Hiking the Deep Creek Falls in GSMNP January 15, 2010

We decided to go to Deep Creek while Jason was at work on a Friday. The Deep Creek portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has many trails and tubing in the summer time. It also has a perfect trail for kids. The three waterfalls loop is what the Park's website and maps calls it. It combines two trails together and is only about 2.4 miles round trip. Dale and Emma started off riding in the double stroller on the steepest part of the hike to the first falls. Then Dale walked off and on and Emma walked for a time as well.

This is Dale and Emma getting their first look at Juney Whank Falls. There is a bench a little distance away to sit and enjoy it, as well as on on the bridge that crosses right over the falls.




This is Dale and Emma on the bench that rests on the bridge crossing the falls. It made me a bit nervous because the Bridge had a huge (about Dale's height) gap between the base of the bridge and the hand rails. No cross beams or anything to prevent little ones from tripping and falling over (just a mom's watchful eyes and quick reflexes).


Here is the top right of the waterfall and a close up of the rock face that the water runs down.



A view of the falls from the right side (if looking at them of course). It was easier to capture most of the waterfall from this angle.





Dale walking down what I termed "the tree tunnel" away from Juney Whank falls to the rest of the trail.






Here are two views of the next waterfall along the trail, the Tom Branch Falls. This is one of the falls that probably is easiest to see in the winter because of foliage obstruction.


The water of the creek alongside the trail. Doesn't that look like it would be tons of fun to tube down in the summer? There are parts that are even more exciting looking (pics to come of those).

Dale and Emma walking along the trail. Emma would not hold my hand and insisted "Dale's hand" repeatedly. She wanted to walk right next to him. He tolerated this some but she was a little slow for him.

Emma was touching the ice and snow and then examining it on her gloves. Shortly after this picture I had to put her back in the stroller because she kept getting to close to the edge with her brother and stumbling. Dale got put back in too.


Indian Creek Falls, the final waterfall we saw (although we passed the Tom Branch Falls again on our way back to the van). It was rather icy descending the steps to get close to the falls and not very safe to let the kids walk alone so they had to hold my hands or stay right next to the stairs. Because of that we didn't get any photos of them with these falls this time (or good ones) but we got some another day after the ice melted so look out for those in a future post.