39 Porters Creek

It would be hard to pick a better spring hike in the Smokies than this one. For wildflower lovers, this is about as good as it gets. Although most people do this trip as a day hike, if you’re planning to spend a lot of time studying or photographing the wildflowers, a great option is to spend the night at Campsite 31 and backtrack the following day.

(See map with Hike 40: Brushy Mountain.)

Start: Porters Creek trailhead in the Greenbrier section of the park

Distance: 7.2 miles out and back

Hiking time: About 4 hours—day hike or overnighter

Difficulty: Moderate

Trail surface: Forest trail and old forest road

Best season: Spring for the wildflowers

Other trail users: Equestrians are permitted on the first mile

Maps: Mount LeConte and Mount Guyot USGS quads; Trails Illustrated #229 Great Smoky Mountains; Trails Illustrated #317 Clingmans Dome Cataloochee

Other: There’s room for several vehicles scattered along the traffic loop, but there are no facilities. Pit toilets are available at the picnic areas on the gravel road leading to the trailhead.

Finding the trailhead: From US 441 in Gatlinburg, turn at traffic light #3 and drive east on US 321. At 5.9 miles turn right (south) onto Greenbrier Road. This road follows scenic Middle Prong of Little Pigeon River, changing to gravel just past the ranger station. Drive slowly, and watch for pedestrians in summer. At 3.1 miles the road to the Ramsey Cascades trailhead (Hike 41) turns left. Stay straight and continue another 0.9 mile to a traffic loop. Park at the far end of the loop, at the road gate. The trail is a continuation of the gravel road. GPS: N35 41.811' / W83 23.292'

The Hike

Start up the gravel road and soon come to a great view of Porters Creek at a washout. A little farther along you begin noticing relics of life before the park was established, such as rock walls and old homesites. Cross a small creek branch on a bridge and pass a nice patch of crested dwarf iris, just up the hill. An old cemetery lies to the right, and just beyond it is an old rusty vehicle sitting 100 feet into the woods. The road soon crosses a larger stream, this one with the option of wading the ford or crossing on a foot log. Kids love this one.

At 1.0 mile you reach the old traffic turnaround and the junction of three trails. On the far left, heading south along Porters Creek, is Porters Creek Trail. To the far right (west end) is a side trail leading a short distance to a historic farm site. (For a description of the site, see Hike 40.) In the middle of the two is the trailhead for Brushy Mountain Trail.

Large-flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) carpets the mountainsides surrounding Fern Branch Falls.

Continue on Porters Creek Trail and after 0.5 mile cross Porters Creek on two foot logs. If hiking in spring, you’ll start to see what all the fuss is about as soon as you cross the creek. You’ll see fringed phacelia, bishop’s cap, several trillium and violet species, mayapple, blue cohosh, geranium, Fraser’s sedge, toothwort, phlox—and countless more. Less than 0.5 mile farther, as if the wildflowers were not enough, you cross Fern Branch at the base of Fern Branch Falls. This surprisingly high waterfall tumbles over mossy rocks and logs.

Beyond the waterfall the wildflower displays continue, with the species variety depending upon the angle of the slope to the sun and the surrounding vegetation. At 3.6 miles the official trail ends at Campsite 31, a lovely site situated on a bank above Porters Creek. Some trail narratives state that Porters Creek Trail continues as an unmaintained route from Campsite 31 all the way to the Appalachian Trail at Dry Sluice Gap, 2,000 feet higher. It is not recommended that you hike on any unmaintained trails in the Smokies, but particular caution is advised for this one. The trail peters out in a short distance, and then you’re facing a full mile of very steep rock scrambling.

Miles and Directions

0.0Start at gate on the south end of the parking area.

1.0Junction with Brushy Mountain Trail (center) and the side trail to the historic farm site (right). Stay to the left and continue following Porters Creek Trail upstream.

1.5Cross Porters Creek.

1.8Pass below Fern Branch Falls.

3.6Arrive at Campsite 31. Return the way you came.

7.2Arrive back at trailhead.

Option: The short side trip to the historic farm site (see Hike 40) is highly recommended.