The Sinks

The Sinks is a short, rushing cascade on Little River beside Little River Road. The falls are close to the small roadside lot, so it’s an easy stop even if you’re not up for a hike. Stay in the designated viewing area: people have drowned here, and climbing down the wet rocks for a closer photo is a bad trade.

From Gatlinburg, it’s about 12 miles west of Sugarlands Visitor Center; from Townsend Wye, about 8 miles east. There’s no sign marking the pull-in, so watch for the red swift-water signs at the nearby bridge. The lot is small and can fill early on busy days. A parking tag is required if you leave your vehicle in the park for more than 15 minutes, and it doesn’t reserve a space.

The Sinks owes its present shape to commercial logging. When logs jammed in Little River, loggers used dynamite to clear them. The blast opened a bend in the river, creating the powerful cascade you see now. The story is a reminder that this famous bit of scenery has a very practical human origin.

The main view takes in the water breaking over broad rock ledges below the stone road bridge. Include the bridge or foreground boulders for scale. After rain, the river may run higher and make the cascade more forceful; keep to the marked viewing area even when you see tempting angles down by the water.