On exploration-day two, we drive north out of Ducktown up Highway 68 toward Tellico Plains, TN. We have three falls in the Cherokee National Forest to find. It was clear and warm with bright, blue skies.
Google won’t get you to the Conasauga Falls trailhead, so do your homework before you go. The last two miles of Forest Service Road was broken pavement, potholes and dirt. Rain makes the road and the trail tough sledding. The path through the trees is narrow and after the first hundred yards, all downhill.
The trail is 1.7 miles round trip with plenty of roots and rocks. For a short hike, this one can be a challenge.
You can hear the roar of this multi-tiered cascade from half-a-mile away. It’s big, bold and beautiful. A rugged hike should have a rugged waterfall.
Baby Falls is in the Unicoi Mountain Range near the Tennessee/North Carolina Border. It only drops 15-feet, but it must have looked like Niagara to the Kayaker in the picture, judging by his face when we watched him plunge down it. We gave him thumbs up for his efforts. The video shows how all rapids are dangerous in a tiny, plastic boat.
A few-miles further up scenic Tellico River Road, the Bald River crashes out of the cliffs into the Tellico River below. This is truly a magnificent Falls that can be viewed from your car or the bridge. There’s a second, small falls on the right side of this picture.
Bald River Falls drops 100 feet. The sound is powerful and the mist makes it hard to get a picture without spotting your camera lens. This is a sight for all ages, just don’t let a distracted driver pick you off on the bridge.
After our taxing, morning hike, we enjoyed the gorgeous drive along the Tellico River on FS 210. Admiring waterfalls doesn’t always require a trek through the woods.