READERS COMMENTS

The body of the drowning victim in 2006 was recovered. A 14 year old male drowned below the falls in 2004. Recovery efforts are currently underway 5/25/2009 to recover another presumed drowning victim in the falls pool. The trail itself is very safe, easy and heavily used. Swimming under or climbing around the falls is very dangerous but many do.
Posted: May 25, 2009 Michael Hines

There are two Abrams Falls in Tennessee. This one is by far the easier, safer one. The other is a a very dangerous hike along a deer trail that leads to a 80 foot falls. More people have died along this trail than the one being mentioned here. I believe the author has gotten his hikes mixed up.
Posted: Dec 12, 2008 Hiker

Eric: Not really; this trail departs from Cades Cove, which is about 5 miles and 3000+ feet down from the AT. I hiked to Abrams Falls last year, and it is a nice hike and waterfall despite the crowds; a description is included in my online hiking log. As many others have mentioned, the trail is not dangerous provided you don't swim in raging rivers (duh) or walk off the trail and over a cliff (double duh). Also, based on my reading and experience, bears aren't really a problem in the Smokies unless you store food improperly at a campsite.
Posted: Nov 26, 2008 David Prager

Is this trail near the A.T.? I've been maintaining a file on it planning to thru-hike it some day; I thought bears was going to be the story of why G.S.Mntns. is dangerous.
Posted: Nov 21, 2008 ericleeobrien@hotmail.com

I believe they only added this trail so us east coasters would have something on the list.
Posted: Nov 18, 2008 justin

I agree with all the previous postings: Abrams Falls trail is a family-friendly trail that poses little danger to anyone. I have hiked it perhaps as many as fifty times over the years, once with my then 5-year-old daughter. As for swimming in the falls pool - duh? Sure, that's dangerous. Hop-scotching along the rim of the Boulevard Trail or glissading down Porter Creek trail or tripping on Chimney Tops or -- you get the point -- is equally dangerous.
Posted: Nov 18, 2008 Doc D

I have grown up hiking in the Smokies and did Abrams falls as a small child. It is most certainly absurd for it to be on the dangerous list. Chimney Tops is more dangerous than Abrams Falls.
Posted: Nov 16, 2008 Park Ranger

Oops, that last response should be to phil G, not Bert (no coffee yet, my bad).
Posted: Nov 16, 2008 Brian Ribeiro, GSMNP-lover

Actually, Bert, the author definitely doesn't say "he never re-surfaced on his own". What the author says is that "His body never surfaced" (which reads quite differently from "*He* never surfaced"). To speak of "his body" already suggests his death and recovery efforts. I recognize this may only be sloppy writing on the author's part, but, if not--if a body went down and disappeared at one of the most visited GSMNP landmarks--then I want to hear THAT story, right?
Posted: Nov 16, 2008 Brian Ribeiro, GSMNP-lover

I hiked this trail with my son who was six at the time a few years ago. I have to agree with Bert. To say this trail is one of the most dangerous in GSMNP is silly. Streams ANYWHERE can be dangerous if one is not careful and there is nothing along this trail that forces you into or even that close to the water. There are more dangerous hikes than this in the Flatirons.
Posted: Nov 15, 2008 Thad Rathe - Boulder, CO

We refer to this trail as the best “geriatric hike in the park”. The only thing it doesn’t have is asphalt. The trail happens to pass by the falls but there is no stream crossing required. The falls have nothing to do with the hike Yes; anyone would be well advised to stay out of any swollen stream and there are warning signs at almost every waterfall in the park to stay off the rocks. There is nothing to distinguish this TRAIL as dangerous.

For the past 59 years I have lived less than 30 minutes away from the Abrams Falls trailhead. I have been hiking and backpacking in the park since I was a Boy Scout and cover a couple hundred miles of the park’s trails every year. To call the Abrams Falls trail one of the most dangerous trails is absurd!

Posted: Nov 14, 2008 Bert in Maryville, TN

They said he never re-surfaced on his own. They didn't say he wasn't found. Read between the lines.
Posted: Nov 14, 2008 phil G

"In July 2006, a strong swimmer was last spotted plunging underwater toward the base of Abrams Falls. His body never resurfaced." Really? I find that almost impossible to believe. This is a national park. They didn't search? Divers weren't called? And if they did search, they didn't find the body? Where could it have gone? Did they just decide "Oh well, he'll turn up...."? Remember, this is a national park and stories like this tend to get press attention. Fill us in, Kelly Bastone!
Posted: Nov 14, 2008 Brian Ribeiro, GSMNP-lover

ADD A COMMENT