Porters Creek Trail

The trail begins at the end of Greenbrier Road and follows Porters Creek through a shaded valley. The old roadbed is wide and comparatively gentle at first, with the creek close by and moss-covered stonework among the trees. There are several water crossings; a long footlog bridge arrives around 1.6 miles. This first mile feels more like an old farm lane than a mountain path, but the surface changes farther in.

Stone walls near the Ownby Cemetery mark former farm ground. Around the one-mile area, a short right-hand spur of about 350 yards leads to the Messer Barn and a Smoky Mountain Hiking Club cabin; return to the main trail for the falls and campsite route. John Whaley built the cantilever barn around 1875. The club cabin dates to the 1930s and served as an overnight stop until 1981. The cemetery and farm remains make the early part of the walk as much about Greenbrier’s settlement history as the creek.

The trail steepens before Fern Branch Falls, which drops beside a small stream crossing on the left at roughly 2 miles. This is the natural goal for many hikers: turn around here for about 4 miles total, or continue if you want the longer route. Water flow varies, and the falls can be modest during dry spells. Published descriptions disagree on its height, so no height is used here. Spring is a good season for flowers along the creek and after the second bridge; look for trilliums, phlox and foamflower among the broad leaves.

For the full trail, keep climbing beyond the falls toward Backcountry Campsite 31, about 3.6 miles from the trailhead. The route remains mostly uphill and becomes a narrower, rockier footpath, with roots and stream crossings underfoot. The campsite is the turnaround for this mapped itinerary; camping there requires a backcountry permit, but hikers passing through do not need a camping reservation. The full extension is a longer, more demanding choice than the popular falls walk, and the campsite rather than another waterfall is its endpoint.

The trailhead is on Greenbrier Road at its dead end, where a gravel lot holds about 20 vehicles. A parking tag is required, and the approach road is narrow; spaces can be tight at busy times. The nearest restroom is at Greenbrier Picnic Pavilion, separate from the trailhead. There is no food or drinking-water service identified at the trail. Pets are not allowed. Footlogs, wet rocks and stream edges can be slick, and the rougher climb begins beyond the farm sites, so the easy opening mile does not represent the whole route.