Day Trip Guide
Cosby, TN: The Smokies' Other Quiet Entrance
December 3, 20264 min read
No crowds, a genuinely good waterfall hike, and a drive most visitors never make. Here's what's worth the detour to Cosby.
Mention Cosby to most Gatlinburg visitors and you'll get a blank look. It sits on the park's northeastern edge, reached by its own quiet entrance off TN-32 rather than through downtown Gatlinburg - plan on an extra 20-30 minutes past Gatlinburg to get there, and you'll have one of the park's better waterfall hikes with a fraction of the crowds.
What to do
Hen Wallow Falls via Gabes Mountain Trail
The main reason to make the drive: a roughly 4.4-mile round-trip hike from the Cosby Campground to a 90-foot waterfall, on a trail that sees a fraction of the traffic you'd find on the Gatlinburg side of the park.
Cosby Campground & Picnic Area
The starting point for Gabes Mountain Trail and several other backcountry routes, with a shaded picnic area if you'd rather just bring lunch and sit by the creek than hike.
The drive in on TN-32
No traffic lights, no outlet malls - just a winding mountain road in through farmland and forest. It's a different first impression of the Smokies than the Parkway strip, and part of why this side of the park feels so different.
Cosby and Townsend are the park's two low-key entrances - opposite sides of the Smokies, same quiet-trails, fewer-crowds appeal. If Cosby's hike leaves you wanting more of the same, our Townsend guide covers the other side.
A creekside hike, then a creekside porch
Take Me To The River Cabin is an easy drive from the Cosby side of the park - come back from Hen Wallow Falls to your own stretch of water.
See Take Me To The River Cabin →More from the blog
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