My husband and I went hiking on the Pete’s Branch Falls trail in Cherokee National Forest on Friday. It’s an easy trail located near Chuckey, Tennessee, and a good choice for anyone who is not up to a long day hike but wants to get away from things for a couple of hours. There’s a nice campground and several other trails close by.
We parked at the picnic area along Horse Creek. It would be a great place for group or family picnics; there is a covered picnic area, a rest room, garbage cans, and a few picnic tables located up an accessible trail right on the creek. I’m not sure what the fishing regulations are for that area, but we saw some small trout in the water.
After looking around the picnic area, we turned to a rocky forest road and started hiking. The first part of the hike follows the creek closely, and we crossed the stream several times. The head of the Pete’s Branch Trail actually began about a mile into the hike and was very easy to find.
Eventually we arrived at the end of the forest road and the beginning of the pedestrian-only trail. This area looked like a popular place for wilderness camping. There was a stone ring firepit and a level spot for a tent. We also spotted a wild green recliner hiding amongst the brush!
We moved up the slope where the trail became narrower and the creek was almost nonexistent. After climbing a small set of rock steps near the top of the trail, we finally reached a giant wall of rock. There was only a trickle of water falling down the 45 ft drop. I imagine the waterfall would be beautiful after a heavy rain, but we haven’t had any in almost a month.
We sat under a rock ledge and listened to the forest while we ate some fruit and drank our water. Then we headed back down the trail.
The entire hike took just over two hours. We saw several people at the picnic area when we returned, and the trail looked like it was used fairly frequently. We saw garbage on several occasions, reminding me that I needed to tuck a pair of latex gloves and a garbage bag into my pack for next time. I don’t know how or why aluminum soda cans, plastic oil containers, wrappers, and plastic bottles end up on the trail, but it makes me sad to see it. I hope that it doesn’t become a regular sight!
originally posted at stillroundthecorner.com
