Mingo Falls

I came to Mingo Falls from the Smoky Mountains. I drove south from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center out of the park, into North Carolina on highway 441 into the Qualla Cherokee Indian Reservation. Once in Cherokee, I made a left on Big Cove Road. I followed the road for just over 4 miles, twisting and turning, passing several campgrounds, and finally arriving at the Mingo Falls Campground where the parking lot for the falls is located. (I've included a Google Maps widget below to help you pinpoint the location or get specific directions.)

Hikers will be faced with a steep but short climb to approach the falls. Immediately there are 140 to 150 steps to climb (pictured in the snap shot here) then the dirt path takes over (shown below) and hikers walk only a short distance, perhaps .1 miles to reach the small wooden bridge that sets directly in front of, and at the foot of the falls.

The wooden bridge provides the perfect, up close viewing platform.

In total, the round trip hike is only .4 miles.

I encountered no other visitors during my morning (9:00 AM) visit so everthing was peaceful and only the sound of the cascades and some birds were evident. Even with the steep climb, the entire time I spent here was less than 20 minutes.

For anyone passing through the area, I would recommend this side trip. I can easily imagine that a trip to Mingo Falls in the autumn would be especially beautiful.