There are countless waterfalls and rapids that line the stream, which are intermittingly interrupted by cool clear pools of water.Īt just over 2.1 miles hikers will reach a very long and narrow footbridge, which spans roughly 20 feet above the creek (see photo above). This portion of the route follows the Ramsey Prong of the Little Pigeon River, which drains off of 6621-foot Mount Guyot, the second highest mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains. Over the course of the last 2 miles hikers will also see some very large tuliptrees, eastern hemlocks, basswoods, silverbells, and yellow birches. According to the Eastern Native Trees Society some of the largest trees in the park are located on this trail, including the third tallest red maple in the park (141 feet), the second tallest white oak in the park (123 feet), and the tallest black cherry in the park (146 feet). This forest was one of the few to remain mostly unscathed. One of the primary reasons the national park was created was in response to the damage being done to the ancient forests by the logging industry. Hikers will soon enter the largest old-growth forest remaining in the Smokies. From here the Ramsey Cascades Trail continues towards the east as a narrow footpath. The trail, however, is now overgrown and is no longer maintained by the park. This location also marks the junction with the old Greenbrier Pinnacle Trail, which used to lead hikers to the top of Greenbrier Pinnacle where an old fire tower once stood.
At 1.5 miles from the trailhead you'll reach an old cul de sac, which marks the end of the old roadway you've been following to this point. The beginning of the Ramsey Cascades Trail follows the remnants of an old gravel road. Despite this, the waterfall is still a very popular destination, and you should expect to see a fair amount of hikers along the route during peak tourist seasons. However, hikers should note that the trail travels over some extremely rugged terrain over the last third-of-a-mile or so, making this a fairly difficult hike. The Ramsey Cascades Trail gains almost 2200 feet in elevation over its four-mile course, and is considered to be a moderately strenuous hike. The revised version properly reflects the correct spelling, since the cascades are named after the Ramsey family that once lived in this area. However, in more recent publications, and on their website, the park is now spelling it as "Ramsey". Historically, the park used to spell the name as "Ramsay".
This waterfall in the Greenbrier area has gone by two different spellings.
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