One of the best kept secrets of the Smokey Mountain National Park. We enjoyed Mingo Falls. We loved climbing the 200+ stairs leading to the beautiful view. Hopefully we will visit again.

Beautiful falls, short but very steep stairs - I live on a steep hill and average 25,000 steps a day, but stairs are hard for me . I saw people of all ages and abilities do it though, and everyone was glad they did. It was fairly crowded but parking was easy and the ride to was gorgeous as well. I would imagine after a rain it would be INSANELY flowing; when I went it hadn’t rained in a while and it was still magnificent.

There is no such thing as a bad time to visit Mingo Falls. It is absolutely beautiful in high water, low water, and all of the Seasons. I visited the waterfall during the Winter season while snow was still on the ground and I needed microspikes for the ice on the stairs. This is one of the easiest waterfalls to access in the Smokies area. The trail is mainly a bunch of stairs that are taken good care of by the Cherokee Nation. They deserve to be prideful of having this beauty on their land. Recommend it for all age groups.

We visited here while in Cherokee. It is a spectacular waterfall. The “hike” is very short, too. It’s 0.4 miles, round trip. A lot of stairs, though, but once you’ve made it to the top you’re pretty much done. Lots of tourists, including us. Definitely worth it.

We LOVED this waterfall. We had no idea how big it actually was until we saw it ..😳. Fantastic! The steps up to it definitely made you wonder if you would ever get there..but totally worth it!!

These falls are obviously stunning. There were a lot of people, and by the pictures you can see that some of them were climbing on the rocks. Not sure if that is the best idea, but to each their own. I still highly recommend visiting these falls if you are in the area. The sight is just too incredible to miss! 🤩🌈

Beautiful short hike but be ready for stairs. It’s an up-hill situation. Obviously no strollers. It’s rocky with lots of tree roots but all in all short and easy enough. The falls are majestic, it wasn’t as rushing as some of my other trips but always worth it!

It is about 160 steps up about 1/4 mile, well worth it, one of most beautiful waterfalls in the area. After the steps it's a short walk to it, definitely enjoyed it, weather was perfect not alot of ppl at 12pm on a Saturday.

Not crowded at all. We walked right up to the falls. Almost everyone in our group was over 60. Half over 70. Everyone made the walk up the stairs to the waterfall. It was a lovely experience!

We went to the falls after a weekend of rain, and it was beautiful! The hike up to the viewing platform is steep at times but kids and older adults were there! Once you get to the viewing platform, the trail is closed. It was pretty busy on a Saturday in April, and Google will not give you the correct directions. Follow the road signage instead once you’re close! These falls are on the Cherokee reservation, so be respectful of that!

Beautiful! The hike up takes a bit of uphill climbing on some unwieldy steps, but it is well worth it. The ground may be muddy when there has been rain, so keep that in mind. Overall, it's a short hike (less than half a mile one way) and the payoff is incredible, even when the water level is down.

Beautiful!! It’s a bit of a climb up the stairs to get to the viewing platform but worth it.. unfortunately, the trail is closed beyond the lower viewing area, and looks like it has been for a while. You can climb at your own risk, but only experienced climbers would be able to try.

Definitely worth the walk up the stairs. Lol I will say whoever built the stairs could have done a better job. They are just big enough you can't step from one to the next, you have to take about a half a step then step again. The climb and decent could be so much more fluent if a little thought would have went into the size and spacing of the steps. But all in all, absolutely beautiful waterfall and we try and see it every year.

A nice set of falls that requires a little hike to get to but offers a nice unique view. This is not in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The road that you drive to arrive at this location goes by a school so please drive the speed limit. At the time that I visited this site, my navigation app did not have the roads within a mile of the falls so we had to pay attention to the signs. The good thing is that there are several signs that lead you to the site. Parking is limited to about 15 parking spots directly in front of the steps. There seems to be an old campground that you may be able to park in but I did not want to take a chance. The path continues along the mountain for another few hundred yards to some rock steps and a bridge that spans the river. There is a bench at the top that will allow people to rest. The falls are very unique and beautiful with several streams instead of one large stream coming down the mountain. It is a very nice site and different from other falls that we saw on our trip. I would recommend it for visitors to the area.

