About Meigs Falls
Meigs Falls is one of the easiest waterfalls in the park to see: a large pull-off on Little River Road looks across the river to the cascade, and you can admire it from your car. The pull-off has no sign, so you have to know where to find it. The falls are best after rain and can slim to a thin sheet in a dry late summer.
How to find it
The Park Service directions are specific: the pull-off is about 13 miles west of the Sugarlands Visitor Center on Little River Road, about a mile past The Sinks. Look for a large pull-off area on the left side of the road (driving west), identifiable by a distinctive stone wall. Use your odometer. If you are coming from Townsend, reverse the directions.
What you will see
The view is across the river, so you see the falls from a distance, not up close. In summer, leaves can screen part of the drop, and a longer lens helps if you want detail. There is no trail, and the Park Service asks visitors to stay at the designated pull-off, because people have been seriously injured at waterfalls here.
Parking and passes
Entry is free. A parking tag is required if you park more than 15 minutes, and federal passes do not replace it (see fees). The pull-off is spacious but fills on busy fall weekends.
When to go
- After rain: The best flow.
- Spring: Reliable water.
- Late summer: Often thin.
- Fall: Beautiful color along Little River Road.
- Winter: The road is open most days, but ice can hide the water.
Pair it with
The Sinks, a rushing plunge on the Little River, is a mile east, and the Townsend side has Cades Cove and Tremont. Meigs Falls is a good five-minute stop on a Little River Road drive.
Good to know
- Can you swim or climb at the falls?
- Please don’t climb on or around waterfalls. Wet rock and algae are extremely slick, and falls from waterfalls are a leading cause of death in the Smokies. Enjoy the view from the trail.
- Do I need a parking tag?
- A Park It Forward parking tag ($5 a day, $15 a week or $40 a year) is required for any vehicle parked more than 15 minutes inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Entry is free, and federal passes such as America the Beautiful do not replace the tag.
