Hike to Greeter Falls in Tennessee's Savage Gulf

It is a beautiful trail, clean and well maintained. The parking lot somewhat not that big. We arrived almost at midday and there still were a few free spots to park. There is picnic table but no restrooms. So plan ahead. Hike itself is easy except a few places with stairs or over growth of the roots. The road to the parking lot after you turn from main road is a bit bumpy, but not too long, just drive carefully. Dogs on leash allowed.

Lots of parking at the trailhead. I did the lower Greeter Falls hike, but there are others, including a swimming hole. Lots of rocks and roots on the trail, supplemented with stairs (spiral, metal, and rr ties) to get you there. Wear hiking shoes - lots of bouldering to do at the foot of the trail by the falls and some slick rocks to navigate over. Really beautiful spot to view the chute. I went in early March on a 70 degree day - it was perfect. There are campgrounds nearby & I’m going to have to come back when I have time to see more.

I'm not going to give a state park anything less than 5 stars because we need more and any time people use them it promotes more use. The longer trails like Big Creek Rim, Big Creek Gulf, and Laurel are incredible with beautiful overlooks, challenging but fast terrain, and connect to Greeter and Laurel Falls and Stone Door. Wonderful hiking, wide variety of flora, and quiet. However, all the waterfalls that are close to the parking areas see a lot of public use and the trails going to them are the access trails to the much longer trails. There are several areas where people have worn paths off the main trail to get to inaccessible parts of the river and falls, so much so that they are more visible and worn than the actual trails which makes it very easy to take a wrong turn. It could be quite dangerous without a map, and is very frustrating to get to a dead end and then backtrack. Always make sure you're following the blazes which are well maintained and spaced relatively close together. There are no treacherous parts of the actual trails, so if you find yourself slipping and sliding downhill or having to grab onto roots to climb, you are on the wrong trail. Take a map if you're going on a longer hike and pay attention to the blazes to make sure you get to your junction. Also, please just stay on trail.

I'm giving this four stars because it was way harder than I thought it would be. I am 48 and I struggled coming back up from the lower falls. The loop is closed so you can really only walk to the bottom of the falls and to the top of Greeter falls. But when you got to the bottom it was truly magnificent. I just think everybody needs to know that this is a very hard hike physically. But not skill level. The skill level is low.

NO BATHROOMS!! Please note that there are no port a potties or bathrooms located at the parking are. The nearby campground *may* allow hikers to use theirs. I also tried the nearest convenience store and the sign on their door says “no public restrooms.” I guess come prepared with tp, hand sanitizer, and a trash bag to carry with you!! Otherwise, the trails are beautiful! Not overcrowded on Memorial Day. I was the only one around at the swimming hole; the water was very cold, but there was a good rock to get in and out from. Some very slick and tricky spots so be aware with children or inexperienced hikers.