Porters Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mary Ellen standing on a split-log bridge on the Porters Creek hiking trail

We’ve hiked Porters Creek Trail a couple of times and plan to hike it again. It’s a nice trail with plenty of wildflowers to enjoy. The trail follows Porters Creek, a noisy creek that gets “cascade-y-er” (is that a word?) as it goes. Plus, there’s a waterfall!

Let us introduce you to this fun trail and tell you all about it.

Published October 16, 2024

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Where is the Porters Creek Trail Trailhead?

Porters Creek Trail is in the Greenbrier section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Drive east on Highway 321 from Gatlinburg, TN, for approximately 6 miles, and turn right on Greenbrier Rd. Continue straight on Greenbrier Rd. until the road deadends into a small parking area. The trailhead is at the end of the parking area. You will see the trailhead sign.

The drive down Greenbrier Road follows the Little Pigeon River, and it is absolutely beautiful. On the way to the trailhead, you will pass a picnic pavilion and restrooms.

Hiking to Porters Flat

The first section of the trail will bring you to Porters Flat, appropriately named because it is flat. The hike is one mile one way on a grade that climbs about 400′ to 500′ per mile. AllTrails rates the trail difficulty as “Moderate.”

The trail is wide and well-maintained. Porters Creek will be on your left – you’ll probably hear it gurgling and splashing. Trees provide shade, and wildflowers and native plants are abundant. Look for mountain laurels, several varieties of ferns, galax, black cohosh, dwarf iris, and more.

Porters Creek Trail, a wide, shady trail surrounded by foliage and trees

Porters Creek Trail includes a few water crossings. Some require some stone-stepping to keep your feet dry, but there are also a few bridges to cross.

A rustic split-log bridge crossing a small creek

A very old, small, grassy cemetery with about a dozen small headstones

A bit before you reach Porters Flat, you will see the old Owenby Cemetery, dating back to the early 1900s but still maintained by the family. It’s an interesting exercise to imagine what life must have been like for the people who have been laid to rest there.

You will arrive at Porters Flat one mile into the hike. It is an easily recognizable flat, open area, which was first settled by the Whaley family in the early 1800s. If you walk towards the right side of the flat area, you will find where the Porters Flat Trail connects to the Brushy Mountain Trail. A short walk down Brushy Mountain Trail leads to some old historic structures and past that to Brushy Mountain. You can actually continue beyond the mountain all the way past Grotto Falls to the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, several miles away.

But today, we’re just staying on Porters Creek Trail.

Porters Flat to Fern Branch Falls

The Porters Creek Trail continues straight past Porters Flat. You’ll find it on the left side of the Flat. There will be a sign there.

The trail becomes more narrow now and more rooty and rocky.

Fern Branch Falls is 0.8 miles past Porter Flat and 0.4 miles after crossing Porters Creek on a footlog bridge. But it’s easy to miss – we know because we missed it…twice…before we found it.

Fern Branch Falls, almost hidden behind green foliage

Fern Branch Falls, with water sliding down the rock face

There are a couple of issues that make it difficult to locate. First, though it sits right on the left side of the trail, your attention is probably going to be on the right side of the trail, on a deep gully. That’s what we did. Keep up with your mileage, and begin looking to your left at .75 miles.

Second, the waterfall is 45 feet high, so unless it’s been raining, a large volume of water does not fall down it. The water slides more than falls here, and it’s easy to mistake it for nothing more than a rock face.

We scrambled up the side of the falls to get a better view, which will help you appreciate Fern Branch Falls more.

Fern Branch Falls to Campsite #31

You’ve traveled 1.8 miles so far—there are another 1.8 to go. As you continue on Porters Creek Trail, you’ll see Porters Creek below. On this last half of the trail, there are several beautiful cascades to be seen. Find a good, easy path down to some of them and do some exploring. The area is both beautiful and peaceful.

A Porters Creek cascade seen through the branches of a small tree

Mary Ellen sitting on a boulder, taking photos of the cascades on Porters Creek

Like the first half of the trail, this half is blessed with native plants and wildflowers.

At 3.6 miles, the trail turns right. You will see the sign for Campsite #31 and beyond that, the campsite itself.

End of the trail. Sit down on a boulder. Drink a little water. It’s time to turn around and head back.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time of year to hike Porters Creek Trail?
- Fall – Cooler weather and fall colors for the win!
- Spring – Cool weather and blooming flowers
- Summer – Hot and crowded
- Winter – Least crowded, but weather conditions may cause Greenbriar Rd to close
When is the least crowded time of day to begin? We always advise people to hike in the morning – the earlier, the better. The temperatures are cooler, the trails are less crowded, and so are the parking lots.
Can I bring my dog on this hike? Sorry, no. Dogs are only allowed on two hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – the Gatlinburg Trail and the Oconaluftee River Trail.
What about parking? Greenbriar Road deadends into a parking area at the Porters Creek Trailhead. You could probably park as many as a dozen cars there if the drivers were creative.
And restrooms? You will pass restrooms on Greenbriar Road on the way to the trailhead.

To Sum It Up – Porters Creek Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, this is not it. The trail is not challenging, and the waterfall is not spectacular.

But if you’re looking for a relatively easy and pleasant hike next to a noisy creek through beautiful scenery in a beautiful section of the park, this may be your ticket.

Our recommendation? Bring along a picnic lunch to enjoy after your hike!

Happy Hiking!