Sight · Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Cross a footbridge for an unusually close look at both waterfall tiers.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Great Smoky Mountains audio tourRecorded for this place
Deep Creek Waterfalls and Picnic Area“You're coming up on Deep Creek, where waterfall walks and a creekside picnic can fill a relaxed afternoon.”
Plays as you drive up to Juney Whank Falls in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Juney Whank Falls is a two-part, 80-foot waterfall in the Deep Creek area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Several small streams spill over a rock wall and run beneath a wooden footbridge, with a close view of both sections from either side. The trail is short but climbs steeply. I’d stop for the bridge-side view, especially if you’re already exploring Deep Creek; the falls can look modest when the water is low.
Walk across the bridge, then turn around and take in the cascade from the other side. For a photo, include part of the footbridge beside the water; it shows how unusually close the path runs to the falls.
If you want more than a quick stop, the 2.4-mile Deep Creek Waterfalls Loop links Juney Whank with Indian Creek Falls and Tom Branch Falls. Expect stairs, steep stretches, roots, and rocks underfoot, and bring the park map for the turns. The falls alone are reached by a short uphill spur from the large parking area at the end of Deep Creek Road, past Deep Creek Campground.
Dogs aren’t allowed on the falls trail. A Smokies parking tag is required when you park for more than 15 minutes.
For a proper break, the separate Deep Creek Picnic Area has 58 picnic sites with grills and tables; its restrooms are seasonal. Those facilities are at the picnic area, not at the falls.
Wildlife
1,569 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
900 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
13 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
142 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
26 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
42 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Smoky Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyTom Branch Falls Trail0.5 mi · 1 hr · 0.1 mi awayA very short creekside walk to a tiered waterfall across the water.
ModerateDeep Creek Waterfalls Loop2.4 mi · 2 hr · 0.1 mi awayThree waterfalls in one short loop, with one steep opening climbModerateDeep Creek Loop Trail4.6 mi · 3 hr · 0.1 mi awayA creekside loop links two falls with a steady half-mile climb.
EasyJuney Whank Falls Trail0.6 mi · 30 min · 0.1 mi awayA short loop reaches an 80-foot cascade and crosses its wooden footbridge.
ChallengingLonesome Pine Overlook Trail6.8 mi · 4 hr · 0.5 mi awayA steep ridge climb to a rocky overlook above Bryson City.
ChallengingNoland Divide Trail11.5 mi · 7 hr · 0.5 mi awayA long ridge traverse from Deep Creek to Kuwohi Road.
ModerateIndian Creek Trail3.6 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.6 mi awayA 3.6-mile route climbs past Indian Creek Falls to Sunkota Ridge.
ModerateDeep Creek Horse Trail1.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.6 mi awayA wooded climb past Juney Whank Falls to Deep Creek Trail.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayTom Branch FallsFront-row benches across from tiered falls, after an easy walk.
Picnic area · 0.4 mi awayDeep Creek Picnic AreaCreekside shade, charcoal grills, and waterfall walks in one stop.
Campground · 0.4 mi awayDeep Creek CampgroundCreekside camping puts waterfalls and tubing within easy reach.Sight · 0.6 mi awayIndian Creek FallsA creekside walk to two falls, ending at a broad 25-foot cascade.
Scenic pullout · 4 mi awayFontana Lake OverlookA quick lake-and-ridge view on the Road to Nowhere.Parkwolf’s Great Smoky Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
