Category: hiking

When researching things to do for our smoky mountains trip I knew we wanted to go on a waterfall hike, but I also wanted to be realistic and find one that was easy to moderate. Laurel Falls provided a great way to be active but not push ourselves past our comfort level. Although this hike is 1.3 miles out and back (so 2.6 miles total) and uphill the whole way it is also paved. This is one of the most popular hikes in the great smoky mountains and we saw lots of families and hikers of all ages along the way.

Living in the south you have to take advantage of nice weather while you can. The summer heat and humidity can make the outdoors miserable and it gets cold enough in the winter to limit outdoor activity. So as soon as it was nice enough we were eager to go on another hike and enjoy some fresh air. While still new to hiking we prefer moderate hikes in the two to three mile range and found the perfect opportunity at Lake Catherine State Park in Hot Springs AR.