Such a beautiful hike to a waterfall. I felt like I was in a fairytale. The stairs are not as bad as the reviews made them seem. Super short hike!! Can't wait to go back after there has been decent rain 😌

Absolutely fell in love. Stairs were a trial for my mom and grandma but this was a once in a lifetime for them, I'm so glad we made this trip to see this waterfall. I will be bringing my kids next year.. loved it so much..

If you’re up for climbing some stairs, it is sooo worth seeing this incredible waterfall!! The photo can’t capture the scale of the falls. It’s super tall and absolutely amazing. Some of the trail was closed for repairs, but I feel like we got a pretty good view from where we were on the bridge…

Parking at the base of the Falls is limited. You then go up lots of stairs up the hill about. 0.13 miles of stairs and another 0.05 to the bridge for the great view of the very high Falls. Round trip is about 0.35 as long as you can handle the stairs well worth it. Also pet, dog friendly.

Well worth the stair climb and the falls is just beautiful. There is a small viewing spot to see it so that gets crowded but go off the beaten path for the best photography away from others.

Beautiful waterfall. Short but steep walk up mostly stairs. Really nice bridge over the stresm at the top where you look up the this massive fall. Not usually too crowded because the parking lot is small.

Mingo Falls is beautiful and very tall, but there are 161 stairs that can be very intimidating. Take your time & rest as needed. There is also a bench to sit on at the top of the stairs. It is so worth it when you reach the top!

182 steps and 1/4 mile hike up a path is well worth it to see this beautiful waterfall just outside of Cherokee, NC. The path leads up to the falls, which you can not see until you reach the top! But it's worth it, for sure. You can't go swimming or into the water, but great views as posted in my short video. Had to climb over 1 fallen tree trunk, and some rock surfaces. People were friendly, helped each other when needed. Wear good tennis or hiking shoes to be safe. On the way to the falls, right across from the school campus, we saw a herd of Elk, not phased a bit by all the cars & school busses going right by them! Thinking they are probably there every day as a river was right behind them. Portapotties right at the base of the trail, plenty of parking. Great stop in Cherokee! Free parking, no admission...just enjoy Mother Nature!

Beautiful 120 ft waterfall once you make your way up the 160 steps and a bit of rocky and root-y path to the top. Not for those with wheelchairs or mobility issues. However, it was well worth the hike!

This is a beautiful water falls. The climb is a very short but steep climb. (1/3 mile) We were glad we made the drive to see the waterfall.

Such a beautiful waterfall the kids enjoyed it very much, there is quite a bit of stairs to climb and kinda a bumpy terrain to walk through to see it so caution should be taken if you don’t walk very well or have trouble with stairs, but if not it’s definitely worth the trip to see the waterfall

Just go. You'll love it. My 2 year old was able to walk the entire trail. I did have a hiking pole and it helped have more control in the rock areas. Peaceful. The are around 160 steps so when you get there stay a while. We were there around an hour. We touched the water and played with some of the rocks.

There are some points on the path that are raw and slippery without stairs. Especially towards the top. This is worth the walk up the stairs and raw path. This is not a good walk for anyone that is not steady on their feet and not wheelchair accessible. If you are using maps or an app and you get to a road that has a sign saying your app took you the wrong way BELIEVE IT! go a few more miles down you will see the stairs. Great signage will get you there.

A quick easy trip for an amazing view. A lot of the walk is stairs which allows for easy travel up the steeper spots of the trail. The trail then brings you up to a bring that gives an amazing view of the waterfall. If you are looking for a quick trip on a boring day, check this place out.