The trail to Gee Creek Falls in Delano, TN follows alongside Gee Creek for about 1.3 miles (2.6 miles roundtrip). Along the way you’ll see remnants of concrete water diverters that were used for mining silica. The mining took place around the 1890s, which means that parts of these concrete diverters have lasted over 100 years. (This is both amazing and a testament to how long things that we place in nature can have long-term effects, so we need to be aware.)
The concrete diverters are the squared off pieces – in the picture on the left you can see it on the bottom left, behind the tree; in the picture on the right it’s almost directly in the center.
The hike up to the falls is fairly easy for the most part, but a couple of spots are no joke. (You can see a Guide to How I Rate Trails, here.)
The trail itself is rocky and has tree roots here and there, but it’s fairly easy if you take your time. I stopped along the way and took pictures of the beautiful rocks, moss, trees, and cascades.
There is one spot close to the top where the path narrows and you have to kind of scramble around a rock ledge. It’s not a huge drop off, but you have to be careful. (I ended up not getting a picture of this because I was so focused on not falling.)
Then, when you get to the waterfall, depending on how high up you want to get to sit and/or take pictures, you have to climb up and over rocks as well.
This trail is part of the Gee Creek Wilderness and the Cherokee National Forest.
If you’re looking for a place to stay nearby, I highly recommend Hiwassee Acres.
It’s about 30 minutes away, but it is a perfect place to stay and explore. The property has kayaking and trails, opportunities to interact with some adorable farm animals, horseback riding, and much more. Not to mention the comfortable beds and beautifully decorated rooms.