

Abrams Falls is definitely not dangerous. It's even a nice place to swim in the summer but don't swim near the falls. Peregrines/Keyhole Ridge on one of the LeConte trails is far more dangerous and the park service has closed it off. You could put almost any trail as dangerous if you include people not using common sense.
Posted: Dec 31, 2009 Ric Brooks

Agree that it is a lovely trail, but swimming requires common sense and not bravado. The fact that it is so littered with water bottles and trash of civilization shows that it is hiked by a lot of tourists who think that the city sanitation department is going to clean up after them. Disposable water bottles should be outlawed.
Posted: Dec 31, 2009 Babs

Abrams falls? Really? Saying the trail is dangerous because some idiots chose to dive off the falls or swim at the base and drowned is like saying the stretch of AT from Newfound Gap to Charlies Bunion is dangerous because people do stupid stuff like jumping down to the furthest point and fall off the mountain. In truth every foot of the 900 or so miles at GSMNP is only dangerous when the people on the trails make poor choices. Otherwise I would say that hiking the Smokies is safer than walking - or driving - the streets in gatlinburg
Posted: Dec 31, 2009 smwalker_oh

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