Cherokee Nat’l Forest: Mountain City, TN: Gentry Creek Falls: 5 miles

This past Saturday we took part in a guided hike lead by PACT. Unfortunately, we didn’t attract the turnout we were looking for, but the few people who did join in made our walk through the woods very enjoyable. It was a special treat since Cody and I don’t hike with other people very often.

Throughout the trek we all took turns pointing out various plant and animal wildlife, and because I have such a curious mind, this was a big highlight for me. Our hike was more about exploring and less about keeping up a steady pace. Even so, we moved faster than if Cody and I had gone solo. It’s no surprise that I generally stop every few feet to take a photo! Okay, not every few feet……[Cody, stop shaking your head]….okay, every few feet!

As unconcerned as we may have been about reaching our destination, we finally arrived to the proverbial pot of gold. At the “end of our rainbow” lay a double-decker waterfall, both 30 to 40 feet high. It was magnificent! After a couple photos, we trudged to the top tier where we all sat down to have lunch and tune in to the rushing water flowing past us. Very refreshing, indeed!

(The photo below doesn’t show the one up top)

Well worth the 2.5 miles it took to get to Gentry Creek Falls. Altogether, I would say that it was a very moderate hike with barely any gain in elevation. It did, however, take a little over 4 hours to complete, and the numerous creek crossings did present quite a few obstacles since we had to do it 13 times! After a while, you succumbed to soggy shoes!

These foot bridges probably have you thinking, “What creek crossings?”,
believe me, we got our feet wet! I just didn’t get any photos of it 🙂

I do hope to return in the future on an overcast/foggy day to get some better photos of the falls. Not that I am complaining about the gorgeous weather we were graced with, but it’s just not conducive to taking good waterfall photos. Note to self: Remember this the next time you don’t want to go for a hike on a rainy day!

Friday, I was thinking that I would share the results of our wildflower findings. I came home with a handful that needed to be identified and thought you all may be interested to see the little beauties that were springing up!!