Mingo Falls is just past the campground, so once your GPS takes you to the campground, just drive right on past it and you’ll see the signage for the falls.īut if you forget this advice, do not worry. We’ve visited Mingo Falls a few times, but every time I forget that my GPS leads me astray! If you use your GPS to get here, I recommend putting in the Cherokee/Great Smokies KOA Campground instead of Mingo Falls. When we visited in summer 2023, there were tons of kids playing in the water below the overlook. This isn’t really much of a hike…just a bunch of stairs and then a short, uneven trail will take you to the falls. Take the stairs to the base of Mingo Falls, and feel the spray from the water while you get your pics! The falls stand at an impressive height of 120 feet, and are the tallest falls you’ll find in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Just 10 minutes from the center of Cherokee, you’ll find Mingo Falls - a popular waterfall viewing area that you won’t want to miss. We visit GSMNP often from Cherokee, and our top things to do on this side of the park are: Visiting Mingus Mill, hiking the Kephart Prong Trail, exploring the living history museum at Ocanaluftee Visitor Center (we often see elk here!), driving to and along Clingman’s Dome Road and enjoying the many awesome overlooks, climbing up to Clingman’s Dome, and hiking the Andrews Bald Trail.

There’s a complete range of activities for one to enjoy here, including fishing creeks, exhibitions, picnic spots, campgrounds, campsites, riding, hiking and biking trails. You’ll find the Ocanaluftee Visitors Center just 8 minutes from the heart of Cherokee.įor an awesome day trip, you could drive through the winding roads of the park and discover its marvelous historic sites, enjoy the scenic views and outstanding forest features. You will find this place sitting on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, and it is easily accessible from Cherokee. Stretching for 800 square miles, wherever you turn your eyes here, you will see endless natural landscapes, in their pure unfiltered beauty.

To start exploring Cherokee, NC, you cannot choose a better place than the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

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