Margarette Falls Hike
Waterfall · about 60 ft high | Tennessee
2.7 mi round trip
Margarette Falls Hike at a Glance
The Margarette Falls hike is 2.7 mi round trip.
| Falls height | About 60 ft |
|---|---|
| Elevation at the falls | ≈ 2,600 ft |
| Distance | 2.7 mi round trip |
Your time: about 55 min of moving time at Naismith pace (3 mph plus 1 hour per 2,000 ft climbed); about 1 h 10 min at a relaxed pace. A 160 lb hiker with a daypack burns roughly 510 kcal. No elevation gain is published for this route, so climbing time isn’t included.
Adjust for your pace and breaks →Route line not shown. The 2.7 mi distance for this hike is verified (hikingproject.com), but we don't yet have a trail track we trust, so the map shows only the destination. Carry an official map.
About Margarette Falls
Margarette Falls is a waterfall in Tennessee, about 60 feet high, on land managed by Cherokee National Forest. Its height is from fs.usda.gov.
The Hike
The hike to the falls follows the Margarette Falls Trail: 2.7 miles round trip, from Margarette Falls trailhead parking area. Distance from hikingproject.com.
Before You Go
- The first .5-mile section of the trail is an easy hike on a closed Forest Service road. (fs.usda.gov)
- Rock around waterfalls is slick when wet; stay on the trail and back from the edge.
- Check Cherokee National Forest for current conditions, closures and parking before you go.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the hike to Margarette Falls?
The Margarette Falls Trail to Margarette Falls is 2.7 miles round trip.
Where does the Margarette Falls hike start?
It starts from Margarette Falls trailhead parking area.
How tall is Margarette Falls?
Margarette Falls is about 60 feet high.
Safety Information
Current Hazards
- Slippery wet rock near the falls
- Fast, high water after rain or snowmelt
- Check weather before departure
Turn-Around Time
3:00 PM
Plan to reach the falls by this time so you are back before dark.
Essential Gear Checklist
* Critical items - do not hike without these
Emergency Contacts
Emergency / Search & Rescue
911Point Forecast
NWS Point Forecast →In most of the US, backcountry search and rescue is dispatched through 911 — tell the operator you have a hiker emergency and your GPS coordinates.
Downloads
Sources for The Margarette Falls Guide
Where the trail data, elevation and route line on this page come from.
- Verified against
- hikingproject.com
- Distance
- hikingproject.com
- Falls height
- fs.usda.gov
- Falls location
- worldwaterfalldatabase.com
- Elevation
- ≈ Copernicus GLO-90 elevation model at the falls coordinates (via Open-Meteo)
Conditions change. Check the land manager for closures, fees and weather before you go.
Nearby Hikes
Other hikes within 30 miles of Margarette Falls.